Apple Buys iPhone.com Domain Name?

Steven writes:

"Hi Frank,

It looks like iphone.com was acquired in the last 24 hours by apple. The site is now on apple servers and pointing to http://www.apple.com/iphone/. ..."

Thanks Steven,  I think Apple has a good naming culture. They have tried to buy several generic domain names from me in the past. Rather than make up brands that don't mean anything, Apple is not shy about calling a product what it is. That desire to name their brands common language vernacular and words and phrases that anyone can use, often precludes against them getting the obvious domain names that relate to the brand. I turned down Apple's offer on musicnews.com last year and am sure I'm not the first party to decline an invitation to sell them a generic domain.

Apple isn't the only one with good naming sense of course.  Microsoft has done a pretty good job titling their products and services after generic words.  Some of us might remember Microsoft 'Bob', and 'Windows' are generic things after all...  FWIW..

Anyway, you're right, it looks like Apple managed to get one with iPhone.com. Thanks once again for the note.

Comments

[josh/Swerve]

Whois shows iphone.com with a godaddy private reg.

Doesn't apple usually show their reg info on their domains?
They do for apple.com

*iPhone.com may be in transition to apple ownership, or not. likely, yes.

Registration Private
(480) 624-2599 Phone
(480) 624-2599 Fax
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
******.com@domainsbyproxy.com

***FS*** They bought the name of one of their trademarks from me a year ago (i predated them).. They have not changed whois yet.

[Sahar Sarid]

For every good move they made in naming there were many they have missed. Purchasing Iphone.com, if you do a quick research, you will find is the exception, not the rule.

***FS*** Interesting, thanks Sahar.

[Cedric]

Or maybe it has only been licensed?
One can think that the owner accepted to let the name be hosted on Apple servers because there was too much traffic on its own servers?

[Jeremy Luebke]

Damn that sucks. For the last part of this week that domain was sending a client of mine 3-4,000 clicks a day through their CJ affiliate program. And my client only had about 1 of 30-40 links on the page. I bet they got at least 100K type ins a day considering most probably hit the back button when seeing the old page and a few others clicked on links thinking they might find the info elsewhere.

[IPTV]

Hi,

Cisco systems has and does own the TM for iphone...about 6 months ago Cisco had to sue Apple even though they had been in "on and off negotiation's" with Apple for a couple years.

They finally reach deal...without giving any details.

All the experts, think this was "no big deal"...but it is my view that this was a huge deal for both companies and a real HUGE deal for Cisco and that in the coming months and years...this will be seen by everyone.

What almost everyone is missing with all this "iphone mania"...is that this is NOT the product Apple is going to blow every ones mind with...it is just a small stepping stone.

There was a reason that Apple recently changed the name of its company.

I do not know if Cisco owned the domain iphone.com or not...my guess is that Apple got the domain from Cisco.

Peace,
Dan

[Rob]

Ok, I wonder how much they paid?

[IPTV]

Hi,

Cisco came out with an "iphone" a few years ago.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Promotion_C1&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1165633244027&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Not sure if they sold it to Apple or not...if they did it was wrapped up in a multi year deal were Cisco & Apple will be doing a bunch of interrogated business together.

Cisco is the first company and most likely the last company to ever get into the "inside" of Apple. HUGE.

The sell of the domain or transfer of the domain would have been a very small part of this deal...IMHO

But, Apple most likely sold over $150 million in iphones in 2.5 days. And will sell well over a Billion dollars worth within 2 years.

The name is a HUGE "brand name" now in 2.5 days...whatever they paid or whatever deal they made with Cisco..."priceless"

Peace,
Dan

[owen frager]

The Cisco iPhone name license is going to cost Apple $300 million a year according to those close to the negotiations. A million or two for a domain seems paltry by comparison. Wish they'd buy stevejobs.com and billgates.com and donate the gates domain to Bill the way Michael Moore paid for his adversary’s wife's surgery at the end of Sicko.

[Andrew]

They may be good about buying domains, but they haven't been good about proactively registering them:

http://domainnamewire.com/2005/09/08/apple-needs-to-get-its-domain-name-strategy-together/

Maybe they're getting it together though.

[Rahmulus]

IPhone.com has been acquired by Apple

http://blog.domaintools.com/2007/07/iphone-now-owned-by-apple/

[Stephen Jones]

I agree that whatever they paid for the domain is irrelevant, as it's worth 100x that price after the successful launch etc.

Regards

Steve Jones
http://www.rss2.co.uk

[owen frager]

The domain and licensing of the iPone name are separate issues.

Here is old the Cisco iPhone

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Promotion_C1&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1165633244027&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear's original filing for the trademark dates to March 20, 1996. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early 2006. The licensing fee to Apple is rumored to be about $30 a unit but ofset by development advantages that give entry into the b2b VOIP "corporate upgrade" world that Cisco commands.

AT $30 per, you do the math!

http://networking.seekingalpha.com/article/38468

The iphone.com domain may have predated the TM, but it's not Apple's TM, so I'm not sure who really has rights to the domain. It may not be Apple.