To get its domain name strategy together — Apple needs

For being an innovator in the technology market, Apple is a laggard in the domain name market.

One of the biggest domain name disputes in recent memory is over iTunes.co.uk. I won’t go into the details of this dispute, but you can read my previous posts here.

Now it seems that Apple failed to register the domain IpodNano.com ahead of announcing the fresh device to the world. A message on IpodNano.com states the domain is for sale, and as stated by WhoIs it was registered by a Fresh York resident just a couple days ago. It is clearly a trademark infringement and Apple would easily win a WIPO decision, but that takes time.

What sort of innovative firm invents products and doesn’t secure the domain names for them ahead of they go public? Here’s an idea for Apple: when you get more than a day into product naming discussions, register all possible domain names for the product. It will cost you a few hundred bucks. Big deal. At least you won’t embarrass yourself with your next product launch.