Reglikedomain industry desk

Wants another marijuana domain name — Marlboro maker

Wants another marijuana domain name — Marlboro maker

Firm claims owner of MarlboroWeed.com is cybersquatting.

Marlboro MarijuanaPhilip Morris USA Inc., an Altria firm that makes Marlboro cigarettes, has filed a cybersquatting complaint with World Intellectual Property Organization. The firm is demanding that the owner of MarlboroWeed.com hand over the joint.

MarlboroWeed.com was registered in 2010 and doesn’t appear to have ever been used. The domain name resolves to a “coming soon” page.

This isn’t the first time Altria has gone following people who registered domain names using its brand names and marijuana terms. In 2010 it won a similar case for the domain names AltriaCannabis.com and AltriaMarijuana.com. It now owns the domain names but hasn’t done anything with them.

So, is this a case of simple brand protection or a desire to eventually use the domain names? Maybe it’s both.

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.

What these name choices ought to tell domain name investorsUncategorizedWhat these name choices ought to tell domain name investorsWas Google Mobilegeddon overblown?UncategorizedWas Google Mobilegeddon overblown?TUncategorizedTo Prague for DOMAINfest — Your GuideRUncategorizedReglike Stories of January 2010 — Top 5UDRPSearch.com: Great domain sitesUncategorizedUDRPSearch.com: Great domain sitesCraig Snyder Joins Oversee.netUncategorizedCraig Snyder Joins Oversee.netNUncategorizedName News Stories for April 2010 — Top DomainFor domain name investors — 3 PodcastsUncategorizedFor domain name investors — 3 PodcastsTwo facts to know ahead of investing in long numeric domainsUncategorizedTwo facts to know ahead of investing in long numeric domains