Google wins .tours objection against Donuts: Nau strikes again

.Tours and .Tour top level domain strings found too similar, will be placed in contention set.

Another day, another inconsistent string confusion objection for fresh top level domain names.

This time Google has won an objection (pdf) against Donuts’ application for .tours. Google applied for .tour, and now .tour and .tours will be placed in a contention set as a result of the ruling.

Once you see the panelist’s name for this decision, you won’t be surprised by the outcome.

Robert M Nau.

This is the same guy that ruled that “Online Shopping” in Japanese is will probably cause confusion with “.shop”. Yes, the average internet user won’t be able to differentiate between .通販 and .shop.

It’s worth repeating again how Nau defines confusion:

Generally speaking, “confusion” may include jumbled or disorganized thought. A person who is confused may have difficulty solving problems or tasks, especially those known to have been previously easy for the person, or the inability to recognize familiar objects or locations, and uncertainty regarding what is happening, intended, or required. Confusion may include the state of being unclear in one’s mind regarding something, or the mistaking of one person or thing for another, counting the inability to differentiate between similar words. In the context of internet searches, confusion can arise if the user is unable to differentiate between top level domain names, and becomes unable to access information using a logical, organized thought process. A confused internet user will be unable to find his or her way around the domain in a definite or familiar manner.

With Nau’s standards of what might lead to confusion, I believe all string confusion objections would prevail.

This is the second time Google has won a string confusion objection against Donuts for a plural.