Reglikedomain industry desk

On day of iPhone 5 notice, iPhone5.com sits dark

On day of iPhone 5 notice, iPhone5.com sits dark

Apple owns the domain name but does nothing with it.

iPhone5Back in May Apple did something smart: it went following the iPhone5.com domain name well in advance of the launch of the fresh device.

A week following Apple filed a complaint with World Intellectual Property Organization, the owner of the domain name relinquished control.

The domain name is now owned by Apple and pointing to the apple.com nameservers. Thanks to Apple’s advance work it was primed and ready for today’s big iPhone 5 notice…

Except it wasn’t.

Right now if you type in iPhone5.com it doesn’t resolve. [Update: as of Wednesday evening the domain name now forwards to Apple.com with a tracking code for Apple to know the visit came from an iPhone5.com type-in.]

All Apple has to do is forward it to iPhone.com. It’s pretty simple.

You see firms miss “little” things like this all the time. But I assumed Apple was on the ball since it worked to obtain the domain name in advance of its launch.

I guess not.

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.