Ad.com, alleging forgery to steal trademark — Yahoo sues
Firm alleges that AdMedia created a fraudulent assignment agreement and submitted it to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Yahoo Ad Tech and Yahoo IP Holdings have sued (pdf) Ad.com Interactive Media (dba AdMedia) and its CEO, alleging that it stole Yahoo’s trademark for advertising.com.
Yahoo alleges that AdMedia and CEO Danny Bibi orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently acquire U.S. trademark registration #2914052.
It alleges that AdMedia created a fake “Trademark Assignment Agreement” between AdMedia and Yahoo IP Holdings that included a forged e-signature of a Yahoo executive. It then filed the assignment agreement (pdf) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to obtain the trademark.
Yahoo stated that AdMedia then attempted to procure additional trademarks for advertising.com, advertising.net, advert.com, and advertise.com.
AdMedia owns advertising.com and advertising.net. Advert.com does not resolve, and advertise.com points to a HilcoDigital sales lander.
Yahoo once owned the domain advertising.com, which was purchased by Underdog Media. AdMedia purchased Underdog Media last year.
Much of Yahoo’s lawsuit is redacted, but it might explain the transactions that led to Yahoo no longer owning the domain while retaining the trademark, as well as any attempt by AdMedia to acquire the trademark. One redaction cites an agreement that it states AdMedia breached.
The lawsuit alleges a pattern of dishonesty by AdMedia, counting a reverse domain name hijacking case filed by its in-house counsel. That case involved allegations of a forged email.
