Google Profiting From Typo Squatting, Report Charges

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/google-profitin.html

by makimaki • 18 years ago

13 7 18 years ago

blog.wired.com

qhoxie2• 18 years ago

No way this will stand up legally.

Who is losing out in this situation? I think many of us have seen enough usability tests to know that a 404 could stop a user dead in their tracks. Instead, though, we have a proper site suggestion that is clear and directs the user where they meant to go. If BofA was really upset at all this, they could take it up with site owners, or stop buying into Google's ads, but they know better.

Aside: It's pretty depressing that Harvard professors are spending research money on things like typo-squatting and publishing papers on it.

josefresco• 18 years ago

"Instead, though, we have a proper site suggestion that is clear and directs the user where they meant to go"

Not what the article is about. Domain squatters are registering commonly misspelled domains and filling them with Google ads. The point is whether or not they should be allowed to own these domains (copyright), and whether or not Google should be allowed to profit from them. I don't think anyone is advocating a different way of 404 handling (another huge area for potential profit, see NSI/FF etc.)

wmeredith• 18 years ago

So when you register the copyright on bankofamerica.com you also gets rights to all misspellings of that term? This seems unlikely to me.

qhoxie2• 18 years ago

I understand that is not the author's meaning, but to me it is a valid point that has strong bearing on the argument.

umangjaipuria• 18 years ago

About Harvard professors spending time/resources on such things - it is a social phenomenon. And given the money involved here, a business phenomenon as well.

petergroverman• 18 years ago

reminds me of the sex.com case.

Jasber• 18 years ago

Google has been doing this for over 3 years. They do this more for unused domains and not so much mis-typed domains--but I'm sure many do slip through.

That being said you need a lot of traffic to get into their program. The type of people with high-traffic unused domains are typically domain squatters.

See: http://www.google.com/domainpark/

Google Profiting From Typo Squatting, Report Charges

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