The naming experts have already weighed in and trademark enthusiasts are busy focusing on the issue of Fujitsu’s senior U.S. trademark for the name. But one overlooked aspect of the “iPad” story is Apple’s failure to secure the “iPad” domain name(s) in time for its recent product announcement.
Apple paid (rumored price–lots!) for iPhone.com back in 2007, and it owns iPod.com, iMac.com, and iTunes.com. In the past, it has been aggressive in securing ownership of domain names containing its trademarks.
However, as of today’s date, iPad.com still remains a portal for clients of the mysterious “Enero 6 Corp.” (Conspiracy theories abound…) It should be noted that Apple bought iSlate.com (another name in the running) over a year ago–yet it doesn’t even own the .com for “AppleiPad.”
There has been plenty of discussion regarding how apps will affect online interaction. Much has been made of the fact that the iPad, itself, could greatly impact the domain name industry, as it effectively allows web users to circumvent web addresses to get online; by using the apps on the device, typing in a domain name is no longer required. Whether deliberate or just an oversight, the lack of Apple owned “iPad” domains has implications, furthering the debate over the nature of the role of domains in a product’s success and its online brand presence.
For those that scoff at the notion, I ask: after hearing the name, was iPad.com your first destination?
