Thomson CompuMark Helps Protect Brands Against Web Domain Typosquatting

New Domain Typoquatting Search Identifies Cases of “Highjacked” Web Domains.

February 4, 2009; 10:21 AM

NORTH QUINCY, Mass. & ANTWERP, Belgium & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thomson CompuMark, the global leader in trademark research and brand protection solutions and part of Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI), today announced a major step in helping protect valuable brands on the web with the launch of its new Domain Typosquatting Search. The new search identifies instances of typosquatting, the practice of registering web domains that are intentional misspellings of well-known websites.

“As the web has evolved as a key channel for commerce and marketing, the incidence of ‘rogue’ websites designed to redirect web users has accelerated,” said Anne Olson, Vice President, Research and Content Services for Thomson CompuMark. “We developed our new Domain Typosquatting Search to address this common and growing phenomenon. It provides brand owners with the insight they need to protect their domains, which today are invaluable business assets.”

To illustrate the scope of the typosquatting issue, Olson pointed to a 2008 McAfee Security Report, which found more than 80,000 domains typosquatting on just the top 2,000 websites. The same report found that 17 popular websites had between 235 and 742 typosquatting domains each.

With the new Domain Typosquatting Search, experienced Thomson CompuMark web analysts search a variety of typos and common entry errors to identify potential cases of typosquatting for the searched domain.

Search reports include a list of domains that could potentially be used for typosquatting, indicating whether those domains are currently registered. For domains with live websites, the report includes color screen shots of each website home page.

“Brand owners can use this information to take action to enforce their trademark rights, or to take proactive steps, registering potential typosquat domains before someone else does,” Olson said. “It’s just another way we help customers protect their brands, while freeing them to focus on their core business.”

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TRI); Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: TRI); London Stock Exchange (LSE: TRIL); and Nasdaq (NASDAQ: TRIN). For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

Contacts:

Thomson CompuMark
Victoria Poor, 617-376-7667
Marketing Communications Manager
[email protected]
compumark.thomson.com

Source: www.businesswire.com