Policing internet domains

• US 7,548,968 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MarkMonitor Inc.
• Original Assignee: MarkMonitor Inc.
• Inventors: DeMartini, David A., Bura, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, HASSAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/009,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

The present invention, in one set of embodiments, provides methods, systems and software that may be used to generate and manage enforcement actions against domains that are potentially and/or actually infringing rights of a user. Merely by way of example, some embodiments provide methods for identifying one or more domain names potentially subject to enforcement activity by a user. According to further embodiments, methods are provided for obtaining domain information regarding potential and/or actual infringing domains for a user. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides methods for analyzing domain information concerning potential and/or actual infringing domains and generating one or more enforcement messages for sending to one or more parties associated with the potentially and/or actually infringing domain names.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving data for identifying one or more domain names potentially subject to enforcement activity;

generating, based at least in part on user input, one or more enforcement messages for sending to one or more parties associated with said one or more domain names, wherein the user input includes a selection of one or more enforcement message templates having predetermined text;

sending the one or more enforcement messages to said one or more parties; and

displaying, via a user interface, an enforcement summary screen, the enforcement summary screen comprising;

a list of one or more enforcement action groups, each of the one or more enforcement action groups including an enforcement action that relates to the one or more domain names, the list comprising a name of each of the one or more enforcement action groups and a set of characteristics of each of the one or more enforcement action groups;

a filter interface to allow the user to filter the list of one or more enforcement action groups by a selected characteristic;

an enforcement action group display option, the enforcement display option selectable to display an enforcement action group display showing details of a selected enforcement action group; and

an enforcement action option, the enforcement action option selectable to display an enforcement action screen for one or more of the enforcement action groups.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more enforcement messages are sent in response to input from a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data comprises receiving said data from a user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the received data directly identifies said one or more domain names.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising searching one or more databases using the received data to identify the one or more domain names potentially subject to enforcement activity by the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the one or more databases comprise at least one of a name server database and a WHOIS database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the received data identifies one or more trademarks associated with a user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein generating and sending the one or more enforcement messages comprises generating and sending said one or more messages in cooperation with an electronic mail application running on a computer associated with a user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing data related to the one or more enforcement messages to said one or more parties.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving data from a user related to one or more responses to the one or more enforcement messages; and

storing said data related to the one or more responses.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying data to the user regarding one or both of enforcement messages sent and responses received.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending the data regarding the messages sent and responses received to a third party identified by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of characteristics comprises one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of a description of each of the one or more enforcement action groups, a date of last activity corresponding to each of the one or more enforcement action groups, a number of enforcement targets in each of the one or more enforcement action groups, and a status of each of the one or more enforcement action groups.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the enforcement action option for a selected enforcement action group;

in response to receiving the selection of the enforcement action option, displaying, via the user interface, an enforcement action screen, the enforcement action screen comprising;

an enforcement action display, for displaying details about an enforcement action against an enforcement target in the selected enforcement action group;

a template selection interface, for selecting a template for the enforcement action;

wherein the user input is provided through the template selection interface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more domain names subject to enforcement activity are enforcement targets in the selected enforcement action group.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the enforcement action screen comprises a template edit option, the template edit option selectable to allow the user to edit the text of the template, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of the template edit option;

in response to receiving the selection of the template edit option, displaying a template edit interface screen, the template edit interface screen comprising a message text area;

receiving user input editing the template text in the message text area, the user input comprising one or more recipient information anchors, each of the recipient information anchors to be replaced by data associated with an appropriate enforcement target when the template is used as the basis for an enforcement message; and

in response to the user input, modifying the template.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the enforcement action group display comprises:

a name field displaying names of one or more enforcement targets in the enforcement action group;

a description field displaying a description of the enforcement action group;

a list of one or more enforcement actions related to the enforcement action group, the list of one or more enforcement actions comprising a set of columns, the set of columns comprising;

an enforcement target column displaying, for each of the enforcement actions, one or more enforcement targets at which the enforcement action is directed;

a status column displaying a status of each of the enforcement actions;

an enforcement response column displaying a response, if any, to each of the enforcement actions; and

a date of each of the enforcement actions; and

a sort interface that is selectable to sort the enforcement action groups by one or more of the columns.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying for a user, via a user interface, a domain name search results screen for displaying a plurality of domain names matching a search criteria, the domain name search results screen comprising:

a first column displaying hosting change information for each of the plurality of domain names;

a second column displaying hosting status information for each of the plurality of domain names;

a third column to allow the user to indicate whether each of the plurality of domain names has been reviewed;

a fourth column displaying, for each of the plurality of domain names, a first date when the domain name was first checked and a second date when the domain name was last checked; and

a fifth column displaying the status of each of the plurality of domain names;

wherein receiving data for identifying one or more domain names potentially subject to enforcement activity comprises receiving user input selecting the one or more domain names from among the plurality of domain names displayed on the domain name search results screen.

19. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying one or more domain names as subject to enforcement activity by a user;

in response to input from the user, initiating one or more enforcement action cycles relative to at least one of the one or more domain names;

receiving data related to one or more responses to at least one of the enforcement action cycles;

storing said data related to the one or more responses; and

displaying, via a user interface, an enforcement summary screen, the enforcement summary screen comprising;

a list of one or more enforcement action groups, each of the one or more enforcement action groups including an enforcement action that relates to the one or more domain names, the list comprising a name of each of the one or more enforcement action groups and a set of characteristics of each of the one or more enforcement action groups;

a filter interface to allow the user to filter the list of one or more enforcement action groups by a selected characteristic;

an enforcement action group display option, the enforcement display option selectable to display an enforcement action group display showing details of a selected enforcement action group; and

an enforcement action option, the enforcement action option selectable to display an enforcement action screen for one or more of the enforcement action groups.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising adding the one or more initiated enforcement action cycles to one or more enforcement action histories for the one or more domain names.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving input from the user indicating a reaction status relating to one of the one or more enforcement action cycles; and

storing the reaction status to complete the one cycle.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein initiating one or more enforcement action cycles comprises allowing the user to determine at least one email message template for delivery to at least one address associated with the one or more domain names.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein allowing the user to determine at least one email message template comprises:

receiving an email message body composed by the user; and

saving the message body in the template.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising delivering the at least one message to the at least one address in response to a delivery option activated by the user.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising obtaining the at least one address from the internet in response to the activated delivery option.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising;

holding the at least one selected email message until the at least one address is obtained; and

searching the internet to obtain the at least one address.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein initiating one or more enforcement action cycles relative to at least one of the one or more domain names comprises initiating concurrently a plurality of enforcement action cycles relative to a plurality of the identified domain names.

28. The method of claim 19 further comprising initiating consecutively a plurality of enforcement action cycles relative to one of the one or more domain names.

29. The method of claim 19 further comprising grouping a plurality of domains in a first enforcement action group.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising selecting one or more of the plurality of domain names in the first enforcement action group for inclusion in a second enforcement action group.

31. A system comprising at least one processor and at least one computer readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer readable medium comprises instructions executable by the processor to:

identify from data received by the processor one or more domain names potentially subject to enforcement activity;

generate one or more enforcement messages to send to one or more parties associated with said one or more domain names, the one or more enforcement messages generated from a template having predetermined text;

send the one or more enforcement messages to said one or more parties;

receive one or more responses to the one or more enforcement messages;

store the one or more responses; and

display, via a user interface, an enforcement summary screen, the enforcement summary screen comprising;

a list of one or more enforcement action groups, each of the one or more enforcement action groups including an enforcement action that relates to the one or more domain names, the list comprising a name of each of the one or more enforcement action groups and a set of characteristics of each of the one or more enforcement action groups;

a filter interface to allow the user to filter the list of one or more enforcement action groups by a selected characteristic;

an enforcement action group display option, the enforcement display option selectable to display an enforcement action group display showing details of a selected enforcement action group; and

an enforcement action option, the enforcement action option selectable to display an enforcement action screen for one or more of the enforcement action groups.

32. A computer program embodied on at least one computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by one or more computers to:

identify one or more domain names as subject to enforcement activity by a user;

initiate one or more enforcement action cycles relative to at least one of the one or more domain names in response to input from the user;

receive a response pertaining to the one or more enforcement action cycles from a party; and

store the response; and

display, via a user interface, an enforcement summary screen, the enforcement summary screen comprising;

a list of one or more enforcement action groups, each of the one or more enforcement action groups including an enforcement action that relates to the one or more domain names, the list comprising a name of each of the one or more enforcement action groups and a set of characteristics of each of the one or more enforcement action groups;

a filter interface to allow the user to filter the list of one or more enforcement action groups by a selected characteristic;

an enforcement action group display option, the enforcement display option selectable to display an enforcement action group display showing details of a selected enforcement action group; and

an enforcement action option, the enforcement action option selectable to display an enforcement action screen for one or more of the enforcement action groups.