According to Quintura.com, “The Russian venture capital firm Runa Capital has invested $8 million in uBank, a Russian mobile payment provider”.
“uBank offers a mobile app for smartphones that helps pay utility bills. Released last December, uBank free app for Android has been downloaded more than 250K times from Google Play.”
What the company does not have is the domain name uBank.com.
The domain name which has been registered since 1997 is parked at Sedo.com and does NOT have a BIN now price.
In case your interested, the domain name YouBank.com is also parked. YouBank.com is owned by Marchex and appears to be for sale.
With $8M in the bank, the company will be growing and it would seem to be wise for the company to spend a a couple of percent of the funds to secure their bang on .com domain.
I am sure their advertising and SEO advisers will tell them it is a waste of money. 🙂
They could also check with us for:
Bankfy.com
That will be a great name for the application.
@ Rick Schwartz,
R.E. “I am sure their advertising and SEO advisers will tell them it is a waste of money. ”
Yes they will (NOT), suggest the PURE PLAY .COM they will suggest the SEO Manufactured Play that obsolesces with each Algorithim Change. Great for them Bad for duped Corporate End User !
” Pound for pound, a superior Web address is the most powerful form of perpetual advertising
any company can buy.™ ”
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
I think the .ru works just fine for them…
“I think the .ru works just fine for them…”
Yes if your a customer in Russia that speaks Russian but if your after a more global audience they need to do better than that
http://ubank.ru/ru/
It is good to know that UBank is not a typo for USBank – even where both offer comparable products.
Does that mean that a hypothetical business IsBM could be in the computer / softweare business
or
WsaLLMart and TsARGET and KsMart are not typos either ?
Brian makes a great point. This is exactly why it’s folly to trademark alphabets. The law seem to apply to the little guy, and not the big boys.
There is no word in the dictionary or that could be reasonably argued that exists in commerce or language for TsARGET or KsMart
The word you and/or the letter “u” in front of another term is commonly found on the net
Youtube, youporn and there “U” counters for example
Berkens,
The point he is making, is general, not specific. because USBank is more than likely, a trade mark, it is surprising that they wouldn’t claim infringement with Ubank, in the same line of commerce. If not, then why not?
You see, you couldn’t register Gsoogle.com or anything like that. You will be slapped!
Michael –
Great – so in your opinion UShip.com (which claims to have done $3B in business) and my high traffic domain USShip.com can both compete in the same TM area ?
@ Everybody
Do you all realize the vast interpretations of letter combinations? UBank has nothing to do with USBank no resemblance at all NADA. The only reason Google can pull this type stuff is = ???
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
Hello MHB
Forbes just released article on Key Words.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
Jeff
Thanks posted the story to our FB and Twitter accounts
Brian
Anytime you have a parked page and a close TM you have risk of loss
Domen
Your asking me why US Bank hasn’t brought a TM action against ubank?
Berkens,
It was rhetorical. Companies are fond of filing something even when the name in question is far removed, so my question this time it’s only an “s” separating the two in the same field of commerce, and nothing is said. I’m saying, it’s inconsistent.
So Michael –
Fair enough – but now lets leave out the convience of inconsistant opinions based on a PPC use.
So your opinion:
“The word you and/or the letter “u” in front of another term is commonly found on the net” –
meaning you feel UBank.com and USBank.com can coexist – even where each website offers the same goods and services.
And that same opinion would dictate UShip.com and USShip.com can coexist even where each website offers the same goods and services.
As you point out Ship and Bank are both commonly used dictionary words.
Point is I like your opinion 🙂
Is it possible everyone overlooked uBank.net ?
I did
Strangely well at least to me is the .net is in Russian too
“I am sure their advertising and SEO advisers will tell them it is a waste of money. ”
I am sure they are being advised to lease it.