Nice find. Although, perhaps Lands’ End should not be the only corporation concerned. If one uses the Reverse IP feature of DomainTools.com to see which other domains are hosted at the same IP address as landswnd.com:

http://www.domaintools.com/reverse-ip/?hostname=landswnd.com

one finds:

969 Results for 64.85.13.200 (Landswnd.com)

1.abebbooks.com
2.abeboo.com
3.abebookes.com
4.abebools.com
5.abeboosk.com
6.abeooks.com
7.abibooks.com
8.abobooks.com
9.acyclovair.com
10.adpiex.com
11.aduible.com
12.aephora.com
13.agteway.com
14.ahllmark.com
15.ahopnbc.com
16.aibris.com
17.ailbris.com
18.alaibris.com
19.alebris.com
20.aliberis.com
21.alibrias.com
22.alibrid.com
23.alibrius.com
24.aliibris.com
25.alivris.com
26.amercianeagle.com
27.americangreatings.com
28.amestop.com
29.amtrack.org
30.anniesattick.com
31.anywhoo.com
32.apcsun.com
33.apyless.com
34.askejeeves.com
35.audbile.com
36.autdesk.com
37.autodek.com
38.awalmart.com
39.babbycenter.com
40.babyestyle.com
41.baestbuy.com
42.bagainoutfitters.com
43.bamascon.com
44.bargainoufitters.com
45.bargainoutfiters.com
46.bargainoutfittes.com
47.bargainoutfittters.com
48.bascovs.com
49.beacbody.com
50.beacgbody.com
51.beachbocy.com
52.beachbosy.com
53.beahbody.com
54.besatbuy.com
55.besetbuy.com
56.bestbiuy.com
57.bestbyuy.com
58.bestrbuy.com
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60.bewstbuy.com
61.bialr.com
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66.blasir.com
67.bleair.com
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69.bllair.com
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71.bloair.com
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73.bludfly.com
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75.bnestbuy.com
76.boardtatics.com
77.bob-wards.com
78.bocovs.com
79.bomay.com
80.bombaycompay.com
81.brachbody.com
82.bwestbuy.com
83.caarsdirect.com
84.campioncatalog.com
85.caresdirect.com
86.caribella.com
87.carscirect.com
88.carsddirect.com
89.carsdirecct.com
90.carsdirectt.com
91.carsdirecy.com
92.carsdiredt.com
93.carsdriect.com
94.carsdurect.com
95.casrdirect.com
96.cchadwicks.com
97.ccoldwatercreek.com
98.ccompusa.com
99.ccrucial.com
100.cgadwicks.com
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102.chadwecks.com
103.chadwicka.com
104.chadwickks.com
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111.chaicks.com
112.championscatalog.com
113.chdawicks.com
114.cheaper-than-dirt.com
115.cheaperthan-dirt.com
116.chedwicks.com
117.chefs-catalog.com
118.chefscatalogue.com
119.cheifscatalog.com
120.chevrolette.com
121.chicagotribue.com
122.ciales.com
123.cigular.com
124.cinglar.com
125.ciompusa.com
126.circitcity.com
127.circiutcity.com
128.circuetcity.com
129.circuitcyti.com
130.cirkitcity.com
131.cjadwicks.com
132.cmafee.com
133.cmopusa.com
134.cofeeam.com
135.coffeam.com
136.coffeean.com
137.coldwarercreek.com
138.coldwataercreek.com
139.coldwaterccreek.com
140.coldwatercreedk.com
141.coldwatercrreek.com
142.coldwaterecreek.com
143.coldwaterrcreek.com
144.coldwatewrcreek.com
145.coldwatrercreek.com
146.coldwayercreek.com
147.coldwqtercreek.com
148.colfwatercreek.com
149.collectbilestoday.com
150.collecteblestoday.com
151.collectibelstoday.com
152.collectiblesroday.com
153.collectiblestoady.com
154.collectiblestoda.com
155.collectiblestooday.com
156.commedycentral.com
157.commpusa.com
158.compiusa.com
159.comppusa.com
160.compuaa.com
161.compuasa.com
162.compuisa.com
163.compusaa.com
164.compusas.com
165.compusea.com
166.compusu.com
167.compusua.com
168.compuusabusiness.com
169.comusabusiness.com
170.converes.com
171.convese.com
172.coumpusa.com
173.countyinns.com
174.cpldwatercreek.com
175.crayloastore.com
176.crcial.com
177.crcuial.com
178.creditmonitoringciti.com
179.cricual.com
180.criusedirect.com
181.crossingpoint.com
182.crual.com
183.cruccial.com
184.cruceal.com
185.cruciak.com
186.crucile.com
187.crucisl.com
188.cruciul.com
189.crucual.com
190.crucuial.com
191.crudial.com
192.cruthfield.com
193.crystler.com
194.ctucial.com
195.cutepsc.com
196.cutpcs.com
197.daell.com
198.dckblick.com
199.dealtme.com
200.deill.com

201.dell2me.com
202.deoll.com
203.deomestications.com
204.designinreach.com
205.dharmony.com
206.dicblick.com
207.dickbick.com
208.dickblck.com
209.dickblicks.com
210.dickblock.com
211.dicklbick.com
212.dicks-sporting.com
213.dicks-sportinggoods.com
214.diclblick.com
215.dicscovery.com
216.digitialcity.com
217.dineystore.com
218.disneysore.com
219.disneysotre.com
220.disneystor.com
221.disneystroe.com
222.dockblick.com
223.domesticaitions.com
224.domesticatio.com
225.duthcgardens.com
226.duthgardens.com
227.eagle-optics.com
228.earmony.com
229.ebebooks.com
230.ebggames.com
231.eddibauer.com
232.eddiebayer.com
233.eddirbauer.com
234.edenvelope.com
235.edibauer.com
236.ediebauer.com
237.edwinwatss.com
238.eelisabeth.com
239.ehamrony.com
240.eharleqiun.com
241.eharmaony.com
242.eharminy.com
243.eharmny.com
244.eharmoeny.com
245.eharmon.com
246.eharmone.com
247.eharmoni.com
248.eharmonys.com
249.eharmoy.com
250.eharomny.com
251.ehermony.com
252.ehrmony.com
253.eisabeth.com
254.elesabeth.com
255.eliasbeth.com
256.elibeth.com
257.elisaabeth.com
258.elisabath.com
259.elisabetth.com
260.elisaeth.com
261.elisbaeth.com
262.elizsabeth.com
263.ellisabeth.com
264.encartamsn.com
265.erdenvelope.com
266.ermony.com
267.erstock.com
268.eslisabeth.com
269.ewportnews.com
270.exefficio.com
271.exficio.com
272.exifficio.com
273.exofficia.com
274.exofficiao.com
275.exofficico.com
276.exofficios.com
277.exoffico.com
278.exoffio.com
279.exoffocio.com
280.exoxide.com
281.exp-edia.com
282.expeeda.com
283.exxofficio.com
284.fans-edge.com
285.farnklincovey.com
286.fessil.com
287.ffossil.com
288.fieldes.com
289.fiishline.com
290.finejewlers.com
291.finihline.com
292.finishlline.com
293.fiossil.com
294.flipgod.com
295.flonaise.com
296.foissil.com
297.forthandtowns.com
298.forthantown.com
299.forthantowne.com
300.forthtown.com
301.forziei.com
302.forzierie.com
303.forziero.com
304.forzierri.com
305.foscil.com
306.fossail.com
307.fossal.com
308.fosseil.com
309.fossial.com
310.fossiil.com
311.fossik.com
312.fossiol.com
313.fossis.com
314.fossul.com
315.fosswil.com
316.fourandtown.com
317.fourandtowne.com
318.fourthandtowns.com
319.fourthantown.com
320.fourthantowne.com
321.fourthtown.com
322.fourthtowne.com
323.fourtowne.com
324.fpssil.com
325.fragancex.com
326.fraklinmint.com
327.franklioncovey.com
328.frogg-toggs.com
329.fussil.com
330.gaemstop.com
331.gagetuniverse.com
332.game-fly.com
333.gamestpo.com
334.gamwstop.com
335.gataeway.com
336.gatay.com
337.gatesay.com
338.gatewauy.com
339.gblair.com
340.gcwhitney.com
341.gealia.com
342.gebalia.com
343.geerandwade.com
344.geerlingandwade.com
345.gefalia.com
346.geovalia.com
347.gerewade.com
348.gervalia.com
349.gevaalia.com
350.gevalai.com
351.gevalie.com
352.gevalis.com
353.gevaliz.com
354.gevialia.com
355.gevqalia.com
356.gift-tree.com
357.globalcompter.com
358.globalcompuer.com
359.globalcomputor.com
360.go-cyberlink.com
361.golbalcomputer.com
362.govalia.com
363.grblock.com
364.grevalia.com
365.gsteway.com
366.h-rblock.com
367.haallmark.com
368.haldf.com
369.hallmarkl.com
370.hallomark.com
371.hammachersclemmer.com
372.harthsong.com
373.hblair.com
374.hearsong.com
375.hearthson.com
376.heavanlytreasures.com
377.heblock.com
378.hellodirrect.com
379.hellowdirect.com
380.hewlettepackard.com
381.hichoryfarms.com
382.hickoryfams.com
383.hickoryfarns.com
384.hickoryfarsm.com
385.hobbietron.com
386.hobbitron.com
387.hobbytorn.com
388.hotbotlycos.com
389.hotjoba.com
390.hottoic.com
391.hottopice.com
392.hottopoic.com
393.hrbblock.com
394.hrblaock.com
395.hrbllock.com
396.hrbloack.com
397.hrblocck.com
398.hrbloock.com
399.hrblovk.com
400.hrsblock.com

401.htblock.com
402.ibris.com
403.ice-jerseys.com
404.illumations.com
405.imest.com
406.improvements-catalog.com
407.intervidio.com
408.intervido.com
409.janesemour.com
410.jchwitney.com
411.jcpeny.com
412.jcshitney.com
413.jcwhetney.com
414.jcwhhitney.com
415.jcwhienty.com
416.jcwhitnee.com
417.jcwhitneey.com
418.jcwhity.com
419.jcwjitney.com
420.jessicalondan.com
421.jeveen.com
422.jeveene.com
423.jocartoon.com
424.josabanks.com
425.josbanks.com
426.jotsens.com
427.jouno.com
428.juino.com
429.jumplin.com
430.kaaplan.com
431.kalpan.com
432.kanebryant.com
433.kaplaan.com
434.kaplain.com
435.kaplam.com
436.kaplane.com
437.kaplann.com
438.kaplean.com
439.kaplen.com
440.kaplian.com
441.kapllan.com
442.kaplna.com
443.kasparsky.com
444.kasperskey.com
445.kaspersy.com
446.kaspery.com
447.kaspesky.com
448.kbotys.com
449.kbtiys.com
450.kbtooys.com
451.kbtous.com
452.kbtoyes.com
453.kbtyoys.com
454.keelkoo.com
455.kelkou.com
456.keloo.com
457.kespersky.com
458.kingsizeddirect.com
459.klandsend.com
460.kycera-wireless.com
461.laebryant.com
462.laebryantcatalog.com
463.landbryantcatalog.com
464.landsenc.com
465.landsrnd.com
466.landswnd.com
467.lanebeyant.com
468.lanebrayntcatalog.com
469.lanebrryant.com
470.lanebrryantcatalog.com
471.lanebrtant.com
472.lanebruantcatalog.com
473.lanebryaant.com
474.lanebryabt.com
475.lanebryaht.com
476.lanebryamt.com
477.lanebryand.com
478.lanebryandt.com
479.lanebryane.com
480.lanebryannt.com
481.lanebryanrcatalog.com
482.lanebryantatalog.com
483.lanebryantcaalog.com
484.lanebryantcataalog.com
485.lanebryantcatalig.com
486.lanebryantcataloug.com
487.lanebryantcataolog.com
488.lanebryantcharmingshoppes.com
489.lanebryantscatalog.com
490.lanebryanycatalog.com
491.lanebryanyt.com
492.lanebryanytcatalog.com
493.lanebryaqnt.com
494.lanebryatn.com
495.lanebryentcatalog.com
496.lanebrynat.com
497.lanebrynatcatalog.com
498.lanebryntcatalog.com
499.lanebrysnt.com
500.lanebrytant.com
DMOZYahoo
501.lanebtyant.com
502.lanebyantcatalog.com
503.lanegryant.com
504.lanenryant.com
505.laneryantcatalog.com
506.lanesbryantcatalog.com
507.laneyantcatalog.com
508.laqnebryant.com
509.laredoubt.com
510.legal-zoom.com
511.lenercatalog.com
512.lensequest.com
513.leviatra.com
514.levirtra.com
515.levitria.com
516.lexington-law.com
517.limojes.com
518.lizzel.com
519.lizzell.com
520.lizzels.com
521.llapopken.com
522.llmark.com
523.lnadsend.com
524.luefly.com
525.macafeesecurity.com
526.madells.com
527.magaellans.com
528.magellana.com
529.magellands.com
530.magellians.com
531.magellins.com
532.magelllans.com
533.magellons.com
534.maggellans.com
535.majellans.com
536.maqtch.com
537.matag.com
538.mcafae.com
539.mcafaee.com
540.mcafea.com
541.mcafree.com
542.mcagee.com
543.mcaufee.com
544.mdells.com
545.medells.com
546.megellans.com
547.mewport-news.com
548.mewportnews.com
549.mfee.com
550.mikaso.com
551.mikesa.com
552.mikisa.com
553.mikosa.com
554.milasa.com
555.milkasa.com
556.miscosoft.com
557.mmcafee.com
558.modellls.com
559.modellss.com
560.modelsl.com
561.modlls.com
562.moedells.com
563.mondero.com
564.moneycentralmsn.com
565.mosnter.com
566.motelyfool.com
567.motoola.com
568.motorela.com
569.mrsbeaslies.com
570.muicmatch.com
571.musucmatch.com
572.nartherntool.com
573.nash-bar.com
574.natzero.com
575.neetzero.com
576.neewport-news.com
577.nerserydepot.com
578.nestel.com
579.neteflix.com
580.netfilx.com
581.netfleix.com
582.netflicx.com
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585.netfliux.com
586.netflixe.com
587.netfloix.com
588.netzaro.com
589.netzeero.com
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591.netzerio.com
592.netzeroe.com
593.netzzero.com
594.new-port-news.com
595.newoport-news.com
596.newortnews.com
597.newpirt-news.com
598.newpoert-news.com
599.newpoertnews.com
600.newpoetnews.com

601.newporetnews.com
602.newport-nerws.com
603.newport-newa.com
604.newport-newsa.com
605.newport-nrews.com
606.newport-nwes.com
607.newportmews.com
608.newportne.com
609.newportnees.com
610.newportnewa.com
611.newportnewes.com
612.newportnewsw.com
613.newportrnews.com
614.newporynews.com
615.newpportnews.com
616.nflix.com
617.nicelodeon.com
618.nickletalk.com
619.nirdstrom.com
620.nnetzero.com
621.noedstrom.com
622.noordstrom.com
623.nordestrom.com
624.nordrom.com
625.norhterntool.com
626.normthempson.com
627.nornthompson.com
628.norrtherntool.com
629.norsdstrom.com
630.nortdstrom.com
631.northerntoll.com
632.northerntoo.com
633.northerntoolsandequipment.com
634.northerntoolsequipment.com
635.northerntoos.com
636.northrentool.com
637.nortrom.com
638.notzero.com
639.nursarydepot.com
640.nurserdepot.com
641.nursereydepot.com
642.nurserydept.com
643.nurseydepot.com
644.nursrydepot.com
645.nuserydepot.com
646.nweportnews.com
647.nwportnews.com
648.obverstock.com
649.oertons.com
650.ofdficemax.com
651.officamax.com
652.officcemax.com
653.officdmax.com
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655.officesmax.com
656.officwmax.com
657.offimax.com
658.offiocemax.com
659.ofssil.com
660.oiverstock.com
661.olddnavy.com
662.oldpueblotrader.com
663.ollapopken.com
664.olldnavy.com
665.olutionscatalog.com
666.onehanes-place.com
667.opfficemax.com
668.orbitaz.com
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671.oreack.com
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673.oreeck.com
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700.paylesshoestore.com
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714.portsmansguide.com
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718.pscsun.com
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770.shop-nbc.com
771.shopbs.org
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773.shopnbd.com
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776.sierratradingposty.com
777.siilhouettes.com
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795.slibris.com
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797.slutionscatalog.com
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799.snoystyle.com
800.soiegel.com

801.soldwatercreek.com
802.solhouettes.com
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826.sortsmansguide.com
827.soultionscatalog.com
828.spegle.com
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835.spiigel.com
836.spirgel.com
837.sportshalet.com
838.sportsmandsguide.com
839.sportsmansguid.com
840.sportsmansguise.com
841.sportsmansguode.com
842.spotchalet.com
843.spotrsmansguide.com
844.spottsmansguide.com
845.sprotmart.com
846.sshopnbc.com
847.sspiegel.com
848.stonewallkichen.com
849.storepalmone.com
850.storephilips.com
851.streamlaod.com
852.sunglassesshut.com
853.suralatable.com
854.surlatabel.com
855.surlatalbe.com
856.symmantec.com
857.targety.com
858.tasrget.com
859.taxbrian.com
860.techno-scout.com
861.technoscount.com
862.tehpopcornfactory.com
863.territoryahea.com
864.thecompany-store.com
865.thepopocornfactory.com
866.things-remembered.com
867.tiferdirect.com
868.traacfone.com
869.tracffone.com
870.tracfoen.com
871.tracfrone.com
872.trafficshepherd.com
873.tramadal.com
874.tramdol.com
875.tramidol.com
876.tramodal.com
877.tramodol.com
878.travealocity.com
879.travelaocity.com
880.travelocuity.com
881.travelocyty.com
882.traveloecity.com
883.traveloty.com
884.traveloverstock.com
885.trecfone.com
886.trelocity.com
887.tremadol.com
888.trianglecitysearch.com
889.trivelocity.com
890.tshritking.com
891.tsirtking.com
892.tupperweare.com
893.tuppware.com
894.uharmony.com
895.ukmcafee.com
896.ullapapken.com
897.ullapipken.com
898.ullapoepken.com
899.ullapokpen.com
900.ullapopkein.com
901.ullapopkens.com
902.ullapopkien.com
903.ullapoplen.com
904.ullapoppken.com
905.ullappken.com
906.ullepopken.com
907.ureck.com
908.us-cav.com
909.usastoday.com
910.vemontteddybear.com
911.vermontcountry-store.com
912.vermontteaddybear.com
913.vermonttedddybear.com
914.vermontteddibear.com
915.vermontteddiebear.com
916.vermontteddybeear.com
917.vermotteddybear.com
918.vhadwicks.com
919.vhone.com
920.virgingalactics.com
921.virgingallactic.com
922.virgingallactics.com
923.vompusa.com
924.vwerizon.com
925.vyesrocher.com
926.waerguard.com
927.walerdrake.com
928.walmarte.com
929.walmoart.com
930.walomart.com
931.walterdarke.com
932.waolmart.com
933.warguard.com
934.waslmart.com
935.watchezone.com
936.waterdrake.com
937.wealmart.com
938.wear-guard.com
939.weareguard.com
940.weargurd.com
941.weraguard.com
942.werguard.com
943.westerwearhouse.com
944.wilhouettes.com
945.winapm.com
946.wineentheusiast.com
947.wineenthuiast.com
948.wineenthusiaist.com
949.wineenthusiat.com
950.wineenthusiats.com
951.wineentusiast.com
952.wineethusiast.com
953.xioxide.com
954.xixide.com
955.xocide.com
956.xoixide.com
957.xoxcide.com
958.xoxdide.com
959.xoxiode.com
960.xoxoide.com
961.xoxside.com
962.zappas.com
963.zirhs.com
964.zirth.com
965.zrytec.com
966.zytrec.com
967.aabebooks.com
968.abbebooks.com
969.abeboos.com

I didn’t check the WHOIS of every single domain, but all the ones for the handful I did check were registered to ThinkSpin of Las Vegas:

Registrant:
  ThinkSpin (ORBITAZ-COM-DOM)
  3838 Raymert Dr. #132
  Las Vegas, NV 89121
  US
  +1.8775546515

I’m surprised Lands’ End doesn’t go to the other obvious trademark holders above, if they are indeed being infringed upon by “Remy” (is Remy = ThinkSpin??), and go for massive damages. At up to $100K per domain name, it could really begin to add up.

Logic judgement and well reasoned. Cybersquatting is now outdated and typosquatting is becoming more popular. If only the UDRP decisions were as reasoned as ACPA ones.

If only the UDRP decisions were as reasoned as ACPA ones.

What Mr. Brown neglects to explain is that no judgment has been reached in this case.  This was a ruling denying an early motion brought by the defendant.  The decision here amounts to stating that the case should proceed to trial.  Of course, now that George has rendered the comments here unreadable…

Mr. Berryhill, I fail to see how titling the post “Summary Judgment Denied in a Case of Creative Typosquatting” and ending the first paragraph with the statement “...and the case is heading for trial” is an example of “neglect” to “explain ... that no judgment has been reached in this case.”  Perhaps you neglected to actually read the title and the post.

I read it perfectly well, Mr. Brown.  However I doubt most non-lawyers understand what is meant by what you wrote, as the comment to which I was responding indicated that he believed this was a final disposition rather than a judgment on a pre-trial motion that there is a triable issue of fact.  It remains a case of alleged typosquatting, as it has not been proven either way, and I would readily take odds that most non-attorneys would not understand that, as indicated by the comment to which I was responding.  If your note was primarily written for attorneys, I agree it is perfectly clear.  Know your audience.

On the substance of the matter, affiliate agreement disputes are normally governed by the terms of the affiliate contract with which you note the defendant may not have complied.

The full decision for anyone not having a Westlaw subscription who might care to read it, btw, is here:

http://www.wiwd.uscourts.gov/bcgi-bin/opinions/district_opinions/C/05/05-C-368-C-09-01-06.PDF

The story could just as easily be “Cybersquatting defendants prevail on Lanham Act and Wisconsin State Law Claims”, as the opinion is a mixed bag.

By that time, plaintiff had made $190,000 in sales to customers directed to http://www.landsend.com through defendants’ websites. On those sales, defendant Thinkspin received $6,698 in commissions, defendant Braderax received $500 and defendant Seale received $26.

One interesting comment is here:

It is undisputed that, had defendants not operated their typosquatting websites, customers would have seen an error message in their Web browsers displaying the mistyped Web address http://www.lnadsend.com, www.klandsend.com, http://www.landsende.com, www.landdend.com, http://www.landswnd.com, www.landrnd.com, http://www.landsene.com, www.landsenc.com, http://www.landsennd.com, www.landse.com, http://www.landind.com, www.landswend.com or http://www.landwend.com.

Of course, what “normally happens” when you type in a non-existent URL depends on one’s browser configuration and one’s DNS service.  A typical Internet Explorer configuration would not take one to an error page, but to MSN search, through which Microsoft would collect pay-per-click revenue.  Similarly, our friends at Verisign or at OpenDNS would prefer that a user receive their PPC pages.

Although plaintiff’s damages may have been minimal with respect to the defendants remaining in this lawsuit, it would be incorrect to say they were nonexistent as a matter of law. At trial, plaintiff will be free to prove that they lost money they would otherwise have earned had defendants not operated their typosquatting domain names in the manner they did.

I absolutely agree.  If Land’s End doesn’t get every penny of Seale’s $26, then they should take this all the way to the Supreme Court.

What is being litigated here are about $7500 in commissions paid on $190,00 in sales.

It is facts like those that make me happy to be in the legal racket^H^H^H^H^H^H profession.

What is being litigated here are about $7500 in commissions paid on $190,00 in sales.

That figure is really worth reflecting on.

First, if the affiliate contract forbids what the defendants did, which is likely, then of course the defendants were in breach and the contract should govern the outcome.  There is no question about that.

What makes me scratch my head in wonder is the logic of spending several tens of thousands of dollars, at least, to put an end to a situation that is generating 190K in sales.  The defendants are, in all likelihood, judgment proof (as cybersquatting defendants often are).  So an award of triple damages and attorney’s fees is usually pretty empty. 

The notion of “if the names weren’t registered, users would get an error page” is somewhat quaint.  As we know from another thread, that notion is not true for an Earthlink user.  It is also not true for various users of Internet Explorer or Firefox with any number of browser plug-ins and auto searh settings.  By and large “unregistered domain traffic” goes *somewhere*.  In that environment, you are better off as a retailer having that traffic go to *you* via your affiliates who are only paid on actual sales, rather than sending a fat check to any one of the outfits which purport to “protect your mark online” by overcharging for domain registrations which may, or may not, actually return you revenue.  You are going to pay someone one way or another.  Either you are going to pay the likes of Verisign Brand Management, Markmonitor, CPA Global, to register and maintain domain names for you, or you are going to pay your in-house IT people to take care of it.  Even if the domain names are not registered, then it is a certainty that a fair amount of that traffic is going to be lost to mechanisms you cannot control, because a lot of trademark attorneys’ thinking is stuck somewhere in 1992, and they do not understand the present reality of “how things really work”.

Affiliate abuse (and make no mistake, I fully agree it is abusive under most affiliate agreements) is generally cast in the terms stated in this decision - the affiliates are “ransoming customers” back to the retailer.  As a question of right and wrong, it is a wrong thing to do.  If your business is to promote good behavior, go get ‘em.

If your business is primarily interested in profit, as some businesses are, then you might ask yourself a few questions:

1.  How much did I spend last year on newspaper advertising based on circulation figures which include complimentary copies delivered to hotel room doors, and then delivered to the trash?  Personally, I have never done anything else with a copy of USA Today which is invariably outside of my hotel door as some sort of greyish welcome mat.

2.  How much did I spend last year on printing and mailing catalogues which did not produce a sale?  There are innumerable “catalogue squatters” - people who receive catalogues and don’t buy anything from them.

3.  How much did I spend last year on television advertising based on TV ratings figures which are based on a set of assumptions which exclude TiVo users and people who leave the TV on to entertain their dog, etc.?  If people want to watch TV, then they should sign a contract stating that they will not go to the refrigerator or the bathroom during the airtime for which I spent good money.  Radios and televisions need to be configured to prevent channel-hopping during the commercials.  Broadcast advertising is the greatest rip-off of our time.

Those aren’t legal questions, they are business questions and I have about zero business sense (if I did, I wouldn’t be posting here).  But I really have to wonder, in a situation where someone is easily spending $75K over $7500 in commissions paid on $190K in actual, countable, measurable sales - who is minding the store here, and are my IP attorneys looking out for my bottom line… or theirs.

What makes “click fraud”, affiliate abuse, or other areas of online advertising cost interesting, is that these things are measurable, and appropriate coutermeasures can be taken.  Compared to the utter voodoo, number cooking, and audience inflation that goes on in print and broadcast advertising, the business proposition is whether you want to spend your ad budget on something that is 20% fraudulent, or something for which you have no earthly way to measure your return in sales?

I would say that the logic of spending several tens of thousands of dollars, at least, to put an end to a situation that is generating 190K in sales is to demonstrate that Land’s End polices their brand and to put other potential typosquatters on notice that they will enforce their rights online.  Microsoft and many other companies are pursuing similar actions to let existing and potential typosquatters know that there is a cost to infringing their rights online.  While this may not curb the amount of typosquatting overall, it will likely (among other things) increase capitulation to cease and desist letters sent by these companies (if not all legitimate right holders) and lower the total overall cost of enforcement.  I have witnessed this effect.

Additionally, the fact that Land’s End may only recover $26 is immaterial.  Trademark owners file suit in many cases where it is clear that they will not be able to recover from the defendant.  This is because the purpose of these actions is often not merely to recover money from the defendant, but rather to stop the infringing activity which causes damage to the trademark holder in the form of lost business and weakening of brand power.

Further, it seems to me that it was NOT the typosquatted registrations that generated the $190k in sales but rather Land’s End investment in creating good will over the last 40 years.  The web surfers who directly navigated to lwndsed.com or whatever and made these purchases would in all likelihood have retyped landsend.com into their browser when they got the 404 error or the MSN search page as they were clearly seeking out Land’s End’s website to make a purchase in the first place.  Thus, these typosquatted domains, as is the case in most typosquatted domains, have added no value and generated no business for the legitimate brand owner.  Rather, at best they simply add unnecessary costs to the brand owner’s already high cost of doing business by obviously and intentionally infringing the brand owner’s trademarks. You make the point that if the user lands on the MSN search page, then the Brand owner must pay anyway, so what does it matter who they pay.  The difference is that the brand owner does not have control over what the browser manufacturer does when a nonexistent domain is typed in. An argument can be made that the MSN search page that results is infringement of some sort.  However, at best it is passive infringement.  The typosquatter registrants on the other hand are participating in active infringement, intentionally targeting well known brands and profiting from the brand owner’s good will.  Additionally, while these domains currently redirect to landsend.com, there is no guarantee that they will continue to.  If a more lucrative opportunity presents itself, such as porn for example, it is likely that the registrant will redirect these domains elsewhere.  Should Land’s End bear the burden and cost of having to constantly monitor all the typosquatting domains?

To make an analogy, I highly doubt that you would let someone whom you had no control over acquire every possible mistyping of your business phone number even if the person forwarded all inquiries to you and you ended up getting some business.  This person would not be adding any value to you or generating any business because potential clients who ended up connecting to him would simply have redialed when they got a wrong number message since they clearly intended to reach you in the first place.  Further, if your relationship with this person soured or he found a more profitable opportunity connecting your potential clients to phone sex or redirecting them to Ari Goldberger (I am not implying any relationship between phone sex and Ari Goldberger, merely using a porn/competitor analogy), who knows what type of damage he might wreak on your business.  Should it be your responsibility and cost to constantly monitor this unauthorized person, who is clearly getting phone and email traffic by use of your name and goodwill, to ensure that he wasn’t damaging that good will and costing you business?

This case is just another example of copyright exploitation.  In the print or other traditional media the judge would certainly rule for Lands End based on copyright infringement.  Even if Lands End only sees $26, precedent will be set and typosquatters had better beware.