MLS.biz – Real Company, Real Domain
MLS.biz is the website of The Dave Therrien Group, a Keller Williams Realty franchise located in Millersville, Maryland. You may be interested to know that Millersville is perfectly situated between Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis, Maryland.
Dave Therrien is not only a real estate professional and educator, but he also holds degrees in law, psychology, general studies, and a minor in computer science. Dave is a former U.S. Marine and retired naval officer among many other notable accomplishments.
I contacted Dave after learning about his excellent domain name, MLS.biz, an obviously fitting web address for someone working in the real estate profession. Before speaking with Dave, my research showed that another party had once successfully challenged Dave’s initial .biz application using the old STOP challenge process back in 2002. You might presume that “The MLS” had tried to lay claim to this common acronym, but you would be wrong.
It was merely another person, not even working in the real estate field, who filed the STOP. And won! … in a somewhat odd decision not uncharacteristic of the early wild west days of the domain industry. Suffice it to say, STOP was a somewhat poorly implemented, and misapplied mechanism, intended to protect real trademark rights. Long story short, the case progressed to Federal court. While the details are to be kept private, Mr. Therrien came out just fine, in the end, with a top notch .biz domain name that worked very well for his Maryland area real estate company.
For those readers who are real estate pros and/or enthusiasts, you might also peruse Dave’s other beautifully designed site at: ProfessoreHome.com. He moderates the site and utilizes his years of experience and accumulated knowledge to foster professional development in a number of different areas. The ProfessoreHome website contains informative real estate articles, teaches methods for building online relationships, and functions as a virtual real estate learning center.
If you are technically inclined, it is interesting to note that MLS is not a national trademark in the traditional sense, or subject to exclusive protection. To the contrary, “The MLS” has only a supplemental register service mark with the common disclaimer: “NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE “MLS” APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN“. The mark (as shown in the USPTO database) is a rather stylized drawing and distinctive font. No claim is made to the letters –> MLS.
In further support of mass use of the MLS letters (for real estate services) are numerous LIVE trademarks at the USPTO for variations on the MLS theme. There exists only one UDRP transfer in regard to an “MLS” domain name. That case was “TheSarasotaMLS.com” which was, at best, a controversial decision with one of three panelists articulating a well-argued dissent and rebuttal to the domain name transfer.
To finish up, best of luck Dave Therrien in your professional pursuits and business endeavors. For those interested, you can find more information about the .BIZ domain address at the Neustar registry.
Fact: .BIZ surpassed two million registrations worldwide, for the first time, in June of 2008.
