Typosquatting: Difference between revisions
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===Wikipedia examples=== |
===Wikipedia examples=== |
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Wikipedia itself suffers from the same typosquatting problems of other popular websites. Generally, there is no ambiguity to justify organizations other than the [[Wikimedia foundation]] to own these sites, and virtually all of these sites either refer to Wikipedia or encyclopedias in some form, or just are pages of links to something else without being a useful site by themselves: |
Wikipedia itself suffers from the same typosquatting problems of other popular websites. Generally, there is no ambiguity to justify organizations other than the [[Wikimedia foundation]] to own these sites, and virtually all of these sites either refer to Wikipedia or encyclopedias in some form, or just are pages of links to something else without being a useful site by themselves: |
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* Letter swapping: http://iwkipedia.org (eNom, Inc.), http://wkiipedia.org, http://wiikpedia.org, http://wikpiedia.org, http://wikiepdia.org, http://wikipdeia.org, http://wikipeida.org, http://wikipedai.org |
* Letter swapping: http://iwkipedia.org (eNom, Inc.), http://wkiipedia.org, http://wiikpedia.org, http://wikpiedia.org, http://wikiepdia.org, http://wikipdeia.org, http://wikipeida.org, http://wikipedai.org |
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* Letter missing: http://ikipedia.org, http://wkipedia.org, http://wiipedia.org, http://wikpedia.org, http://wikiedia.org, http://wikipdia.org, http://wikipeia.org, http:// |
* Letter missing: http://ikipedia.org, http://wkipedia.org, http://wiipedia.org, http://wikpedia.org, http://wikiedia.org, http://wikipdia.org, http://wikipeia.org, http://wikipeda.org, http://wikipedi.org |
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* Letter doubling: http://wwikipedia.org, http://wiikipedia.org, http://wikkipedia.org, http://wikiipedia.org, http://wikippedia.org, http://wikipeedia.org, http://wikipeddia.org, http://wikipediia.org, http://wikipediaa.org |
* Letter doubling: http://wwikipedia.org, http://wiikipedia.org, http://wikkipedia.org, http://wikiipedia.org, http://wikippedia.org, http://wikipeedia.org, http://wikipeddia.org, http://wikipediia.org, http://wikipediaa.org |
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* Slipped finger typo: Around each key on a keyboard is a flower-shaped collection of other keys. It is easy to press one of these by accident if the person is a poor typist. There is a huge number of [[permutations]] of these, so for just one letter example, surrounding the I key are the keys 8, 9, U, O, J, K, L: http://www.w8kipedia.org/, http://www.w9kipedia.org/, http://www.wukipedia.org/, http://www.wokipedia.org/, http://www.wjkipedia.org/, http://www.wkkipedia.org/, http://www.wlkipedia.org/ |
* Slipped finger typo: Around each key on a keyboard is a flower-shaped collection of other keys. It is easy to press one of these by accident if the person is a poor typist. There is a huge number of [[permutations]] of these, so for just one letter example, surrounding the I key are the keys 8, 9, U, O, J, K, L: http://www.w8kipedia.org/, http://www.w9kipedia.org/, http://www.wukipedia.org/, http://www.wokipedia.org/, http://www.wjkipedia.org/, http://www.wkkipedia.org/, http://www.wlkipedia.org/ |
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* Misspelling: http://wickipedia.org, http://wicipedia.org, http://wikipeadia.org/ |
* Misspelling: http://wickipedia.org, http://wicipedia.org, http://wikipeadia.org/ |
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* Incorrect www header: http://wwwwikipedia.org, http://wwwikipedia.org |
* Incorrect www header: http://wwwwikipedia.org, http://wwwikipedia.org |
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Revision as of 07:30, 2 March 2010
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Typosquatting, also called URL hijacking, is a form of cybersquatting which relies on mistakes such as typographical errors made by Internet users when inputting a website address into a web browser. Should a user accidentally enter an incorrect website address, they may be led to an alternative website owned by a cybersquatter.[1]
Overview
The typosquatter's URL will usually be one of four kinds, all similar to the victim site address:
(In the following, the intended website is "example.com")
- A common misspelling, or foreign language spelling, of the intended site: exemple.com
- A misspelling based on typing errors: xample.com or examlpe.com
- A differently phrased domain name: examples.com
- A different top-level domain: example.org
Once in the typosquatter's site, the user may also be tricked into thinking that they are in fact in the real site; through the use of copied or similar logos, website layouts or content.
Wikipedia examples
Wikipedia itself suffers from the same typosquatting problems of other popular websites. Generally, there is no ambiguity to justify organizations other than the Wikimedia foundation to own these sites, and virtually all of these sites either refer to Wikipedia or encyclopedias in some form, or just are pages of links to something else without being a useful site by themselves:
- Letter swapping: http://iwkipedia.org (eNom, Inc.), http://wkiipedia.org, http://wiikpedia.org, http://wikpiedia.org, http://wikiepdia.org, http://wikipdeia.org, http://wikipeida.org, http://wikipedai.org
- Letter missing: http://ikipedia.org, http://wkipedia.org, http://wiipedia.org, http://wikpedia.org, http://wikiedia.org, http://wikipdia.org, http://wikipeia.org, http://wikipeda.org, http://wikipedi.org
- Letter doubling: http://wwikipedia.org, http://wiikipedia.org, http://wikkipedia.org, http://wikiipedia.org, http://wikippedia.org, http://wikipeedia.org, http://wikipeddia.org, http://wikipediia.org, http://wikipediaa.org
- Slipped finger typo: Around each key on a keyboard is a flower-shaped collection of other keys. It is easy to press one of these by accident if the person is a poor typist. There is a huge number of permutations of these, so for just one letter example, surrounding the I key are the keys 8, 9, U, O, J, K, L: http://www.w8kipedia.org/, http://www.w9kipedia.org/, http://www.wukipedia.org/, http://www.wokipedia.org/, http://www.wjkipedia.org/, http://www.wkkipedia.org/, http://www.wlkipedia.org/
- Misspelling: http://wickipedia.org, http://wicipedia.org, http://wikipeadia.org/
- Incorrect www header: http://wwwwikipedia.org, http://wwwikipedia.org
Typosquatting in United States law
In the United States, the 1999 Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) contains a clause (Section 3(a), amending 15 USC 1117 to include sub-section (d)(2)(B)(ii)) aimed at combatting typosquatting.[2][3]
However, on April 17, 2006, controversial evangelist Jerry Falwell failed to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision allowing Christopher Lamparello to use "www.fallwell.com". Relying on a plausible misspelling of Falwell's name, Lamparello's gripe site presents misdirected visitors with scriptural references that counter the fundamentalist preacher's scathing rebukes against homosexuality. The high court let stand a 2005 Fourth Circuit finding that "the use of a mark in a domain name for a gripe site criticizing the markholder does not constitute cybersquatting."
Militating in favor of Mr. Lamparello's case was the fact that his website did not mimic Falwell's site stylistically so as to confuse site visitors into believing that Falwell endorsed Lamparello's site content.
Further, the fact that Lamparello's site is noncommercial preempts a claim of unfair business practices. Whereas, a communicative forum for comment and criticism constitutes a "bona fide non-commercial or fair use" of a trademark interest, under the ACPA.
On his site, Lamparello provided a link to an Amazon.com webpage selling a book he favored. The court determined this did not diminish the communicative function of his website, saying use of a domain name to engage in criticism or commentary "even where done for profit" does not alone show a bad faith intent to profit (Lamparello did not stand to gain financially from sales of the book at Amazon.com).
See also
Notes
- ^ Microsoft Strider project with screenshots of typosquatted domains.
- ^ "Anti-CyberSquatting Protection Act." US Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.1255.IS:=, accessed 24th October 2008.
- ^ "Without typosquatters, how far would Google fall?" Cade Metz, The Register, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/23/google_and_typosquatting/, accessed 24th October 2008.
Further reading
- "The Internet Commerce Association Code of Conduct". InternetCommerce.org. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
The Internet Commerce Association's (ICA) Member Code of Conduct expresses the ICA's recognition of the responsibilities of its members to the intellectual property, domain name, and at large Internet communities and will guide members in conducting their domain name investment and development activities with professionalism, respect and integrity.
- "The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse to Combat Cybersquatting". ComplianceAndPrivacy.com. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
With growing ease and profitability, sophisticated cybersquatters are exploiting a flaw in the domain name registration process whereby domain names are registered and subsequently dropped, risk free, within an accepted 5-day grace period.