In the age of the internet and social media, the old adage “buyer beware” still holds true. According to investigations conducted by security firm leader Raytheon/Websense, there are millions of different URLs out there that are at least suspicious if not entirely malicious. Read more about the criminal use of domain names.

We are only in first quarter of 2016 and already there have been several landmark decisions in the area of domain naming. An excellent example is the January 27, 2016 case Diamond Trust Consultancy (UK) Limited v. Kim, James. In this litigation, the court ruled that “registrations of lapsed or abandoned domain names returned to the general pool are not vulnerable to forfeiture simply because by happenstance the names correspond to trademarks…”. To learn more about this and other important domain name rulings in 2016, read the summary by Gerald M. Levine, author of Domain Name Arbitration.

One of the hottest topics in the naming business involves branding and domain names. And just like personal names, domain names also exhibit strong fashions trends. Domain News covers the top patterns for branding 2016.

To commemorate WWI, the Guild of One-Name Studies, in cooperation with the Imperial War Museum, will be holding a series of digital events designed to document the lives of the millions of soldiers and civilians who lost their lives.

In an effort to breathe new life into one of its problem-children, Lenovo executives have decided to sacrifice the brand name Motorola and replace it with the sleeker, shorter name Moto. According to the company, the decision to doff the 83-year-old brand name was not easy. However, executives are convinced that the new brand name will attract new customers and bring back some old ones.

There are planets that orbit our sun (e.g. Mercury, Saturn, and or beloved Earth) and there are planets that orbit around a star that is not our sun. These celestial bodies are called “exoplanets.”

This past spring, registered clubs and non-profit organizations were invited to suggest names for several exoplanets and stars. Among the winning bids came from the Kamagari Astronomical Observatory in Japan. This organization received the honor of bestowing the planet Ain b (epsilon Tauri b) the name Amateru, a common appellation for shrines devoted to the Shinto Sun goddess, Amaterasu. Learn about these onomastics winners.

Chances are if you think you have found the perfect name for your dog, there are at least 10 thousand other dog-owners who have made the same discovery. Pet names, like baby names, follow strong national and generational trends.

Whereas pooches in the past carried names like Rex, King, and Lady, today the most popular names for dogs in English-speaking countries are Max, Charlie, Lucy, and Bella. In fact, according to dog experts, the name Bella has become so popular, that it has become a real problem.

In a January 2016 interview for Animal Life, Toni Perling, founder and CEO of DoggieNames.com explains that the increasing number of Bellas has caused serious chaos, ranging from “grooming mishaps” to “medication mixups”.

Early this month, Arizona police responded to an emergency call about a suspected suicide attempt. When the officers entered the home, they found a distressed individual in a darkened room with a knife. In what the police have described as an act of self-defense, at least one shot was fired and the individual, who was later identified as transgender internet star, Kayden Clarke, was officially pronounced dead.

Public attention to this tragedy has been fueled not only over the questionable actions of the officers, but also over the police department’s repeatedly referring to the shooting victim’s “dead name”, the name used before transitioning.

In an effort to pay homage to Tasmania’s rich Aboriginal heritage, the Nomenclature Board of Tasmania has progressively introduced a dual English/Indigenous naming system for landmarks of great cultural significance. As Will Hodgeman, New Zealand’s Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, explained in an interview with ABC news, “The names are applied in the reconstructed palawa kani language following extensive research by the Aboriginal community language revival program.” Three examples of dual toponyms are

• Mount William/wukalina
• Great Lake/yingina
• Sundown Point/laraturunawn.