Tesla.com Finally Belongs to Tesla Motors
The domain name Tesla.com finally belongs to the American automaker.
Ever since its existence, Tesla has used the domain name Teslamotors.com. But in recent years, the company has begun to expand beyond just cars, getting into the energy storage business. As a result, Tesla has been eyeing the Tesla.com domain name, since it would cover all aspects of its business.
Tesla.com was originally registered in 1992, years before the Internet became popular and easily accessible. According to records, the domain name was transferred to Tesla Motors on Tuesday and was previously owned by Stu Grossman, a computer network engineer in California. It’s unclear if he was the original registrant. Prior to Tesla acquiring the domain name, it was simply parked and had no content on it.
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According to a legal complaint in 2005, Tesla Industries argued that Grossman’s use of Tesla.com constituted a “confusingly similar” trademark and a “bad faith” registration. Essentially, Tesla Industries accused Grossman of cybersquatting, the act of holding domain names hostage to companies or individuals.
That legal complaint ended with Grossman successfully arguing that the domain name was used solely to send and receive email on his server and that he was not interested in selling it.
There’s no word on how Tesla acquired the domain name, but it’s likely that Grossman was paid for it. Just how much money was exchanged is the big question.
[Source: International Business Times]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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