Phones for you or u?

The web addresses are very similar

Two of the biggest names in the UK mobile phone retail market are at each others throats - and it's all because of an additional two letters in a website address.

Phones4u owns the website www.phones4u.co.uk but it has transpired this week that anyone logging onto www.phones4you.co.uk - which it would be easy to do by mistake - will get directed to the site of their rival, Carphone Warehouse.

Ownership

Carphone Warehouse does not own the site but admits that it is the property of one of its "affiliates".

Carphone Warehouse: "It's no big deal"

The company's affiliates are paid a commission for directing buyers to its site.

The site is actually owned by Ecossenet.com.

Scott McCaughran, the man behind Ecossenet.com, told Working Lunch he was unaware of the existence of Phones4u when he originally bought the domain name www.phones4you.co.uk three years ago.

He admits though, that earlier this year he did try to sell it to Phones4u because of the large number of hits it was receiving.

Defence

Carphone Warehouse do not believe it is doing anything wrong.

In a statement to Working Lunch it said,

"We have no problem with this. It is part of our affiliate programme. That's what goes on in the online world today. It's no big deal."

The company has over 4,500 enrolled members in its affiliate programme, which it describes as "a valuable addition to our online business."

Legality

Carphone Warehouse also told Working Lunch that it is not aware of anything illegal going on.

But lawyer David Engel of Theodore Goddard, says the procedure is illegal.

"You can't go out and register a domain name if you don't have the rights to that name.

"If you are doing so in the course of trade it would amount to trademark infringement, if it's a registered trademark.

"Even if it isn't ... it would amount to passing off - that is you are trading off unlawfully on the goodwill in the name which is owned by someone else."

Wider problem

Working Lunch has found that Carphone Warehouse is not the only company that benefits from potential Phones4u customers.

Phones4u describes the web address as "misleading"

The address www.fones4you.co.uk actually directs traffic to Dial-a-Phone's website. They are another mobile phone specialist.

And the problem does not seem to be restricted to Phones4u.

Working Lunch viewers have come across confusing sites when searching for the home pages of Midland Mainline and Microsoft.

Next step

Phones4u describe the '4you' domain name as misleading and say they are concerned about the volume of internet traffic that may be misdirected.

They currently have lawyers looking into the situation and say a decision will be made with regard to their actions by the end of the week.