Similar domain to trademark takedown request?

Question

Today I received the following, and there is no first notice.

Is this a legitimate request? The "mm-walmart.com" domain and lack of any contact information is screaming a scam, attorney representation etc, but I am curious in general is there any basis to this kind of claim whether or not this is legitimate.

The use of the domains are specifically to allow users of a training website to create test integrations and websites.

Subject:

2ND NOTICE of Walmart Trademark Rights Infringement - walmartt.com ; Demand for Takedown

Body:

To Whom It May Concern: On behalf of Walmart Inc. (“Walmart”), we are writing to you in your capacity as the registrant of walmartt.com . Walmart is the owner of the famous trade name and trademark “WALMART” and has, for more than 50 years, used this term to identify its goods and services. Walmart also maintains rights in a number of additional trademarks. Moreover, Walmart has significant copyright holdings and other intellectual property rights in its logos and materials.

There is no connection between Walmart and walmartt.com and your continued unauthorized use of Walmart's intellectual property as, within or as an identifiable element of a domain name does injury to both Walmart and to the public by, e.g., causing a likelihood of confusion and other damage. We have also determined that there is no fair use or other excuse for the unauthorized use. Therefore, applicable law requires that you cease use immediately of the unauthorized domain name specifically identified above. This communication is for potential settlement purposes and only for representative violations identified to date. Please reply to this email to discuss and confirm details of the discontinuation of use and potential transfer to Walmart of the subject domain name. If we do not receive your expeditious response, this matter may be escalated for further action.

Sincerely,

Walmart Brand Protection

Walmart Inc. 508 SW 8th Street Bentonville, AR 72716-0505 [email protected]

Answer 1

It's from a company called MarkMonitor that does trademark protection for clients - specifically around internet activities and that includes domain cybersquatting - which is illegal in the US under the ACPA, and of course that's what you were/are doing.

So it could be a legitimate request as these things go. But that's not the whole story - the domain in the e-mail you posted is "walmartt.com" which is not only currently owned by Walmart Inc. but always has been, in fact the current Registrar of record is the aforementioned MarkMonitor.

So either this isn't a legitimate request because you don't own "walmartt.com" and therefore this is spam or phishing (in which case feel free to delete it and move on with your life), granted that would be a pretty impressive bit of phishing since you are currently cybersquatting some Walmart-typo domains. Or you're just telling porkies all the way through your question for reasons of your own.