Huyi Global - “Internet Keyword” scam?

Following the .Asia scanners from "ADNR", today, one of our partners got an email from a company called Huyi Global from Hong Kong. This is a bit different as it does not deal with domain names. It deals with "Internet Keywords". And, the email comes from what appears to be a legitimately registered company (i.e. it is registered, but it does not mean that they are legitimate).

Here’s the email they sent out.

Our Ref.: HYHK-TG-HK<snip>
26 May 2008

BY EMAIL ONLY

Attn: « <snip> »

Domain Name Important Notice

My name is <snip> from Huyi Global, the Sole registrar in Hong Kong accredited by China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC).
I am instructed to inform you the following Internet keywords and domain names are included your company’s case:

Internet keyword:

1. <snip>

2. <snip>

Domain Name:

1. <snip>.cn

During the course of checking with Companies Registry of HKSAR, the captioned names are identical or similar to your company’s name.

Company name: « <snip> »

5-working-day protection period (From 26 May 2008 to 30 May 2008) has been offered to your company against any intended application(s) on the ground that you have long established business under the captioned company’s name of and/or has already registered its trademark

If your company is the legitimate user of the above brand names and wish to execute the first priority right on Internet Keyword(s) / Domain Name(s), please notify us for verification, and application.

Otherwise your company’s Internet Trademark & Domain Name can be registered by others without further notice.

Should you have any enquiry, please feel free to contact me at (852) 2525 6008 or email.

Regards,

<snip>

Registry Officer
Huyi Global Information Resources (Holding) Company. Hong Kong Limited
Sole authorized registrar from China government
Office :(852) <snip> ext: 111
Fax :(852) 2525 1105
Email : <snip>@8hy.hk
CNNIC Website : http://www.cnnic.cn

1) Yes, they are the only registrar in Hong Kong that has been approved for "Internet Keywords" - whatever that is can be found here ( http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2005/09/06/3106.htm ). It should be noted that this is NOT the same as domain name registrars. But as CNNIC says "Internet Keyword, a newly emerged technique for visiting network names, is a convenient way to realize the visitation of the browser by establishing a corresponding relationship between Internet Keyword and URL. You only need to use the language you are familiar with to tell the browser the address of the Internet Keyword you want to go."

2) So how does this work? Either they are scanning the companies registrars and the various trademark journals for newly registered company names or trademarks, or some one out of the blue has decided to do some trademark bidding against our partner. We doubt this latter. Could happen, but we doubt it.

3) Legit or not? Your call. Our call is pretty much the same as this tree hugging gwailo.