Promoting netflix - *netflix*-URL allowed?

14 replies
Is it allowed to promote the netflix trial offer on a website with an URL that contains the word netflix?
#allowed #netflix #netflixurl #promoting
  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    Nope, don't do it, it's copyright or trademark infringement.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2418497].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author indexphp
    nope, they will most likely shut you down.

    although, there is a dude with netflixreviews.com that has been up for awhile
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2418633].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kenster
    If you are directly competing with them such as through PPC, you are treading on very scary ground. If you arent competing with them but still have Netflix in the domain, you are trading on somewhat scary ground. They need to protect their brand.

    At the end of the day, the Netflix 'brand' is worth more than any affiliate can bring in, so this is of utmost importance to Netflix and all major brands.

    To me, its not worth the risk putting trademarked names in domains. Having Netflix in the domain wont make or break any big campaign...my opinion.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2419654].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael R.
      To me, its not worth the risk putting trademarked names in domains. Having Netflix in the domain wont make or break any big campaign...my opinion.
      I found a keyphrase with decent traffic, low competition (IMHO) and an available exact match .com-domain. Would have been nice to use that domain and build a small site around the keyphrase.

      But I think I won't risk it .
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2420693].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author KC-Coop
    I would definitely stay away from using any trademarks in your domain.

    Larger companies like Netflix have the resources and reason to bring you down swiftly and you'll just be wasting your time.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2420787].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author skyzeda
    You can sometimes get away with it but they are very protective of their brand. They actually have dedicated employees at their headquarters in Los Gatos whose job it is to make sure the Netflix brand is being used appropriately. They review everything: domain names, print, television, radio, iPhone apps, etc.

    In my opinion it's not worth the risk having the word "Netflix" in your domain. One thing you can get away with is to do something like this:

    http://www.mysite.com/my-netflix-keywords

    That way you can at least have the keyword in the URL. Obviously you won't get exact domain match benefits though.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2420866].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RyanEagle
    Yea, you gotta' watch out for using any of their trademarks. They're very vigilant about protecting their brand and will remove leads / ban pubs for violating the TOS.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2421666].message }}
    • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2421689].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kenster
      Originally Posted by RyanEagle View Post

      Yea, you gotta' watch out for using any of their trademarks. They're very vigilant about protecting their brand and will remove leads / ban pubs for violating the TOS.

      Agreed, and even worse, they may send a not-so-nice letter explaining how screwed you will be if they take you to court.

      Like most fart stuff, its just not worth the rouble or headache.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2422238].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael R.
        I just found something on the netflix website:
        Q: Can I bid on keywords for search advertising purposes?
        A: No, you may not bid on keywords, unless you have written permission from Netflix in advance. In addition, bidding on the Netflix trademark or any misspellings of our trademark is strictly prohibited at all times. You may not use the trademark in your URL or in copy.
        So netflix definitely prohibits using *netflix* in the URL.

        But what does "or in copy" mean?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2422558].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    They are talking about in the copy of any advertisements you may use to promote them, such as PPC, classified ads, etc.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2422599].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    Originally Posted by Michael R. View Post

    Is it allowed to promote the netflix trial offer on a website with an URL that contains the word netflix?
    Def check with your AM!!!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3313292].message }}

Trending Topics