companies and domain names

9 replies
Does anyone know of any sites that list the companies that come after people who use their brand names inside domain names.

I think such a website does exist i'm just having trouble finding it.
#companies #domain #names
  • Profile picture of the author Honeybadge
    @ Arshavin: Don´t understand your question?
    Are we talking about keyword domains?
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    Originally Posted by arshavin View Post

    Does anyone know of any sites that list the companies that come after people who use their brand names inside domain names.
    All of them... sooner or later will be after you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by arshavin View Post

    Does anyone know of any sites that list the companies that come after people who use their brand names inside domain names.
    All companies have not only the right but the obligation to do that, if they're notified of people encroaching on their civil-law rights.

    This is relevant to trademark renewals, and if they've been notified of breaches and not taken any action over them, that can be held against them when they want to renew their trademark.

    The exclusion of a company's name from a list of the kind you mention, therefore, might indicate simply that they haven't formally been notified, or that that hasn't been an issue for them in the past. It certainly doesn't indicate that it would be safe to use their trademark in a domain-name.

    Trademark ownership effectively confers obligations, as well as rights.

    It's a complicated issue (as you can see from some of the lawyers' comments in threads here) because there are some permitted usages, but monetised purposes (i.e. deriving income from a domain-name which includes someone else's trademark, even if it involves promoting their products) tends not to be one of them.

    I'm not a lawyer but am willing to play one on TV if the fee's right ...
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  • Profile picture of the author arshavin
    Thanks for the replies people i appreciate it. I understand that any company can demand a site be closed down. But does anyone know the address to the site i'm looking for please?
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    • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
      Banned
      Originally Posted by arshavin View Post

      Thanks for the replies people i appreciate it. I understand that any company can demand a site be closed down. But does anyone know the address to the site i'm looking for please?
      apparently not. You're getting good advice to stay away from other people's trademarks. Ignore it or just Google the site you're looking for yourself.
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      • Profile picture of the author InTheMaking
        Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

        apparently not. You're getting good advice to stay away from other people's trademarks. Ignore it or just Google the site you're looking for yourself.
        Apparently you don't know what he's asking, champ.

        I personally don't know the site, but the whole purpose of this website he's looking for is to find out if say "best buy" has gone after different people with their trademarked keyword in a domain name.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by arshavin View Post

      I understand that any company can demand a site be closed down.
      That's the least of the problems, Arshavin.

      They can also demand payment of all takings you've ever made it from it, and punitive damages, and legal costs.

      Originally Posted by arshavin View Post

      But does anyone know the address to the site i'm looking for please?
      Sorry - I don't (would have no use for it, to be honest).
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        Search Trademark Database

        This is a list of companies that have registered their brand name - whether they "come after you" or not is up to them.

        Looking to see if trademarks are registered is smart - remember to search the right words and spell correctly or it may not show.
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        Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          I personally don't know the site, but the whole purpose of this website he's looking for is to find out if say "best buy" has gone after different people with their trademarked keyword in a domain name.
          In the time spent being snarky - you could have looked up the infor for him.

          It doesn't matter whether a company has "gone after" people before or not if they come after you. "I didn't think they would care" "I didn't know not to do it" or "on the WF they said it was OK to do it" - won't keep you out of court.

          Some people ask this question in good faith - they've seen bad advice and don't know what the ethics or facts are. Once they know - it's up to them what they do.

          kay
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          Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
          ***
          Please do not 'release balloons' for celebrations. The balloons and trailing ribbons entangle birds and kill wildlife and livestock that think the balloons are food.
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