Similiar domain names
Do you think it is bad to try to have a domain that is similar to something that is already a well known or high end domain? Does this hurt you or help you? For example, say I wanted to register a domain name called http://www.ibm.net/ which I just happened to check does not exist. do you think this would help or hurt my web traffic? I am always coming up with clever twists on popular names but I have never actually attempted to register one. What is your opinion on this?
j4k3 posted this at 05:19 — 15th December 2006.
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I think its a smart way to get traffic, might make the other (more popular) site mad, lol
igauresh posted this at 05:43 — 15th December 2006.
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I have to agree actually. Although it may be catchy, it could also be a good way to invite a lawsuit for trademark or copyright. I know of an international organization of a hobby group that uses the same initials as a major well known corporation. This isn't for the website but just for the name of the group. I have always wondered how the corporation felt about it, but I never heard of them having any problems.
j4k3 posted this at 05:45 — 15th December 2006.
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Yea ive never heard of a lawsuit about similar domains, i think if you used different looking images, and different look webpage, you might get away with it
knorr posted this at 08:54 — 18th December 2006.
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You know sometimes it can cause some issues but not often. I think it's the question of copyrights.
LenBradshaw posted this at 18:38 — 22nd December 2006.
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I don't think domain names are "copyrightable." They're simply addresses (just like your home address with a house number, street name, city, state, and zip code.) The various extensions simply make the address unique when broswers are looking for them. There have been, though, recent regulations regarding how those domains are treated by hosting companies depending on the extension. I forget the exact details, but I recently faced something like that with a website I was working on that had a .org extension. Bottom line is that I don't think you would face any copyright infringement issues.
a_gajic posted this at 21:02 — 22nd December 2006.
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I know the owner of theinkjetcartridgeshop.co.uk, he's an independant trader based in my hometown. There is another compatible cartridge shop in the town, who are a chain and have quite a few stores nationwide... they own inkjetcartridgeshop.co.uk.
I read *somewhere* (it was a while ago, I can't remember where), that if the 'similar' domain is a rival company then it's possible to take them to court. I'm not sure what would happen exactly.. they'd probably just have to give the domain name up.
Regards,
Adam
LenBradshaw posted this at 21:15 — 22nd December 2006.
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That makes sense. So if Igauresh isn't planning on competing against IBM, then all should be fine.
a_gajic posted this at 21:54 — 22nd December 2006.
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Don't take my word for it..... but i'd say yes.
Adam
andy206uk posted this at 02:39 — 23rd December 2006.
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It's called cybersquatting, and yes they can sue you for using it. IBM is their trademark and if you start trading or advertising using it they'll come down on you like (a very expensive) ton of bricks. The guy that bought itunes.co.uk registered it before Apple launched the iTunes service and before they trademarked the name but when the went through the .uk registrars (nominet) dispute resolution service the name was handed to Apple very quickly.
Don't forget, even if you win the first round, large companies like IBM have got the money to keep a case in the courts for years at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds which is a drop in the ocean for them, but would likely send your average webmaster bankrupt - and once you can't afford to fight, you usually loose.
PS... if 'theinkjetcartridgeshop' is trademarked and they were clued up I'm 99% sure that they would win a case against your friend using 'theinkjetcartridgeshop.co.uk'.
You can read about Nominets DRS here: http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes/drs/help/faq/
ICANNS UDRP is available here: http://www.icann.org/udrp/
Andy
demopaul posted this at 09:35 — 10th January 2007.
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You may actually use ibm.com for selling products other than cars or car-related stuff, I can refer you to this thread .
void posted this at 12:09 — 12th January 2007.
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Yea right “cybersquatting”, that’s the term for it. Recently I came across a post in a forum known as wickedfire .com which is a US based forum. The owner/admin of the forum has issued a lawsuit to an under age boy from UK who used the same domain name like their’s. The owner/admin of the forum had issued several notices to him but it was all in vain and so he sued the lad. The whole incidence has been put up on the forum so that’s how I came to know about it.
I think you can’t use a same domain name like someone else’s as it would be against the ethics and cyber laws.
JeevesBond posted this at 16:14 — 12th January 2007.
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I believe this is down to trademark law. Someone is in breach of trademark law when they seek to confuse a potential customer. So if you get IBM.net, provide a service almost exactly the same as them (or claim to), with similar logos then you're probably going to get sued!
Are there any actual 'cybersquatting' laws, or is it just trademark?
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shootingstar67 posted this at 16:05 — 16th March 2007.
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I just registered cjwebhost.com and there is a domain called cjwebhosting.com but their site/business name is something completely different. Can they sue me?
nielsencl posted this at 05:46 — 18th January 2007.
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I wish we had cybersquatting laws. There are companies with hundreds of thousands of domains that just have parking pages with ads on them and make millions each year.
By the way I just heard the other day (but did not see the news item) that Dell was suing some guys that had registered some typo domains like de11.com and were making some nice money as Dell affiliates. Dell found out and wants to cut them out of the loop....
Just found the story: http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=44345&src=site-marq
Nielsen Technical Services
http://www.DomainIncubation.com/
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Carney posted this at 12:17 — 15th March 2007.
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Nobody will give you any right to register such a domain name. The international Policy of ICANN forbides this. In other case IBM company can receive a lot of money from your pocket and they will be the winners after the court process.
akopayan posted this at 12:51 — 15th March 2007.
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yes, I guess you are right here. nobody has won the court process yet under such circumstances.
Musson posted this at 07:42 — 16th March 2007.
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Though the thread seems to be old, I'm just wondering how are the things with the topic-starter and whether he has registered the domain name he thought of.
Not unlike the waves...
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