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DomainDLR

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Hey everyone. I’d appreciate some good advice here from anyone who’s maybe gone through something similar. Here’s the situation...

You own a .com and later discover it would be a perfect fit for a company you found that’s located in another country. There are no current trademark issues. The name is “technically” considered generic enough to not infringe or cause any customer confusion if used for a business in a different field of commerce. You want to approach the company to make them aware of the DN you own is for sale but there’s one little caveat. The domain name is a shorter version of one they own. However, the shorter version of the DN relates to something entirely different to their brand. Which was the original reason you purchased the DN for.


You’re now faced with two conundrums. Do you contact the business in order to facilitate a potential sale when there’s the possibility it could back fire by showing them how this shorter version would benefit their brand? Could they then threaten a UDRP because of the intent to sell?


Secondly, since this business is located in a different country, you would like to purchase their cctld version of the DN you own so as to maybe add value and an extra bargaining chip during possible negotiations but feel it would further increase their ability to establish a UDRP claim.


What do you do when you know your DN is a great fit and have such obstacles in your way?
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Firstly, do you really want to target just one company? Surely it would make more sense to list all of the businesses you can find, wherever they are, to approach with your domain name in order to see which of them may be interested?

That way you are more likely to achieve a truer, i.e. higher, retail price and coincidentally erase any chance of being accused of targetting a single company for what they may, rightly or wrongly, consider to be "their" natural property.

As for purchasing the ccTLD in order to target one company, that is precisely what you would be doing. Don't do it.

One final caveat: every country has it own trademark licensing system. When you say there are no current trademark issues, ensure there are really no trademark issues. For instance, If I wish to sell to a German company I would have to check DE, EU and International trademark registries. My own, UK, registry would be irrelevant. The same applies to you in this case. Whichever country you are in is irrelevant. The relevant regulations are those of the country of your target company, any regional trade treaties pertinent to it will add their own, then there are the International.
 
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Firstly, do you really want to target just one company? Surely it would make more sense to list all of the businesses you can find, wherever they are, to approach with your domain name in order to see which of them may be interested?
If only there was a larger market to target for the domain at hand. Unfortunately, the only other market available would be the competitors of this company. Originally I had purchased the domain for use in a class web design project.

As for purchasing the ccTLD in order to target one company, that is precisely what you would be doing. Don't do it.
I agree.

One final caveat: every country has it own trademark licensing system. When you say there are no current trademark issues, ensure there are really no trademark issues. For instance, If I wish to sell to a German company I would have to check DE, EU and International trademark registries. My own, UK, registry would be irrelevant. The same applies to you in this case. Whichever country you are in is irrelevant. The relevant regulations are those of the country of your target company, any regional trade treaties pertinent to it will add their own, then there are the International.
Thank you for reminding me to search the trademark database in their respective country. Ironically, it is a German company that I would like to reach out to.

EDIT: Cleared the trademark search : )
 
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Unfortunately, the only other market available would be the competitors of this company
???

What is unfortunate about having a list of qualified prospects for your domain to hand?
 
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???

What is unfortunate about having a list of qualified prospects for your domain to hand?
The domain names value to this business's competitors would be only to insure less competition.
 
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There is something contradictory in the information you are offering about this domain. If other companies are operating in the same marketplace they must be offering the same, similar or alternative products. In which case your domain would be suitable at least for the majority if not all of them.

Otherwise, your target company is in a monopoly situation. In which case they are in a position to dictate terms. Why bother?
 
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I agree 100% with @chateaudns
To check trademarks worldwide use this source : tmdn.org/tmview
 
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