Can an acronym be trademarked?

[URL Enterprise]

So let's say you have a 3 letter or 4 letter .com or .net that you want to sell to a company that could use it as an abbreviation.

In example: in 2010 someone sold FB.com to facebook for $8.5m

So what is the risk of selling a 3 letter or a 4 letter to a company? I used Estibot trademark risk calculator and it said there was 0% risk for my domain.

 

[5dots]

Is it?
It could be TM protected, but that you can easily check.

If it's not and the company does not use that abbreviation yet, i don't see any risk as well. The public won't connect that abbreviation with the company.

 

[jberryhill]

Ever heard of IBM? VW? LG?

Of course they can be trademarks.

 

[5dots]

Ever heard of IBM? VW? LG?

Of course they can be trademarks.

My guess is that OP meant a company like

AdamsAppleStore

and he wants to sell "AAS" to them. They don't use it yet. The abbreviation will not get automatically protected if not used. Of course could be registered by sb else.

 

[jberryhill]

http://www.adrforum.com/domaindecisions/98813.htm