Can I run into legal problems with this?

[magnate]

Somebody is selling a .com domain name that I wish to purchase. However, while searching the name in Google, multiple websites are already using this name with different extensions (e.g. "name.ee" or "name.com.kr"). Also, I did a trademark search and found out that the name is NOT trademarked.

If I use the .com version, are there any potential legal issues I might run into?

 

[Kate]

Depends on the name, and how you are going to use it. if the name is not generic and you are going to use it in the same industry as the other extensions, you need to think it over.

 

[magnate]

Depends on the name, and how you are going to use it. if the name is not generic and you are going to use it in the same industry as the other extensions, you need to think it over.

Why is that? They don't own the trademark for the name. If I registered the trademark for it, wouldn't I have the advantage?

 

[Kate]

A name doesn't have to be trademarked to have TM protection. When you develop the name and gain notoriety you can claim rights from usage. Filing a TM just makes it official, and more enforceable because TMs can be researched in databases. So you can't say you had no way of knowing there would be a potential TM issue.
If you decide to buy the .com remember that the other extensions were already in use before.
Again, the domain and the intended use should not conflict with the other extensions. Since the same name already exists in Estonia and in Korea that should be possible.

(insert disclaimer here)
(imho)
(I'm not a lawyer)
(etc)