Just bought my first 4 domains, a few questions.

[Jason P]

Hello everyone, I have been lurking on these forums for about a week. Thanks to everyone for all of the valuable information. I have learned a lot so far, and just picked up my first 4 domains. I am just a beginner but I really like the concept of flipping, and I have a few questions that I'm hoping that can be answered.

I have been reading a lot about selling through websites such as Flippa and GoDaddy, etc., but I haven't seen much information about brokers. What are the pros and cons of a domain broker? I assume it will cost me more money, but can I expect to sell my domains quicker and at a better price through a broker?

Also, I am wondering about the value of these domains I have picked up, and which ones will be worth my time to try and establish the sites first, and which ones to try and flip quickly. I am willing to go the long route to establish a site and sell it, but who doesn't like the idea of making a quick buck? Anyway, here are the domains I've picked up:

MileagePoints.com
SearchMetrics.net
east-london.com
bestburgerrecipes.com

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[nicedomains]

Thanks for the tips, can you elaborate on this first point or possibly provide a link where I can get more information?

Godaddy has expired auctions you can browse thru..also list domains for sale on. You can sign up for the auctions account for $5/yr.

Namejet and snapnames are two of the larger drop catching websites that hold expired domain auctions as well.

 

[ommedu]

Domain flipping is certainly a fun hobby for anyone welcome to the business. bestburgerrecipes.com is solid domain, without even looking into it I could guess that keyword receives a lot of searches

 

[DomainGist]

Searchmetrics.net

I would be doing the following:

1) Making sure the term 'search metrics' isn't trademarked.
2) If it isn't, I'd be selling that domain to the business which currently occupies searchmetrics.com, who may interested in protecting their brand.

 

[DomainGist]

I don't know how I'd attempt to sell the other three, but I can tell you that they aren't good enough for a broker.

 

[Grilled]

SearchMetrics.net - Don't think about selling this domain to SearchMetrics.com are trademark owners in reference to these keywords in the seo sector.

Pug, I had already looked up the trademark situation for searchmetrics.net.

Is there anything he can do now besides a grace delete? This sounds shady, but I ready articles about brands willing to pay small amounts to avoid the time and effort of a law suit. Is there anything he can do, or is the best bet besides a grace delete to offer it to searchmetrics.com hoping they reward you for the good deed?

 

[DomainGist]

Not really clued up on trademarks, but I do know that the worst thing he could do is try and sell it to them.

Possibly joint first would be to publish anything SEO related on the site.

Kinda makes the domain redundant, because SEO is clearly the only suitable niche.

I wouldn't even attempt to give it them for free, even that could cause trouble, so I'd probably grace delete.

Shame because that's by far the nicest domain of the four!

 

[Jason P]

hmmm... I didn't realize the name was trademarked. So even though I now own the domain they have the right to take it from me? That doesn't seem right. Hypothetically, if I owned ESPN.com wouldn't ESPN have to buy the url from me?

 

[forge]

Hypothetically, if I owned ESPN.com wouldn't ESPN have to buy the url from me?

Bad hypothetical. And the short answer is "No".

 

[DomainGist]

I'd recommend that you do some research into domain trademark issues and past cases prior to buying any more domains. In fact just a couple of weeks ago there was a thread on here by somebody getting sued for a trademark infringement.

Not only would they not have to pay you for the domain, but you could end up having to pay them for the privilege of having owned it, as well as your legal team, when they sue you.

Tred carefully. It takes a minute or two to find out if a trademark exists for a domain, often it is as simple as visiting the .com version and seeing the word trademark at the bottom of the page.

 

[Jason P]

Hehe fair enough, okay so I will do some reading on the topic. It seems I may have picked up more than one domain that is trademarked already. Thanks for the tips, I picked up a few more yesterday so lets hope all the good ones aren't trademarked.

 

[forge]

An existing trademark shouldn't prevent you from registering a domain. You shouldn't have problems with searchmetrics.net, just be careful about ads if you park it.

By the way, just starting out I don't think brokers should even be part of the equation.

 

[DomainGist]

An existing trademark shouldn't prevent you from registering a domain. You shouldn't have problems with searchmetrics.net, just be careful about ads if you park it.

Problem is that that he can't solicit any offers from the owner of the .com, and any SEO/search related content at all on the site would be considered a breach of trademark, even an SEO ad.

So whilst he could lawfully possess the name. what's the point? Who is going to buy it if it can't be used for an SEO/search related site?

I suppose one option would be to try and flip it to an inexperienced domainer, but a bit unethical to knowingly pass the problem on isn't it?

Grace delete is the only sensible & ethical option.

 

[forge]

Wrong and wrong again. How do you then explain multiple existing trademarks for the same term?

Besides, "search metrics" is a generic term. Again, it's all about usage.

 

[DomainGist]

Wrong and wrong again. How do you then explain multiple existing trademarks for the same term?

What does the words "trade metrics" have to do with anything on this thread? Only one of those words is in the domain in question.

You would register this domain then would you? What would you do with it?

 

[forge]

I corrected my error, see above.

No, I likely would not register it, but not for any of the reasons you've presented.

 

[DomainGist]

Wrong and wrong again. How do you then explain multiple existing trademarks for the same term?

Again, it's all about usage.

Sorry but what are you saying here that I haven't? I said that the domain can't be used as an SEO related site, and it can't..... if you think otherwise then offer to buy the domain from the OP and stick an SEO site on it.

"It is possible to have multiple owners for similar trademarks as long as 1) the goods and services are not related, 2) there is no consumer confusion as to the source of the goods and services, and 3) there is no dilution of a strong mark"

Let's say that three people own the trademark Bob's.

Bob's the bakery
Bob's plastering
Bob's estate agents

You open a bakery named Bob's then you are infringing on the trademark of Bob's the bakery.

How am I in the slightest bit wrong about the fact that the domain searchmetrics.net cannot be used by an SEO or search marketing service and therefore has little to no value, seeing as the term 'search metrics' isn't going to be useful for any other purpose?

 

[forge]

Frankly, your argument that the domain can't be used in any way pertaining to SEO is bullshit. But I'm not professing to be any authority on TM law, far from it, so I will exit this discussion.

 

[Grilled]

@forge You might have had an argument that search metrics could be used for baseball stats or something obscene like that. I'm no TM expert either, but it seems to me the following coverage of their TM locks down any and all seo services.


Goods and ServicesIC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Promoting the goods and services of others through search engine referral traffic analysis and reporting; business monitoring services, namely, tracking web sites of others to provide details about user click traffic or visits to the web site

IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Computer services, namely, providing a web-based system for search engine optimization; consultation services in the field of search engine optimization; software as a service (SAAS) services featuring programs for use in the analysis of search engines and Internet web sites

 

[forge]

I think it all boils down to how aggressively the TM holder wants to defend their mark. Again, my point is that it's two generic words. That fact makes it less simple for the TM holder IMO. The USPTO even has specific advisories/warnings pertaining to generic word marks.

I'm willing to concede from a domaining standpoint that keeping the .net probably isn't worth the cost.

 

[DomainGist]

Again, my point is that it's two generic words.

How many generic words is 'Apple'?