Legal advice/ help please!

[DNhub]

Hello,

I have a website let's say lookatthecat.com which was designed to be very similar in design and function to the original site called lookatthedog.com.
Anyway yesterday I got contacted by lookathtedog.com telling me that I'm in violation US patents laws, etc and that I must shut the site in 2 days and give them the domain or they would proceed too take legal action.

I have two questions..

I have to admit that the design is indeed too similar... so my first question is if I would I be able to keep my site if I have it redesigned to something completely different in terms of design?

My second question is about the domain.. They want me to give them my domain. Do I have to do that? clearly the domains lookatthedog.com and lookatthecat.com are very different. Also the words all the words are generic, and the last word is an antonym of the original.

Thanks in advanced

 

[XJ]

Well, here are some questions for you:

Is the similarity in design accidental or intentional? Who was first? Do they have a trademark?

 

[MyNet-Tony]

Yeah, but it certainly isn't a patent issue and they certainly can't take the domain for copying a design.

 

[DNhub]

Well, here are some questions for you:

Is the similarity in design accidental or intentional? Who was first? Do they have a trademark?

Thanks for your feedback guys. Yeah very honestly I would say it was intensional. They were first also, and I dunno if they have a trademark.

 

[PowerUp]

Change your design.
There's no reason to give them the domain name, unless the name has trademark issues.

 

[DNhub]

Thanks for your replies, Yeah that's what I thought. I changed the design so I will see what happens. About the domain name I was also thinking the same, it is not the same saygoodbye.com than sayhello.com, I think they were trying to scare me.

 

[labrocca]

Not patent law but certainly they have enough evidence to get a lawyer and sue you for more than the value of just the domain.

Personally...I think you F'ed up and should give up the domain to them. I am sure you caused someone a great deal of stress by copying their design and idea.

 

[DNhub]

Not patent law but certainly they have enough evidence to get a lawyer and sue you for more than the value of just the domain.

Personally...I think you F'ed up and should give up the domain to them. I am sure you caused someone a great deal of stress by copying their design and idea.

Yeah, I think I'll be doing that. I wouldn't like someone copying my site if I was in their shoes. Also since the site is fairly new, I don't see reason to fight for it, I just simply start a new one.

Thanks for your input

 

[SimpleDomaining]

i would not like somebody would copy my site too, but i dont think somebody can take other my domain just because there is not only 3 letter difference, but also a subject is different. cats and dogs are completly diffeent subjects. It sounds like letsplaybaccara would want to take over, say, letsplaypoker.

 

[DNhub]

i would not like somebody would copy my site too, but i dont think somebody can take other my domain just because there is not only 3 letter difference, but also a subject is different. cats and dogs are completly diffeent subjects. It sounds like letsplaybaccara would want to take over, say, letsplaypoker.

Yeah that's true, but as the other guy said, they probably have evidence to sue me for more than the domain, so I think it's not worth the trouble.