Registering someone's name, is it ok?

[mattste]

Hi all,


I hope this is the right section to post my question in.

I have found an available .com domain which I'm interested in. The problem, if there is one, is that this name is someone's personal name, specifically, name and last name of a prominent Italian individual.

Would this be an issue? Do I run any risks in registering someone's name? How could I go about finding out what risks, if any, there are?

Once I have it, I'd develop it into a sort of info and bio site about this person, and wait and see if he might be interested in buying it off me.


Thanks all.


Bye,


Matt

 

[enlytend]

Do I run any risks in registering someone's name?

Yes.

If it's a purely non-profit fan site (and by that I mean you don't try to sell it and you don't earn or accept so much as a cent for running it) you may be OK. You profit from their name and you're cybersquatting - they won't have to buy it from you, their lawyers can take it away.

Stay away from the names of companies, product brand names and famous people.

 

[hyposave]

they could sue you especially if you don't hide your registration details via a private registrar

 

[tristanperry]

they could sue you especially if you don't hide your registration details via a private registrar

It shouldn't be registered full-stop to be honest. Registering and then hiding the details will just make matters worse since they'd need to obtain a court order to contact you (which wouldn't exactly make them happy)

 

[fooz]

I have a similar situation. What if it's not a person's name but the name of a popular band? For example, I have a domain that includes the name of a band and the name of a song.

Example: www.BandSong.com

Is there a risk to trying to monetize/sell this domain?

 

[SeanPreston]

You need to be very carefull. For example look at Michael Jackson, when he died many registered his name, however they soon realised if you were to make a lot of money from his death the family could sue you for the money + damages.

so be carefull

 

[Reason]

Do the right thing and leave exact matches of other people's names alone. Squatting on them is nasty, as well as certainly doomed if they're famous/rich.

 

[YoNames]

Be careful. Think each domain through carefully, and defo avoid it if the domain is already a trademark. Check out the US trademark office United States Patent and Trademark Office Home Page to research.

If you manage to get a domain of someone/something trademarked people will come down on you hard with no mercy. That's if you're lucky.

 

[BizBot]

UDRP does not specifically protect personal names. Only if a personal name has been trade marked or used in commerce.

 

[enlytend]

The Anti Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act does:

Any person who registers a domain name that consists of the name of another living person, or a name substantially and confusingly similar thereto, without that person's consent, with the specific intent to profit from such name by selling the domain name for financial gain to that person or any third party, shall be liable in a civil action by such person.

As rad2 said: Do the right thing, don't reg someone elses name for profit.

 

[thewebhostingdir]

I have found some great answers about the OP questions but I must say somehow it depends on your luck. If you create such site and dont get sued then you will be the king for sure. So in short make sure to deal with such domains.

 

[Dhaval]

I agree with thewebhsotingdir. Until and unless someone sued you, you are good enough. But it is always risky to deal with such domain names.