Reverse domain hijacking?

[weblaunch]

Hi All,

I have just been contacted by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, an SP-500 company with 54,000 employees and a market cap of $38 billion, regarding my domain name www.getmetonthenet.com. They claimed that I registered a name that infringes upon their family of trademarks, which include "MetLife" and "Get Met, It Pays."

I registered getmetonthenet.com with the intention of developing a dating site. The phrase "get met" in the name is selected for its everyday generic usage, not to cause confusion with MetLife's trademarks in any way. I thought "get met on the net" made for a catchy and memorable domain name for a dating site. While I knew of MetLife, it never occurred to me that the name might infringe on the company's trademark in any way when I registered it. In fact, I registered getmetonthenet.com on 5/27/05, just a day after I registered www.qualitysingles.net and www.amatchmadeonline.com, all intended for possible future developments of dating sites.

I have not been able to develop any of these sites because of other projects. As soon as I received the letter from MetLife, however, I quickly put up an affiliate dating site on GetMetOnTheNet.com to avoid any future confusions about what the name was intended for. The name was formerly parked at Godaddy.com.

I feel that I have not violated MetLife's trademarks in any way by registering www.getmetonthenet.com. I did it in good faith with the intention of developing a dating site, not to profit from the company's trademarks.

However, I have very little resources to contest the cybersquatting claim brought against me by MetLife. I feel that MetLife is attempting to use its vast resources to intimidate me into surrendering a legitimately registered domain name to them. You'd think that a $38-billion company that supposedly cares about people's well being would not resort to this sort of tactic!

I informed MetLife that they do not have a case against me and requested that they drop their demand that I hand over getmetonthenet.com to them without compensation. While I lack the resources to fight them in the court of law, I believe that I can prevail easily in the court of public opinion.

I am prepared to go all-out in a public relations campaign to challenge MetLife's scare tactics. I believe I am not alone in this battle. I am just the latest victim of a big corporation's attempt to use its resources to intimidate the "little guy" into giving up their legitimately registered domain name.

I am awaiting a response from MetLife. It will be interesting whether they choose to escalate this matter or attempt to settle it amicably. The ball is in their court.

 

[namanimal]

I wish you luck in this, actually I hope you screw them into oblivion and make them pay 1 billion dollars for it!!!

 

[weblaunch]

Thanks for your support. Actually, I was going to let the name expire in a few months since I did not think I would have time to develop the site. Now that I've spent an entire day setting up an affiliate dating site on the domain and poring over online documents about similar cases, I don't think I can let www.getmetonthenet.com go so easily.

You'd think that a company as large as MetLife, and one attempting to project a favorable public image, would have the legal resources, if not the wisdom, to realize that they have no case in this matter. Instead, they resorted to scare tactics in an attempt to force me to give up my legitimately acquired domain name. I don't care how big they are. They've picked on the wrong "little guy." This is not a battle they can win because the facts simply are not on their side.

 

[JMJ]

While I do believe you could win such a case here's how I read your post.

You registered the name for a dating site.
You decide you don't have time so you planned to let the name expire.
You receive a C&D from MetLife
After which you find the time to develop and put up a fight?

Don't get me wrong I can't stand corporate bullying but if you already had plans to let the name expire why not just do that?

 

[holeinone]

Don't get me wrong I can't stand corporate bullying but if you already had plans to let the name expire why not just do that?

Yes, That sounds like a sensible thing to do. Why get your hands dirty on garbage that you were gonna throw. Let the Mongrels take it.

 

[weblaunch]

Yes, That sounds like a sensible thing to do. Why get your hands dirty on garbage that you were gonna throw. Let the Mongrels take it.

They didn't have to bully. They could have simply offered to buy it from me. If people like you and me do not stand up to corporate bullying, it will be very difficult for the "little guy" to register legitimate domain names containing generic words and phrases used in the company names or slogans of the big companies.

While I do believe you could win such a case here's how I read your post.

You registered the name for a dating site.
You decide you don't have time so you planned to let the name expire.
You receive a C&D from MetLife
After which you find the time to develop and put up a fight?

Don't get me wrong I can't stand corporate bullying but if you already had plans to let the name expire why not just do that?

The domain expires in May. MetLife gives me 2 weeks to respond to their demands. What am I to do? Inform them of my intention to let the name expire in May and hope they would trust me to follow through? What if they do not trust me and instead insist that I transfer the name immediately?

I developed the site to clear any confusion about my intentions for getmetonthenet.com. Even though I did not have to do this, I did it as a goodwill gesture to them. I hope that they will drop the matter now that they know of my intentions for the domain.

Now that I've spent some time on the site, the name is worth keeping.

Is this a reasonable explanation? (I certainly hope so if I am to win the public opinion battle.)

Anyway, I think I should stop discussing this matter on this forum until I talk to an attorney.

 

[Dave_Z]

Anyway, I think I should stop discussing this matter on this forum until I talk to an attorney.

Good idea, actually. Too bad that wasn't thought of before replying to them.

Good luck. But be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

 

[gazzip]

Sounds like they are just pushing their luck to me - their mark is
" GET MET. IT PAYS "

http://www.barrypopik.com/article/864/get-met-it-pays-metropolitan-life

Its NOT "get met" or "met" or "met on the net" or "it pays" ???

"MET" is also the TM of someone else.

"gulf air" is a TM of the airlines - but gulfair.com sells air fresheners !!!!

While I do not understand the complex world of Trade marks I still think they are talking bollocks and would be unlikely to get it as the claim is too far fetched.

Good luck - they probably won't even reply. Met Life - "get a life" I say

 

[fonzie_007]

Unless you are diluting their TM, I am not sure why they feel so strongly about making you give up your domain. It doesn't hurt to consult with a lawyer. Normally the consultation is free. If you can't afford a lawyer, maybe the users of NP can pool resources to help you get info on how to fight this thing.

Word of advice, do not post anything else about your case on this thread that could be used against you in court.

 

[smub]

yes fronzie is right ... anything you say can and will be used against you in the court -- Miranda rights

wish you best of luck

 

[mole]

Did your previous Godaddy parking page contain PPC? If it did, maybe that was the real source of your problem.

You need to be very careful about what kind of PPC links your name carries today, its becoming instant justification for a C&D today i.e. you, or the company's competitors, are benefiting financially from the use of the name.

Also your domain carries 'Get Met', that probably triggered the TM spiders off.

I can empathise that this has become a personal thing, and whatever you do to defend your rights will benefit all of us, but sometimes its better to lose the battle to win the war.

 

[fonzie_007]

Weblaunch, please PM me with any updates. I may be able to help you with a little bit of research on the subject...

 

[weblaunch]

Thanks to everyone for your responses and support. I am happy to report that this matter has been resolved.

As mole suggested, the problem stemmed from the godaddy parking page's showing of ads contextually targeted to certain words and phrases in the domain name. I was not aware of this. I now believe MetLife had a legitimate concern. They have backed away from their demands now that www.getmetonthenet.com points to an actual dating site.

 

[fonzie_007]

Glad to hear that things were resolved amicably.

 

[gazzip]

Cool - That's good news