Domain Empire

Sedo refusing my olympics related domains for "German trademark"

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I was trying to list theolympics.cn and summerolympics.cn, which I recently got in hopes that by 2008 with the olympics in China that these domains would have some use. Sedo automatically catches anything with "olympic" in it and says "Inserting this domain violates German trademark law. Because of that, we cannot accept this domain name at the moment."
Strange.
 
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It is not strange at all. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is one of the most protective organisations regarding trademarks. If Sedo listed such domains the IOC would have Sedo's balls for dinner.

In the period around the Olympics in Australia, the only non-official Olympic company who were allowed to use anything to do with the word "Olympic" were Olympic Tyres, a company who started business decades ago.

In my opinion, you should try and get rid of the above two domain names ASAP so the IOC don't come after you.
 
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Yep, you're in trouble. Try to get rid of the names. Didn't know SEDO detects some TMs automatically. Any other fellow NPrs have such experience - is it just IOC or other TMs, too?
 
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I have parked TM's on Sedo in the past with no problem.. but the Olympic ones are no surprise to me, just that Sedo redflagged them.


lind said:
Yep, you're in trouble. Try to get rid of the names. Didn't know SEDO detects some TMs automatically. Any other fellow NPrs have such experience - is it just IOC or other TMs, too?
 
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taheny said:
In my opinion, you should try and get rid of the above two domain names ASAP so the IOC don't come after you.

I doubt that, much cheaper to file a WIPO dispute and have the name turned over to them.

If the IOC are so protective of anything "olympic", why haven't they lobbied ICAAN to have the name removed from every domain database? What about common terms such as "olympic dream", how would you replace the word "olympic" in a phrase like that?
 
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phptech said:
What about common terms such as "olympic dream", how would you replace the word "olympic" in a phrase like that?

Please provide examples of people or businesses using "Olympic" words or phrases to obtain a commercial advantage and getting away with it, not including official sponsors and others with contracts with the IOC.
 
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I think trademarks in a domain can be a lot of hooey at times, but if the registrant doesn't actively protect their TM, it runs the risk of dilution, and thereby becomes worthless... case in point, items like Kleenex or Coke.

Many go into a restaurant and say they'd like a "coke" when any cola beverage might do as well... the term has suffered dilution and has become synomonous (sp) with any cola beverage (much to the dismay of Pepsi, I'm sure).

phptech said:
I doubt that, much cheaper to file a WIPO dispute and have the name turned over to them.

If the IOC are so protective of anything "olympic", why haven't they lobbied ICAAN to have the name removed from every domain database? What about common terms such as "olympic dream", how would you replace the word "olympic" in a phrase like that?
 
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taheny said:
Please provide examples of people or businesses using "Olympic" words or phrases to obtain a commercial advantage and getting away with it, not including official sponsors and others with contracts with the IOC.

Typed this in after reading your post, plenty of PPC potential there and it was reged in 2003. My apologies to the owner.

http://www.olympicstar.com
 
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phptech said:
Typed this in after reading your post, plenty of PPC potential there and it was reged in 2003. My apologies to the owner.

http://www.olympicstar.com

I'm sure the IOC would be interested if they discovered that website.

What is very difficult to argue is that theolympics.cn and summerolympics.cn are not trying to cash in on the Olympic name. That is the problem.
 
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lind said:
Yep, you're in trouble. Try to get rid of the names. Didn't know SEDO detects some TMs automatically. Any other fellow NPrs have such experience - is it just IOC or other TMs, too?


well sedo did the same with 2006olimpics.info , that i've registered for the winter
olimpics in torino italy....
:lala:
 
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I doubt that, much cheaper to file a WIPO dispute and have the name turned over to them.

The misinformation that passes for fact or informed opinion around this neck of the woods is pretty astounding.

First off, in the US, terms including or associated with the Olympics have their own statutory protection apart from trademark law. It's one thing to have a trademark, it's quite another to have your own law. Google "Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act".

San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Comm., 483 U.S. 522, 531-2 (1987), "The protection granted to the USOC's use of the Olympic words and symbols differs from the normal trademark protection in two respects: the USOC need not prove that a contested use is likely to cause confusion, and an unauthorized user of the word does not have available the normal statutory defenses."

There are some exceptions for uses established prior to the law (e.g. Olympic Paints is a fairly well known brand), and for uses within fifty miles of Olympia, Washington. Otherwise, the protection is broad and frequently enforced.

The largest domain lawsuit in the country was filed by the USOC against 1800 domain names:

http://www.sgbdc.com/in rem complaint.txt

They keep that action alive, and amend it from time to time in order to add more names in a rolling process. When you get their c&d, they point you at this page:

http://www.sgbdc.com/settlementprocedures.htm

so that you can hand over the name and get out of the suit.

It is much cheaper and more efficient than filing a zillion UDRP's.
 
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Sedo's algorithm includes "Olympia", which happens to be the first name of an actress we all know.
 
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Hello Brackis,

I reg'd OlympicCoverage.com before the summer games 2004. I was sure I had nailed a $xx,xxx DN. That Sedo wouldn't accept it was my first hint there might be a problem. Sorry for you to have to feel the same letdown I did, but "The Comm" has never lost to my knowledge.
There was a guy in Vancouver,BC that reg'd Vancouver2010.com and I think they took it even without the word "Olympic". Thats power.

Good Luck with your future reg's. :tu:

Peace,kp
 
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Moral of the story: don't register domains of famous marks.
 
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brackis said:
I was trying to list theolympics.cn and summerolympics.cn, which I recently got in hopes that by 2008 with the olympics in China that these domains would have some use. Sedo automatically catches anything with "olympic" in it and says "Inserting this domain violates German trademark law. Because of that, we cannot accept this domain name at the moment."
Strange.

I can only hazard a guess why: Sedo's learning from previous experience.

What that is, only Sedo knows...unless someone can do a little digging.
 
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I had almost the same problems with Sedo earlier.
 
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auction them off for np... :)
 
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