Trademarked names - what can you do with them?

[jgman1]

Hi All,

Is there anything you can do with a domain name that is a trademarked term? For instance, if you owned a domain with a celebrity's name, could you legally make a fan site or a news site about that individual? Or is pretty much every use relating to that celebrite off-limits?

Thanks!

 

[Kate]

Fan site: OK
But if you can't monetize it, there is no upside. You can run a fan site as a hobby but probably not as a business.

 

[jgman1]

Oh, so if I put up an automated news site that just pulls related articles from other sites that could be fine, but I wouldn't be able to put google ads on the site?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Mark White]

If I put a fan site up with no monetization, the trademark owner may file and take the domain. the chances of the trademark owner making an offer to buy are next to none, Some names are so diluted (very weak) it won't make a difference.

 

[wayne wooldridge]

Not worth the effort, unless making a fan-site is your thing. If you're lucky, you paid reg fee and realized your mistake in time and grace delete is still an option. Otherwise, you might as well just delete it and pretend it never happened....