Words of wisdom to "Domain Newbies"

[FathomJH]

When registering domains, whether for resale or development, please remember these words of caution:

Stay away from TM'd names. They may seem worth it to purchase because of potential traffic or interest in the domain, but they are usually more trouble than they are worth. There are some companies that don't mind you having their name within your domain name due to the positive marketing it gives them. However, these companies are few and far between.

In the appraisal section there are numerous posts about domains that have a TM'd term in them. That's a no-no :notme:

 

[cobainer]

Completely agree with FathomJH....its best to stay away from TM's even though they might be enticing enough....

another imp. suggestion would be to not rush into domain registrations at once....analyze the name, its recall value, the extension that you opt for, the kinda profit margins that you get out of it, keyword searches...there are a lot of other aspects to consider before jumping in to register domains...

beware!! all that glitters is not gold...

 

[FathomJH]

...suggestion would be to not rush into domain registrations at once...

:bingo:

 

[GF]

My recommendation on finding great domains to register is to check out the Available Domain Names sub-forum that we have here on NamePros.

Helpful people post all kinds of domains that are available at the time of posting... There are some great gems there! :tu:

-Galel

 

[-DA-]

thanks for nice post.

 

[cleene]

thanks for nice post...looking forward learning the ropes of domain registration and parking

 

[Mit]

I have a question: I registered a domain in haste and then realized it has a TM'd word in it. I chalked it up to making a mistake, and don't intend to sell or develop the domain, but should I be concerned about even owning it?

If my registrar has a grace period I think it's over now, so I can't get a refund. Just wanted to know if it's ok to hold on to the registration and then let it expire.

Thanks!

 

[FathomJH]

I am not a legal expert; however, I suggest not approaching the said company as this will allow them to know you have the domain. If they ever approach you about handing them the domain, you can just "give" it to them and you should have no problems. That's just my opinion as others probably have some suggestions as well.

 

[Mit]

I am not a legal expert; however, I suggest not approaching the said company as this will allow them to know you have the domain. If they ever approach you about handing them the domain, you can just "give" it to them and you should have no problems. That's just my opinion as others probably have some suggestions as well.

Thanks for the quick response. I wasn't planning on approaching anyone about it, so I should be fine, then?

 

[FathomJH]

You should be okay. If all else fails, most registrars let you delete the name. Of course you would take the loss in registration fees, but you wouldn't have to worry about the TM issue.

 

[DubDubDubDot]

It depends on how the name is being used and the climate of the industry the trademark belongs to. Even when the TM owner tries to take a domain, they don't always get their way...

Volvo domain name owner did not break rules, says WIPO
OUT-LAW News, 24/02/2009
A spare parts seller has won the right to hold on to the domain name volvospares.com after car maker Volvo lost its attempt to gain control of the name. The owner of volvospares.com was found to have legitimate interests in the name.

http://www.out-law.com/page-9823

 

[cobainer]

I have a question: I registered a domain in haste and then realized it has a TM'd word in it

Exactly my point above...anyways, try not to rush into domain registrations next time onwards...