Daily Poll: Have You Ever Had a Domain Name Legal Threat?

I think there are many people who unknowingly registered trademark related domain names. Some of these domain names may be egregious while others were registered and an obscure or unknown company claims to have a right to the domain name.

Domain name owners receive all kinds of legal threats. From simple email exchanges to cease and desist notices, from UDRP filings to Lanham Act lawsuits, the types of threats run the gamut. I would imagine there are many domain investors, perhaps even the majority of investors, have received some sort of legal threat.

For today’s poll, I am asking readers if they have ever received a legal threat related to their domain name:


Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

6 COMMENTS

  1. Threats don’t need to have a legal standing in order to be made. Scare tactics are often being used in an attempt to intimidate domain owners with domains that aren’t infringing on a mark.

    • “Scare tactics are often being used in an attempt to intimidate domain owners with domains that aren’t infringing on a mark.”

      Exactly!

  2. I have said this before, having a business email address and phone number lowers the amount of threats and scare tactics. Filters out out the noise.
    It makes them think twice too.

    My NameSelling.com email address and phone number are proof of this. I had less people trying to mess with me after I switched to a business email address and phone number.
    You receive more spam though.
    That’s the trade-off I guess.

  3. I would speculate that everyone who have some decent domains have been threatened, justified or not.

    The amusing ones are the new companies that have the same name as one of my domains I have owned for 10-15 yrs.

    It is basically the same as, asking a retailer have you ever had a shoplifter?
    It is part of the business.

    Fortunately, I have not had any formal actions (udrp, fed court) against me in 15 yrs. (knock on wood)

  4. Don’t forget the trademark issuer doesn’t educate the trademark aplplicant and holder enough. Most trademarked holders automatically ass..usume, that they owned all words that are similar, sounds alike, look like , two words, single word, three words; this is including the acronyms. and soon….

    They pay for one trademarked, but wanted to own the world encyclopedia and the library of congress…

    Plain domain names are parked or just sit there; there is zero products in and out of the building. So where is the physical mark or products infringement? There is zero active used of the name in questioned…

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Posts

Samba.com Now Forwarding to Samba.tv

3
Three weeks ago, Samba.com sold for $143,000 in a NameJet expiry auction. Samba.com is an exceptional domain name, and there are many branded companies...

A Good Afternic Broker Negotiation (Updated)

9
If you use Afternic and its landing pages for your domain names, chances are good that you have a Lead Center filled with leads...

Videos: GoDaddy 2025 Super Bowl Commercial

0
GoDaddy issued a press release this morning revealing its 2025 Super Bowl commercials. As expected, the focus of these two commercials is on GoDaddy...

Big Changes for .AI Expiry Auctions

3
Namecheap CEO Richard Kirkendall has shared many .AI domain name sales over the last year or so. NameBio lists more than 1,000 .AI domain...

ICA Meeting Keeps Getting Better

1
I went to the ICA meeting in Las Vegas last week. I don't particularly enjoy leaving my family when they have many different activities...