There are always questions when it comes to legitimately using other company’s trademarks and brand names in domain names. Companies don’t like it when unrelated entities own domain names with their marks, and they often resort to UDRP filings or litigation. It’s generally pretty expensive to defend and can cause far greater legal problems.
One website that seems to be doing just fine is PeopleOfWalmart.com. The site has drawn millions of visitors since it launched in 2009, and it receives a ton of submissions. There have been questions of privacy issues, but it seems that Wal-mart has left the site alone for the most part. In fact, they filed a UDRP for a typo of the domain name, PeapleOfWalmart.com, which the company won.
In any case, it appears that Wal-mart has left the site alone, and in filing a UDRP for the typo, it probably tacitly implies that they don’t think they can do much about the real website. In any case, this seems to be an example of a website where a trademark is being used without trouble. Incidentally, the folks at Break.com released a People of Walmart video, which you may enjoy if that’s your kind of humor.
People Of Walmart Song – Watch more Funny Videos
It really highlights the difference in attitude from corporate America between fan sites and what domainers do. Even though the People of Walmart site is often uncomplimentary, it solidly fits into the category of fan site. And, even corporations which are rabid about their brand like Apple, will rarely take action against a legitimate fan site. I don’t know if the lesson for domainers is to build a fan site on all of their domains which contains trademarks, or just don’t register them in the first place.
“I don’t know if the lesson for domainers is to build a fan site on all of their domains which contains trademarks, or just don’t register them in the first place”
I would say this is the exception, definately not the rule. The Lego Group doesn’t care if you are a fan site or not, all are equally guilty in their eyes if the word “lego” is used anywhere on the domain or even on the site.
Awwwwww … shucks!
Why; it ain’t just a goll-darn wall-mart, it’s a dab gome adventure!
My wife an’ me met there … an’ 9 of our 13 kids were born there, too!
We’s even named two of our kids “wall-mart!”
One a boy, da’ other a girl (u know; jus’ ta’ even tings out best we know how!)!
Come on down!
@Domain-e, it’s not really that hard to find lego fan sites with terms that The LEGO Group has trademarked.
thelegodad.com
doyoulego.com
legoaces.org
That’s just with two minutes of googling for just the term lego.
Just because companies may be rabid about protecting their trademark when domainers register trademark domains doesn’t mean that they don’t have some level of tolerance toward fan sites.