Hey everybody. I'm a little unsure about the whole domain legalities so i turn to the experts here. Please forgive my ignorance on this topic as i know the rules have changed - but i just don't know exactly how. ... what is the actual trademark ruling on domain names and more importantly, domain names that are misspelled? With the news of the new Google Nexus One smart phone just released, i scrambled to godaddy to see what i could find.... now i don't know if it's 'cause most people know better than i about TM domains and never even attempted to search for these (very, very possible), or the fact that the name and the phone are still so new, that i may have been able to actually get a head start and scoop up a few killer domain names.... so here's what i was able to grab Domain Names in question: • www. Google Nexis .com • www. Google Nexis One .com • www. The Google Nexis One .com • www. The Nexis One .com • www. Buy Google Nexis .com • www. Google Nexus Forum .com • www. Buy The Google Nexus One .com • www. Buy Google Nexus .net • www. Buy Google Nexus .org and my questions.. (!) - which of these names that i just purchased can/will give me legal troubles and why? (2) - if these pose troubles with legalities, why was i able to buy them in the first place? (... and honestly, why didn't Google themselves buy these names? - how could that be?) (3) - what value do these names possibly have to me now, if any? Thanks to everybody who answers me. Enjoy
I'm not a lawyer, but the fact you've bought these with the sole intention of trying to get value out of them in a cyber-squatting sense, Google might be able to smack you about in regards to legalities. And Google themselves didn't buy these names, because in my opinion, they're not particularly attractive ones.
Google could potentially go after you for both the "Google" trademark and the "Nexus One" pending trademark. If they did or not is up them - but you would lose the domains if they did. Microsoft does not go after Excel websites with Excel in the name - but does go after websites with Microsoft in the name. IANAL.
I wholeheartedly disagree with that Nexus / NexIs Nexus / Nexis is misspelled OFTEN... PLUS the 'I' and the 'U' are right next to each other on the keyboard... i've already got, on average about 10 hits a day just by having the name and Google only JUST released this news... plus look around on the web ..type in google nexus, and see how many misspellings of that word already exist as NEXIS (with the 'i').... you'd be surprised, but most people often are surprised at the value in a misspelled domain name. ... you couldn't have a better name than these unless it was the actual real thing... i just thought it was common practice to scoop up the common misspellings of a domain name, such as this. And how does anybody explain these - these are all completed ebay listings form the past week: • www.GoogleNexusOneUnlocked.com - SOLD - $250 • www.Nexus-Ones.com - SOLD $529 • www.Buy-Nexus1.com - SOLD $579 ... i haven't even begun to look at Sedo or godaddy .. or any other domain auction houses. My "Google Nexus Forum.com" should be able to get me at least the same amount as the unlocked.com from above. I just want to understand the rules a bit better... what IS allowed and what isn't.... also .. if these aren't allowed, that would be fine .. am i able to get my money back? .. and if not - WHY NOT?.....know what i mean Anyway, Thanks for replying
TM typos not allowed because u know u are infringing the TM Typos of generic names are ok but still risky some times
well, i guess no need to worry ... i got rid of them. ... but not like you might think i gave them back to goDaddy... i explained the TM situation and they took them back without a problem... godaddy support has always been pretty good to me... needless to say i was pretty happy about that. i really am still unsure of the legalities on the tm domains (and misspelled tm domains)... where does it start and where does it end?.... 'google nexis' by itself is no good, but 'google nexus ratings' is ok? .... 'google nexus repair' is fine? either way... it is what it is and it aint what it aint... right? ...thanks to all who chimed in
that's nice from godaddy this is a good method for people to get their money back if they register trademark/copyrighted names