I using the name of a celebrity in a domain illegal?

Can I use the name of a celebrity in a domain and not get it taken away from me if it gets popular?

 

I think that would be legal. Fair use. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure it's ok.

 

Like say vindieselshouse.com

 

You can use it, the chance of getting in trouble is zero.

 

Great,thanks guys!

 

Unless you count having your domain taken away from you as "trouble".

One such example is Pierce Brosnan v. Network Operations Center, which was a dispute over piercebrosnan.com :
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2003/d2003-0519.html


More examples:
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v10n4/motsnyi104.html

http://spicyipindia.blogspot.com/2008/07/rescuing-celebrity-domain-names.html

 

I dont plan on naming a site after a celebrity....but using a celebs name like say

mileycyruswithstyle.com

Get it?

 

Yes to be 100% sure I would go to a lawyer, statistically speaking the odds are quite low in getting caught (trouble)>

 

Pay a lawyer for registering a domain? A lawyer lives on my road but I don't want to ask him if using some celebs name is illegal when it comes to a domain. He won enough money in one case to pay for a nice house and land on our road.

 

Yes you can use.
But don't use it for do illegal thing such as use it to talk bad about the artist etc

 

It depends what you're using it for, if it's a fan site then I think the celeb will welcome it. If it's used for shady purposes like porn etc, then they'll prob take action.

 

Heh, not really. You can find a few lawyers who specialize in domain disputes
to answer a thing or two, though I blogged about a couple.

Whether the celebrity domain name-sake will get taken or not indeed depends
on how you intend to use it. If you put any hints of commercial use, including
ads, that can boost the likelihood of that happening.

OTOH, it also depends on what kind of celebrity we're talking here, especially
if they're making money using their own name. If the one in question is indeed
doing that, though, then no statistics on earth is going to stop that celebrity
from disputing the domain name-sake.

Then again, Intellectual Property (IP) isn't the only issue to be concerned on.
There's also what's called "right of publicity", and there's a host of other legal
matters like what MobileFun4U suggested.

This isn't meant as "legal" advice, but rather some things to consider on what
you're planning to do. And no, having a disclaimer isn't a magic shield, either,
in case someone sees fit to say that'll like prevent you from having trouble.

 

It's ok, but is depending on which purpose you are used those persons.
Furthermore you are not mentioned they are names or photos...
What I am suggesting don't go for this type of things.

 

What if I was using the celeb name in a money making blog? Or what if its for advice?

What about say:
Oprahwithcommonsense.com
For a person who thinks they know more than oprah on things?

 

your shouldn't have any problems. The names of public figures falls under public domain.

 

If you are taking in money (running adsense, taking donations, membership fee, etc) you are operating a commercial website and using a celebrities name, as the domain name, opens the door for a lawsuit. Some celebrities don't care, others do. The guy who owned madonna.com spent over a million dollars trying to keep the domain, but lost, and it was turned over to the singer, who now owns the domain. There is a difference between a pure fan site and a site that is commercial. Unless you get permission, there is always going to be a chance you can lose the domain or be forced to spend vast sums of money in legal fees to keep it.

 

But I am not using THEIR NAME as the domain. I am using it in the domain.
What if I used Drphilshouse.com ?

 

Using a trademark in a domain name can still be infringement. Dr. Phil is a registered trademark and adding words in a domain name does not get around infringement. The example you gave would certainly be infringement if he decided to pursue it.