Hello everybody! Here is my question: domain names that contain celebrity names, how risky are they? Like if I want to open a fan site dedicated to Celebrity #1, list photos, quotes, and a lot of different stuff (no paparazzi materials, no private life matters). Is it ok in that case if I register the domain name with their name in it? P.S. It will look like a fan-club probably
It depends on the actual domain name and whether the name is highly distinguishable as a famous mark. An actress that has only appeared in one B-movie is less likely to be able to make a claim than say Julia Roberts. As far as the domain itself, if the domain is only the actor's name (or otherwise would lead people to believe the site was associated with the celeb, like celebOfficialSite.com) then they will have a better chance of winning the domain. If the domain name makes it clear that the site is not affiliated (such as celebfansite.com) then it will benefit your case. That is assuming they file a domain dispute. Celebs often win these complaints, but they also lose them frequently as well.
Good info! Thanks. I remember when Sting (ie The Police/musician) tried to get the sting.com domain, but a gamer in Australia had it since the early 90's. The gamer won!! Later though, I think the Sting musician finally offered enough money for it and bought him out.
Generally if the domain name's site contains hints of commercial use, it's likely going to spell trouble. Julia Roberts won because the namesake showed such, while Bruce Springsteen lost because "his" didn't. Of course, one question is what exactly the celebrity is known for. Personally, I summarize this sort of thing in two words: tolerance varies.