Hi everyone, I made a website for a client for whom I chose a domain name: country-city-apartments.com The domain name was registered 2 months ago. Today I was googling randomly and I found a similar website registered in 2004: apartments-city-country.com (same city, same country). Is the domain name I chose subject to legal actions because it is similar to this other website? It does use the same words, but they are placed differently. Thank you in advance. Best regards, Andrei Marius Cristof
I very much doubt you'll have problems with this. The original domain was registered six years ago so if they had wanted the domain you chose they would have gotten that too. Also if you're has been registered two months, I'm sure they would have heard of you by now.
Thank you for your response. So it does not actually break any written rules - name hijacking, or whatever rule.
Ignore the advice by the above poster - the fact that another party could register a domain or that time has passed means nothing for a trademark infringement case. However, you domain name is descriptive and unlikely to cause any problems. I personally wouldn't worry about it.
I would check with a lawyer. You could ask the other site owner, but they are probably sure to say don't use it.
thank you for all the responses. A descriptive domain name is one that cannot be trademarked? Can one put a trademark on a domain: apartments-city-country.com? I'm thinking to avoid contacting the website owner since they will most certainly tell me to change the domain to avoid confusion. Do you guys know of any lawyer that can be consulted on such issue? Thank you.
From the little you have described you do not need a lawyer and as said the name is descriptive and unlikely to cause you any problems. There is no reason to contact the other domain owner, I would never do that.
country-city-apartments.com I would think these terms are not trade-marketable... Country City Apartments unless they were more specifc to an actual company... ie: Country Wide Morgt Blow Off Apartment Complex Organge City Water But country, city, and apartments are not trade mark names by standing alone. if they were, then no one would be able to use country, city, apartments in anything, just look how many countries, cities, and apartments are head of you