Mafia Wars Exposed No Longer For Sale! Affiliates Please Read!

lol thats a bummer - should of asked permission first

also, you may want to remove the link from your signature just a heads up!

 

anyone could have sent that. i could send a email right now from if i wanted.

 

It's not odd that they would send an email at all.

After all "email" stands for "electronic mail" which means that it's a quicker and more reliable way of sending normal mail. This letter would have been sent in PDF format and will have the branding of the law firm all over it.

For everyone who's saying that it's not legit - belive me, getting an email from a lawyer is as legit as it comes. How do I know? Because it happened to me.

My money is on that he has made his site too much like the branding of Mafia Wars, so much so that Zynga have decided that his promotions have crossed the line between "innocent cheats guide" to "guide that looks official and could be confused with their brand".

I got stung a few years back for a site about Webkinz. I started using elements from the Webkinz site and eventually got a c&d letter saying that my site was being confused with theirs. I phoned the lawyer and sorted it out. It takes balls but just do it.

 

If you were making good money, I would get a lawyer, make the necessary changes, and keep ranking in the doe!!

 

i can buy your website
if u want just send me PM with details

 

copys of the trade marks
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4006:75fra1.2.1
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4006:75fra1.2.2

They trade marked the phrase.
If you use MafiaWarz <- note the z it is a way a round the issue.

Also any images of their setup or video you have taken has to be removed. Unless you get prior consent to use it. And consent normally would mean a watermark showing their link within the image and or video.


Your domain woudl be fine if purchased prior to
june 15th 2009 as they can not come after you for domain name infringing on the trade mark for something that was thought of before they trade marked it.

Furthermore also before the updated trade mark in July 1st 2009 when they updated the trade mark to include new material.


TJ

 

def follow up to make sure it was legit lawfirm. but anytime you use someone elses name in your product name you are going to eventually get a c+d

 

Just out of curiosity...

Isn't it fair use if you write a guide on how to use a product?

Let's say I drove a Honda or Toyota, and found some tricks on how to get better gas mileage.
And then I publish a ton of articles on a website on how I did it, plus I sold a book.

Would that be considered infringing?

On the contrary I haven't really seen your product so I don't know what lines it was crossing.

I suppose at the end of the day it's all gray area and it's all about who actually has the balls to go to court (and if it is even worth doing so)

 

Just offer them a portion of profit and keep it going.

 

I find it interesting that they have only come after you when there are around 5 or 6 other products the same. They are even selling better than yours is.

Shouldn't they be receiving the same thing and removing their products too?

 

Wasn't this site just for sale on Flippa? Is this the new owner that received the letter or old one?

 

I believe that was the other mafia wars site, the one with the highest gravity

 

if you make monetary benefit from someone's trademark then no it isn't fair use. It can all be argued though but is it really worth it. Will cost you more in legal fees then it is probably worth.

Been there.

 

Can we affliates sue Chris? for wasting our time and money? I have send 603 visitors to this site with just one sale!

 

I wish -.- thats kinda scrwed over 5 of my 8 websites... not a fan of the other mafia wars landing pages they dont look half as professional as this one did >.> and thats what sold it immo more than the others

 

Talk about adding an insult to an injury!
Anybody can sue anybody. But is the journey worth it?
Would you sue Google for sending you customers that don't buy anything?
Would you sue a company that went bankrupt right after you purchased shares in it?
If marketing/investing was 100% risk free everyone would be doing it.
Nobody wins here, take it on the the chin, move on and focus your energy on the next project.

UPDATE:
I want to correct myself - regardless of the outcome there is something invaluable everybody wins here - the experience!

 

Are you on crack?

 

that sucks man you dont want a law suit though. Bit gutted myself cause not been doing bad with similar mafia wars products.

 

Perhaps........then he can sue you for sending crap traffic and wasting his bandwidth....

 

I wish all my traffic converts. I know you dont have any idea about IM