Copping someone else's name.

omfg · July 2005

So, here is the deal.

I really want to register a domain name that use to belong to a fairly big media firm on the net. They had several web apps and design things going on.

This is the exact same thing I'd use it for.

Circa early 2003 they just up and vanished without a trace. Deleted a couple thousand user accounts, domain names went free, nothing.

I was thinking of names today and though of theirs and then had some weird sense of deja vu, after hunting around for awhile I finally figured out why..

Is it safe to take over their name if they have effectively dissolved into nothing?

Suggestions greatly appreciated.

subterrane · July 2005

Oh hell yeah, take it now. They'll send you a letter if they get pissed about it. :)

vinay · July 2005

Indeed. they will send you a letter. you should also be able to find out the last time it was registered, and if it's available and they opt to take you to court, you should be able to point out that they used to own it, and they failed to re-register it in a timely manner.

moe · July 2005

if it really was a big firm then they probably still hold a trademark on that name.
maybe register it (before someone else grabs it) but before putting anything
up there first go and try to figure out if the name is poisoned anyhow.

unfornationally i think the latter is not as easy as going to a search-site.
you might have to pay a lawyer to do the research and write you a piece of paper that says "the xxx-name is clean" (make sure he adds a clause that he is going to take responsibility in case anyone complains later).

might cost a couple hundred bucks but at least you're on the safe side then.

good luck

ps: what's the name anyways?

)

omfg · July 2005

well not just the domain name, the WHOLE business name, doing some quick research seems to point to the fact that they never really became a 'real' business, they were just one of those designer internet businesses....

I'm going to do it, it's a great name.

omfg · July 2005

DAMNIT. Even though nic.com show's them as being unregistered. They are owned by one of those stupid advertising companies.

vinay · July 2005

bwahahaha. So. wait. This discussion was academic? So..you going to tell us the name now? :-D

omfg · July 2005

I wanted ohhello.com as in Oh, Hello as a company name... stupid lieing whois piece of shit.

vinay · July 2005

Hmm when I whois it I get ...


The Registry database contains ONLY .COM, .NET, .EDU domains and
Registrars.

Found crsnic referral to whois.enom.com.


Registration Service Provided By: MDNH, Inc
Contact: dnsadmin@mdnhinc.com
Visit: 

Domain name: ohhello.com

Administrative Contact:
   MDNH, Inc
   Aaron Mathews (dnsadmin@mdnhinc.com)
   +1.8017057143
   Fax: +1.-
   101 Convention Center Drive
   Suite 330
   Las Vegas, NV 89109
   US

Billing Contact:
   MDNH, Inc
   Aaron Mathews (dnsadmin@mdnhinc.com)
   +1.8017057143
   Fax: +1.-
   101 Convention Center Drive
   Suite 330
   Las Vegas, NV 89109
   US

Technical Contact:
   MDNH, Inc
   Aaron Mathews (dnsadmin@mdnhinc.com)
   +1.8017057143
   Fax: +1.-
   101 Convention Center Drive
   Suite 330
   Las Vegas, NV 89109
   US

Registrant Contact:
   MDNH, Inc
   Aaron Mathews (dnsadmin@mdnhinc.com)
   +1.8017057143
   Fax: +1.-
   101 Convention Center Drive
   Suite 330
   Las Vegas, NV 89109
   US

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
   NS1.ULTSEARCH.COM
   NS2.ULTSEARCH.COM

Creation date: 27 May 2004 14:04:41
Expiration date: 27 May 2006 14:04:41

omfg · July 2005

Well, I went to nic.com and did a meta-whois which said it was available. Then godaddy told me that. I seriously HATE these advertising companies that put these stupid websites up.

vinay · July 2005

Indeed so do I. which why I thought verisign (or whoever that was) who put up pages for unregistered domains, SUCKED! Honestly, I don't want to type in a url and go to some crappy advertising page. I want to go to the page I intended or not have to wait some crappy page to realize I typed the wrong thing in.

omfg · July 2005

It has to be some sort of illegal. We should start a website devoted to pointing out bad practice on the internet and garnering sites bad publicity. Kind of like those anti-spam sites.

vinay · July 2005

And spam everybody the site eh? :) Yeah, hell I'd be up for doing something like that. Also, slowly grabbing all the open domains and pointing it to that site. Oh wait. Uh.. sorry, I'm just a cynic when it comes to this sort of crap. Too many people who don't give a shit and would do it anyway. Oh and all of those foreign companies that don't have to follow US laws.

omfg · July 2005

If I copyright the name and then sue them, I would win.

vinay · July 2005

true. you would. do it! DO IT!

omfg · July 2005

I bought ohhello.org and I'm going to make it the unofficial official Vanilla board, for random talkage :] It's a snazzy name.

Minisweeper · July 2005

"It has to be some sort of illegal"...haha. i love the english in that statement.

vinay · July 2005

shush you! me speak computer. me no speak english good!

i also don't captialize or I capitalize randomly, depending on hOw I'm felling. Also I don't correct spelling or typing errors I make, unless it's incredibly hard to tell what I've typed.

Yeh. Something. Also complete sentences. I don't always form them. Yay Grammar Nazi!

omfg · July 2005

haha I was wondering when someone would pick that up :]

I saw some movie where someone was like 'man that's all sorts of wrong right there' it stuck.

Minisweeper · July 2005

I wasnt insulting your grammar as such, it made me laugh so i thought i'd point it out for the hell of it - i am a douchebag after all. I do get picky on some grammar stuff (people who cant distinguish between 'they're' and 'their' and 'there' and such (native english speakers atleast) kinda bug me. But at the same time i get very lazy myself on the internet. Thats the point of it. As you were.

Copping someone else's name.

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