Football domain name and the FA copyright

[ILoveKat]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience regarding copyright and domain names.

In short, I'm thinking of starting a website about the England football team - a fan site and I will do news articles as well. It will have "England Football" in the domain name.

However, I don't want to wake up one day and find a cease and desist email and/or a copyright notice from the FA as I would assume they don't want/like fan sites as there's nothing for them to gain out of it.

To be clear, I have no intention whatsoever of copying anything from thefa.com or even getting the smallest bit of inspiration from it.

I've been watching football and designing sites long enough to make my own site without having to copy ideas from elsewhere.

Does anyone see any potential problems with something like this?

Thanks

 

[StoneRoses]

Fan sites are a notoriously strange one in my opinion,there can de a lot of deciding factors.
But i think the main ones are..

1. The domain name

Does it infringe on any of their trademarks, could the domain lead people to believe it is an official domain used by England/TheFA

2. the Website

The site its self , are you making money of it? Could it be construed you are profiting of their name,or people believing it is an official site.

3.The FA themselves

a lot depends on how they view it.

There are other factors but for me these kind of sites are a lot of hard work for little reward add in the constant threat of it one day having to hand it over to them or worse having it taken from you and in my opinion it is not worth it.

You could defend it by not having any ads on there and putting up a disclaimer on the site that it is not official site and have no affliation with The FA but then what is the point of building a site putting all that work in and getting nothing back in return? That is how i view it anyway, it may be a labour of love for yourself,i don't know.

When i first started out on the internet I used to have a footballer fan site, it was actually ok and i did earn some money from it,but i got lucky as at the time i wasn't aware of DRS/UDRP etc,with hindsight i would not have done it and would never do it again, it's not worth the risk for me,that's not to say any of this will happen just my thoughts.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Murray]

I have no idea if it would be or not, but if you believe having "england football" in the domain name could cause a problem, then don't have it?

Why not just make up a brandable domain name?

 

[Fox]

I've had a number of sites with England and football in the domains for around 10 years and never had any problems.

 

[namealot]

Nothing stops anyone sending a cease and desist regardless if they have any legal right? To an extent the right is irrelevant if you are not prepared to defend right of use have time budget etc. You don’t know at the start what you can or can’t do your walking into a minefield ? How are you getting results by plagiarizing others you may be able to use results info etc from x but not xx without consent?

Without knowing what the information you have, source, how its gathered, what bits your using etc not really going to get any reliable answers there ?

You’d have a site that likely has information delayed by nature of gathering than source of info, competing with official and established players etc, has information the owner is not sure if there legally allowed to use? Doesn't sound like something anyone should be investing in ? Unfortunately you need to do a lot more legwork first…. Think name is not top of what you should know first?

 

[ILoveKat]

Nothing stops anyone sending a cease and desist regardless if they have any legal right? To an extent the right is irrelevant if you are not prepared to defend right of use have time budget etc. You don’t know at the start what you can or can’t do your walking into a minefield ? How are you getting results by plagiarizing others you may be able to use results info etc from x but not xx without consent?

Without knowing what the information you have, source, how its gathered, what bits your using etc not really going to get any reliable answers there ?

You’d have a site that likely has information delayed by nature of gathering than source of info, competing with official and established players etc, has information the owner is not sure if there legally allowed to use? Doesn't sound like something anyone should be investing in ? Unfortunately you need to do a lot more legwork first…. Think name is not top of what you should know first?

I have literally no idea what you're trying to say

 

[namealot]

Maybe now that namealot has gone back and edited it, after you posted this, you'll have a better idea? Does it make any more sense to you now?

Maybe check "quote" and the date I edited it before you start to troll off .... Even added edit to this post just to make you happy xxxx

 

[namealot]

That isn't what you said at 17:57. You originally said "Maybe check the edit and the post there the same ? So don't know what your saying"

Unfortunately that 17:57 post of yours made no sense either. I admit I missed the date of when you edited your post and now realise that you edited your post before "ILoveKat" posted his/her reply today. I'm sorry I missed it. However my post wasn't a troll post. I was pointing out to ILoveKat that he/she might need to reread your updated post because I initially thought that you had edited it after his/her reply. It's obviously even worse that ILoveKat didn't understand your post even after your edits had been made, so rather than attacking me for missing the date and attempting to point out what I thought were revisions that had happened after his/her post, why don't you consider taking more time to make posts that are understandable? If you're dyslexic I feel sorry for you but it doesn't excuse the fact that you ruin threads by making posts that make absolutely no sense. Your edit of your last response to me from:

a) "Maybe check the edit and the post there the same ? So don't know what your saying" to

b) "Maybe check "quote" and the date I edited it before you start to troll off .... Even added edit to this post just to make you happy xxx"

is a clear indication that you don't take enough time to proof read what you're saying before you hit submit. I'm all for inclusion, and I make typing errors quite often, but not at the expense of completely incomprehensible posts.

Why don’t you answer there question instead of just trolling

 

[namealot]

Good point! I decided the original question was too vague and therefore I wasn't going to spend my time on it, what with Murray and his misuse of "brandable" as well.

Practise what you preach... "what with"

 

[namealot]

Nothing wrong with "what with". It's informal. My posts aren't usually incomprehensible. Your posts often are. When they're not I quite enjoy reading them but I think you're being unfair by posting ones that just don't make any sense. It ruins threads. Hope you privately understand!

Put downs as varied as race, alcoholism and dyslexia get back under your bridge...

 

[namealot]

I've never mentioned race; that was you attempting to twist something else I said into that. I did assume you must have have been drunk and I explained why. Someone else told me you must be dyslexic but I won't name who. So if none of those, what? Lazy?

There you go again trolling away

 

[namealot]

I note you wish to avoid addressing the topic of your incomprehensible forum posts. That's your prerogative.

You could given all you’ve written have asked the original poster to elaborate and what information you’d require to be able to answer there question but instead you just carry on being a troll

 

[Murray]

Good point! I decided the original question was too vague and therefore I wasn't going to spend my time on it, what with Murray and his misuse of "brandable" as well.

I feel special you even can see me, up there on your mighty high horse

 

[Murray]

Seeing as you've chimed in, do you find namealot's posts easy to comprehend?


(from iPhone)

Not easily.

I think I get the gist after I read them a couple of times.

It's an unusual style of English that is for sure.

 

[namealot]

Seeing as you've chimed in, do you find namealot's posts easy to comprehend?


(from iPhone)

Really what should I expect from someone who uses simon c as an avatar, easy who cares its right and as I never need to do business with you I really could care less what you think?

 

[namealot]

Is that a question or a statement? Unfortunately, and as usual, what you have posted makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I realise you are trying to drag anything you can into this discussion, despite how irrelevant, but none of it changes the fact that three people posting in this thread, and some who mentioned you to me at the Nominet AGM recently (i.e. real people who've met me in real life and who here has met you?), don't understand what you post! Please consider refraining from posting if you are going to selfishly ruin the flow of threads banging out incomprehensible "guff".


(from iPhone)

Post answer to posters question or ask what you need from them as info...
Been in busness long enough to not give a toss what anyone says about me or base my opinions on what other think either.

 

[Murray]

All that's obvious. I know you don't give a toss. I don't think anyone here understands why you are here as a forum member posting incomprehensible "guff". Even you don't seem to know!


(from iPhone)

I don't know why you're personally attacking him so much.

His posts may not be the easiest read but they have some good points from time to time.

If he bothers you why don't you just block him so his posts don't show, problem solved.

Seem harsh to single him out and tell him he shouldn't post.

Why can't we all just be pleasant to one another :shock:

 

[namealot]

All that's obvious. I know you don't give a toss. I don't think anyone here understands why you are here as a forum member posting incomprehensible "guff". Even you don't seem to know!


(from iPhone)

Speak for yourself not me

 

[namealot]

I'm not *personally attacking* him. I'm complaining about his incomprehensible posts that ruin threads. In the past I've tried to suggest why.



I think you'll find I've already stated he does make some good points *when* they make sense. Often they don't.



I'm aware. It's an option but it doesn't change the fact that he kills threads.



Pointing out what others say privately but few say publically actually takes some guts. I didn't ever say he shouldn't post, period. I said it's selfish to post incomprehensible posts that make no sense and kill threads. Shall we all start banging out "guff" like he does?



Probably because some people, like namealot, don't give a toss (his words) and you'll have to ask him if you can understand the reply.




(from iPhone)

Your sound more and more like a baby “they said that to me” grow up

 

[namealot]

Now you're even making up quotes. Grasping at something to come back with to divert from the issue?


(from iPhone)

Whatever you say Mr troll