Star Wars domain - no surprise really

[philiporchard]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33451674

 

[martin-s]

Seems like the correct decision to me. Clearly someone trading off the Star Wars brand.

 

[UncleBob]

no matter how legit your products are, using a name like star wars is only going to end one way.

it was interesting to see the creation of.uk being blamed as the reason Disney noticed someone using the Star Wars name!

 

[Murray]

Just because you got away with it for years isn't much of a defence is it.

 

[BeachLife]

There's a chap on ukbusinessforums that sells Dr Who merchandise from a domain that includes the words doctor who, and even uses a version of the official logo as the website logo, has been for years. It's not that I would be afraid of the rights owners taking the domain, more that they would have a go for past earnings.

 

[RobM]

I've been on the end of Disney's wrath in the past and this person was lucky they got away with just transferring the domain. Normally they go for damages as well.

 

[inbound]

The damages should have been chased and granted (and huge) - this is a clear bad faith registration and trademark violation / passing off. They are very lucky.

 

[jasman]

Abscissa itself has also benefited from the dispute-resolution process, by wresting control of jokers.co.uk from a fancy-dress rival in 2007.

Live by the sword, die by the sword

 

[anthony]

Live by the sword, die by the sword

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

 

[martin-s]

I guess a follow link from the BBC is some sort of compensation

 

[TallBloke]

Obviously the correct decision from nominet.

A little surprised that Lucas Films/Disney left it so long before taking action.

 

[max_rk]

Such news stories written by journalists are not 100% accurate or complete so I have some reservations, it will be interesting to read the paper. Just looking at that article I agree with others, its right decision by expert.

As domain has been directed to page to sell legit merchandise, indirectly responded accepts the rights of the name belonging not to him. Then it’s impossible to put valid argument that domain has been registered for other reasons.

By offering to give .uk and asking to keep .co.uk he also imply that rights belong to complainant.

Looks like respondent took advantage of situation but now music has stopped. I guess that those domains have brought him loads of sales.

He should consider himself being lucky that complainant did not take him to court so far.

Respondent likely recognised traffic value of this name as he registered versions like - starwarsco.uk, which is essentially typo of starwars.co.uk

 

[accelerator]

Seems like the correct decision to me. Clearly someone trading off the Star Wars brand.

Agreed.

 

[accelerator]

Obviously the correct decision from nominet.

A little surprised that Lucas Films/Disney left it so long before taking action.

Agreed.

 

[UncleBob]

pure speculation, but if Disney / Lucas had kicked off with big guns blazing from day one they would surely have run the risk of the "Striesand effect" of giving the site a whole lot of publicity and attention. they also risked getting painted as the bad guys, "big corporate cracks down on and bullies small business with legitimate products".

i would suggest there would have been a substantial amount of communication and negotiating to try and get a private sale before this went the way it did.

 

[scottmccloud]

I'm surprised they got off so likely. When I was a recruitment consultant, I remember a guy coming in who used to have a little one-man-band business painting Disney murals on kids bedroom walls. Hardly did any advertising but somehow they found out and came down on him like a ton of bricks. From memory I can't remember what exactly happened (whether he went to court or not) but he never painted murals again!

 

[donton]

I'm surprised they got off so likely. When I was a recruitment consultant, I remember a guy coming in who used to have a little one-man-band business painting Disney murals on kids bedroom walls. Hardly did any advertising but somehow they found out and came down on him like a ton of bricks. From memory I can't remember what exactly happened (whether he went to court or not) but he never painted murals again!

I'm a little sketchy on the details now because it happened a few years ago, but a local guy printing canvases ended up in prison for over a year. It was Disney stuff he was printing without permission. On top of prison he had quite significant costs too, if I remember rightly.

Quite scary really.

 

[accelerator]

Disney does not mess around when it comes to protecting its intellectual property. Which is not surprising really, seeing that they are a multibillion dollar company.

 

[max_rk]

taking domain dispute to court and trying to claim lost business is not easy to do even for Disney. the negative PR would be also risk even they win or loose the case.

 

[accelerator]

taking domain dispute to court and trying to claim lost business is not easy to do even for Disney. the negative PR would be also risk even they win or loose the case.

Not as much of a risk as letting people rip you off though.