TMs on Acorn

[doodlebug]

In light of the new rule regarding TLDs, I think it's about time TMs were stamped out.

There's still TM issue domains being bought and sold on Acorn on a regular basis, and what suprises me is that some of the members selling and buying are established members

Is theft and fraud accepted in the domaining community ?

And before anyone digs around my old post, yes I have had some in the past including celeb names but never monetised them and scrapped them once I realised just how negative they are.

Myself and I'm sure others would like to see the back of these :-|

Vote on the poll to have your say !

 

[rob]

Get rid of them

 

[wb]

Yes definitely get rid

 

[davedevelopment]

agreed, i don't want to see them here. Admittedly though, I foolishly bougt one here a couple of weeks ago, didn't even realise it was a trademark.

 

[boxerdog]

let people learn the hard way i say :evil:

 

[Admin]

You'd be surprised how many sales threads get pulled as they are blatant TMs but I dont say we catch them all.

Anything spotted should be reported to me and the mods.

 

[retired_member12]

...And before anyone digs around my old post, yes I have had some in the past including celeb names but never monetised them and scrapped them once I realised just how negative they are...

"My name is doodlebug, and i am a reformed smoker!"

Joking apart though, you're right. Further to what you have said, there are so many seemingly obscure TMs out there, I imagine lots of innocent looking domains will fall foul of TM rights.

 

[GreyWing]

Is theft and fraud accepted in the domaining community ?![/COLOR][/B]

That's a abit strong mate, theft is too permenantly deprive the owner of the goods without their permission. I haven't seen that happen.

Fraud, I don't think I have ever seen anyone on here buy a TM and try branding it as for example "Asda" with a site that looks like theirs and start selling good through it.

I agree they shouldn't be on here and I don't like it when people start selling them. But let's not start hanging and executing people that own them.

 

[doodlebug]

"My name is doodlebug, and i am a reformed smoker!"

Joking apart though, you're right. Further to what you have said, there are so many seemingly obscure TMs out there, I imagine lots of innocent looking domains will fall foul of TM rights.

Innocent fair enough but why don't people learn ?

TM domains are as good selling counterfiet clothes, if you would were market trader selling genuine branded clothes would you associate yourself with dodgy traders selling counterfiets ?

 

[davedevelopment]

TM domains are as good selling counterfiet clothes, if you would were market trader selling genuine branded clothes would you associate yourself with dodgy traders selling counterfiets ?

Whilst I'm in agreement with you that the TM's are *not* wanted here, it's never as black and white as you just described. The domain I bought included the term Freeview. As a company, Freeview are not for profit, but the term Freeview is their trademark and other companies, can licence the use of the trademark. Assuming I went down the right channels and got through the red tape, I think could actually use the domain legally.

 

[doodlebug]

Maybe it should just be upto to the individual if they want deal in TM domains but at least sellers of TM domains could state this in their post, how are newbies suppose to learn when they're being offered TM domains by established members.

At the end of ther day there is enough money to be made in generics

 

[Edwin]

Get rid of them, as far as possible (and make it explicitly clear - perhaps more than it is already) that the posting of obvious TMs is an unacceptable practice. And that should include "celebrity names" as those often get more negative media coverage than straightforward TMs do, because the celebrities themselves have an easy "in" with the media to spout off about some cybersquatter nicking their name.

But most of all, come down like 50 tons of bricks on the long-term, regular forum users! Just like you can't be "a little bit pregnant", you can't be "a little bit of a cybersquatter". You're either knowingly catching/registering/investing in TMs with the intent to profit from them, or you're not...

If you choose to do so, that's your affair (though I think it's a poor move from a business POV, if nothing else!) But at least don't do so BLATANTLY and in a very-high profile forum. You should know better. In fact, I'm sure you DO know better - it's just that the habit's hard to break, perhaps...

Repeat offenders should be banned (in many ways it does the industry a great deal more harm than forum spammers) and the least slack should go to the biggest/longest established players.

 

[GreyWing]

Like another user has said, things aren't always black and white with TM's and domains. I have domains that weren't TM's when I regged them yet are 6 years later. If they ever challenged me for them (a big company) then I would challenege their TM with the trademark office and I have told them, hence why they haven't pushed it.

It's very cheap to set up a trademark, the quality of having a professional draw up a TM will only be known if it is ever challenged. But a hell of a lot of TM's would never stand up to challenge anyway. It just so happens most people don't have the knowledge or time top challenge a TM correctly

If people have them, in my opinion if they keep them to themselves then that is their business and if they don't bring them to the forum, again that is their business.

But I don't know if people are suggesting PRSS'ing long term members and if they have any, then bang and they are off the forum.

I have been in this game long enough now to know that we at one time or another have all wondered down that path to some extent. Personally I'm holding off judging anyone for it. But parking isn't what it once was and I bet that has got rid of a lot of the points for having a TM anyway.

 

[Edwin]

But I don't know if people are suggesting PRSS'ing long term members and if they have any, then bang and they are off the forum.

That certainly wasn't what I was suggesting. I was saying that anyone putting them up for sale/appraisal here is to be frowned at, but that longtime/larger players should have MUCH less slack cut as they SHOULD know better. If despite that they still dabble in TMs, that's their business decision but this forum shouldn't be used as a platform to advance it.

I would also suggest that any changes be on a "going forward" basis, rather than turning the whole thing into a witch hunt based on what people have posted in the past. Draw a firm line in the sand, and after that, no mercy

 

[GreyWing]

Sorry mate wasn't on about you specifically with regards witch hunts, I 100% agree with all of what people say on here about TM's and them reaching this forum.

If people are daft enough to post them on here then they deserve whatever punishment comes their way from Nominet, the courts or acorn.

All the best
Graeme