Famous Dead People Domain - Got an Email

[PokerPie]

I own a .com of a famous dead person and have a mini-site on it about him. Today I got an email from an IP lawyer who specializes in protecting the IP of dead celebrities for their families who says she represents the son of the person whose name I own (the son must be at least 50 based on the date of birth of the celeb).

She said she wants to setup a phone call so we can 'work together' and complemented me on the site.

Sounds like a trap to me. On her website its says she sued a filmmaker for making a movie about one of her clients' deceased family members for royalties.

Should I respond? What legal rights would the son have to the domain?

Any advice appreciated.

fwiw the site only gets about 2k visits per month (most from Google) and earns very little venue. I do like it though and would like to keep it.

[Profithost]

Keep the site, and ask them for a SIGNED statement sent by US mail, a real signed letter. Tell them you receive alot of identity fraud due to the nature of your website. Many people are pretending they are other people. Ask them to send you a signature! Then you can start working with them.

[PokerPie]

I replied that I was only available via email and not phone.

She replied that she wants me to 'work together' with her to transfer the domain to the dead guys son. In exchange they will give me a link back to an 'official fan site' which they will permit me to create.

I replied back I will discuss a sale but I'm not giving them the domain for free.

We'll see where this goes from here, any advice appreciated.

I would have asked for the signed letter but this woman is legit she represents some really really famous people's families and was on 60 minutes.

[Adam Dicker]

If you have googles her and she is a real lawyer, don't ask her to lail you anything as you would give her your address if it's not on the whois.

My feeling is that if she had a real claim she would have served you instead of calling you.

Most lawyers send letters without a courtesy call.

-=DCG=-

[PokerPie]

My home address is on the WHOIS for this domain.

She sent my last email to her boss who sent me an extremely threatening email saying he would file a lawsuit tomorrow and that he is 750-0 vs 'cybersquatters like you'.

Trying to get him to pay me what I paid for the domain, I don't want to mess around w/ this. No more famous people's names for me.

[RobM]

I would cease all contact now. Agree with DCG though - in my experience the people *threatening* to sue me don't usually bother. Those you don't hear from until a C&D letter or serving papers are the ones to agonise over.

---------- Post added at 01:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:36 PM ----------

However I should add I'm not a lawyer blah blah etc etc seek counsel blah. I have been on the tail end of a couple of 5-6 figure lawsuits over the years though but considering I have been threatened hundreds of times I take it all with a pinch of salt.

[PokerPie]

Thanks for the advice all - they took my offer of paying me what I paid for the domain to the son of the dead guy so I think we'll have a resolution soon.

Perhaps I was too scared by the lawyer and the firms reputation but the guy telling me he is 750-0 and his tone made me feel he was pretty serious about this - that and I think he was correct that I had no claim to the name and they'd win in a slam dunk.

I think in the future ignoring them completely and waiting for a letter or summons would be smarter.