Funny threat

[Steen]

I really love this
Especially since he offered to sell me the domain previously and even more that its hosted on a free forum site as a redirect domain!

--
To the owners of TheMacForum.net,

My name is ****. I am owner and operator of TheMacForum.com and
I recently stumbled across your web site: themacforum.net.

Checking through my e-mail logs, I discovered that you e-mailed me
several weeks back requesting to purchase 'themacforum.com' and I
subsequently turned down your offer.

Because of the nature of use of TheMacForum.com, we do not feel
comfortable with another top-level web site carrying the name "The Mac
Forum" and publicly advertising it. After some research, we determined
that our "The Mac Forum" was created prior to yours on November 5th,
2002, while the earliest known date for your "The Mac Forum" is April
25, 2003 (that being your invisionfree.com board), while your
acquisition of "themacforum.net" took place on October 30, 2003.

After some discussion with TheMacForum.com management, we developed a
small proposal in an attempt to prevent further action from being
required. The proposal is as follows:

-Owner of [TheMacForum.net] will transfer ownership of said domain to
TheMacForum.com ownership.
-TheMacForum.com ownership will then provide owner of TheMacForum.net
with another domain name of his choice under the following conditions:
-The domain be available to public purchase with standard price
-The domain not contain the specific phrase "themacforum" and the web
site itself refrain from using the phrase "The Mac Forum" when
referring to itself.
-TheMacForum.com ownership will then, for one month, put up a web page
on TheMacForum.net that will inform visitors of the change of location
and name of TheMacForum.net.

Should you decide not to agree to our proposal, we are willing to take
further legal action, but we hope to turn to that as our last option.
Should we settle this, TheMacForum.com would be glad to affiliate with
your forum in an effort to increase benefits to both our users and
promote future relations between our sites.

****
Owner
TheMacForum.com
----------


I love it

[Spider]

Doesn't seem funny to me. Good luck with the lawsuit.

[Steen]

Lawsuit?


From my understanding, he is persueing legal action becasue he owns the ".com" to a site I have.

He even offerd to sell the domain to me!

He is full of hot air imo.

Would a lawyer like to comment?

[seeker]

not a lawyer, but If this macforum.com person is not affiliated with Apple, I would send him a big smile as a reply...

[David G]

What's so funny about the threat anyway?

If his use pre-dates your use (as he claims) he could have grounds for a Wipo case you could possibly lose, depending on the facts and verified dates.

[Steen]

Well I think it's funny becuase he offered to sell the domain to me (TheMacForum.com), he is redirecting the domain currently and becuase of his offer.

[GT Web]

it will be funny when the send a C&D letter to you...then it will be funny when they get a C&D letter from Apple...

this should be fun to watch unfold...

BTW - Do you have any legit proof he tried to sell you his name, because if you dont - you are in some deep cow manure...

[seeker]

I agree that is the funny part.
themacforum can easily be claimed as a breach of TM by Apple, so why is this guy after Steen.

The not so funny part is that both of you should be worried from Apple, not each other

[Steen]

If Apple came to me, I would give them the domain no fuss.

I believe they do have the right to domains that infringe on their TM, should they choose to claim them.

This guy however, is a joke imo.

And GT, I dont think I am in deep cow manure.

{i]Some[/i] (not all) have no problem with "fan sites" or things like googledance.com ..

[WebCat]

Hey Steen, I have a replacement domain for you.

MacMoo.com

A few months back, (after I had a glass of wine) I found this and could not resist registering it. In fact, I laughed the whole time I was regestering it. You could write them back the same "threat", and offer them MacMoo.com to replace TheMacForum.com

WC

[Banned: Delete]

I wouldnt sweat it unless he has A TM

[stvn42088]

Thats pretty funny.

[Source]

I'd counter offer $500 for TheMacForum.net and he get's all his precious traffic and any future Apple headaches.

Several years ago the same thing happened to me and I did the above. Eventually, the schlub lost the name anyway in a WIPO case. I felt vindicated and was $500 the wiser.

What goes around, comes around. Be smart.