Financial Domains With TM Issues

Worthen · Feb 9, 2003

I began investing in domains about the time the .us names became available. I was real green and bought some I would never buy again, knowing what I now know.

DomeBase · Feb 9, 2003

Originally posted by Worthen
I began investing in domains about the time the .us names became available. I was real green and bought some I would never buy again, knowing what I now know.

I bought several names for the exact keyword match of sevral high profile companies. I recently gave the largest mutual fund company in the world their name for free. It was either that or else, the name was VanguardMutualFunds.us

I have owned a stock market portal since 99 and I reasoned that I could begin a site much like FidelityMonitor.com (independent advice on Fidelity Funds) and be well within my rights.

My legal counsel thought otherwise.

Though vanguard mutual funds is the most searched for term for mutual funds other than "mutual funds". I certainly know now I shouldn't have bought it. While I perhaps could have made a case for a name like VanguardMonitor, Vanguards position is that I couldn't own a name containing Vanguard. They may have been a little over-zealous on that. There is VanguardAirlines.com, but it does distinguish itself in another industry, maybe they were correct.

Anyway, I'm stuck with a boatload of useless, highly searched exact match domain names. Should I simply let them expire and hope no other company complains or what do your recomend?

If it were me, I would write the companies a pleasant letter stating that you did not realize the branding issues involved and offer to trafer the name to them for free or at your registration cost of $##, whichever they prefer. You have the right to ask for your registration cost, but giving them the choice confirms that you are going above and beyond what you have to do. If they have decency and/or self-respect, they will offer to pay your registration cost. Just my two cents. Some here may recommend tangling in TM stuff and not giving anything away... not my style.

Best wishes.