Safe from a losing UDRP decision?

[alakazam]

(Domain names have been changed...)

In 1996 I registered GenericWord.com. In 1999 someone else registered GenerickWerd.com and uses it as a "community" site for people who like the game CoolGame.

A couple years ago I realized I was getting a bunch of traffic from people who were looking for the GenerickWerd.com site. Since there's an affiliate program for CoolGame stuff, I put up a blurb on my home page with a link and make a few hundred bucks per month.

I know that if I changed the focus of my site to CoolGame stuff I can make a lot more money. But will the owner of GenerickWerd.com have a case against me if I do since people coming to my site were most likely looking for his?

Since I had my domain years before, and since it's kind of like someone taking a wrong turn and stopping in at any old shop rather than the one that's advertising, I'd think I'm safe.

But I don't want to take a chance on losing my domain name.

Any thoughts? Was I too vague?

Thanks.

Jay Jennings
jayATjayjenningsD0Tcom

 

[draqon]

yes, you were too vague.

but in my opinion, we need to know if the owners of GenerickWord.com own the trademark or copyrights for CoolGame. If GenerickWord is just a community fan site, then they have no claim that you are infringing on their site, nor are they likely to care. Its more likely that the CoolGame people will have a TM issue to be upset about.

 

[alakazam]

Yes, GenerickWerd.com is just a community fan site that's not officially associated with CoolGame at all, but it's a profit-generating commercial site, not just someone's hobby.

Maybe I'm being overly paranoid, but I've seen some goofy UDRP decisions in the past and don't want to do something that could get my domain name taken away.

Thanks.

Jay Jennings
jayATjayjenningsD0Tcom