Are talkabout<trademark>.com domains ok?

I know large companies pursue people who use their trademarks or copyrights with a vengeance, but where a site is explicitly called talkabout<trademark>.com and disclaims any affiliation with <trademark> up front, would it be an issue?

I could understand if the site were buy<trademark>.com or use<trademark>.com, but shouldn't talkabout<trademark>.com, where the domain name itself indicates it is simply for discussing <trademark>, coupled with an upfront disclaimer of affiliation, be enough to make having a discussion forum at talkabout<trademark>.com qualify as fair use?

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

i've had a trademark in my .com since 2001. never had an issues.

I know someone that got sued by Dell computers for using their trademark in a domain (even with a disclaimer etc). Cost him a fortune to defend and lost... had to surrender the domain and pay costs.

Thanks, Brian. I'm probably going to go ahead and give it a whirl.

Woostar, do you have any idea what the domain name was? BuyDell.com, DellComputers.com, or DellNotebook.com might be a different matter than DellForum.com, DellTalk.com, etc...

if i were to get threatened, i wouldn't bother fighting it. i'd simply change domains, and redirect the current domain to goatcx. (don't go there if you don't know what it is. wanring you now)

Would you consider contacting the company and asking them before you went ahead and spent nearly $400 on vb and vbseo licenses, or not chance putting yourself on their radar when you otherwise might never be?

As long as you don't actually sell parts (with Ford at least) you can use their trademarks. I have used Mustang since 2003.

That's good that Ford has indicated a policy on the matter. I'll do some more digging and see if I can find something similar. Thanks, BamaStangGuy.

Originally Posted by briansol

if i were to get threatened, i wouldn't bother fighting it. i'd simply change domains, and redirect the current domain to goatcx. (don't go there if you don't know what it is. wanring you now)

Hah! Man, I wish I would have thought of this a few months back.