Could this get me in trouble?

[taketheride]

I found an incredible expired domain. It seem to have belonged to a big foreign company and has been used only for redirect to their new homepage for several years. The expired domain that I'm looking at buying is just 3 letters, while the companys new one consists of their full name. Can a three letter domain name really be copyrighted or trademarked? Couldn't it mean anything?

For example:

elm.org = the expired domain I want

electriclatexmoney.org = the companys current domain

Could I get into legal trouble if buying and using their old expired domain as a PBN site (which will have nothing to do with the original sites purpose)?

 

[ThopHayt]

There are very few lawyers here mate, I'd not take advice from a stranger here. These matters are very iffy.

 

[asap1]

Buy it and if its trademarked give it back.

 

[wisdomkid]

You can buy it, but am 70% sure that the company will PM you, since it's a business name, and the best part is that you can sell it on flippa or other domain auction websites.

But buy it, it won't hurt.

 

[lord1027]

Well, is it a trademark? for example 'wordpress' is a trademark, but 'wp' is not.

 

[BHW-News]

I can hear hundreds of PC's searching for an expired 3 letter company domain as we speak...

 

[jo080711]

Depends on how much it costs.

I've definitely bought some domains like that. In my opinion, you should be good as long as you repurpose it. The average person doesn't research a domain's history before buying it. So for all they know you just bought "elm.org" and started adding articles to it.

If you put up their old content or start pretending to be the company you'll likely run into trouble.

 

[randybishop]

I would buy and sit on it and see what happens.

 

[andrecampbell]

You have nothing to lose by buying it. The worst that can happen is that you sell it back to the company.

 

[bartosimpsonio]

I'd buy it instantly.

 

[netmatrix]

I'd buy it instantly.

Agreed, buy it instantly (if there's no trademark). I'd also consider setting up a homepage along the lines of...

ELM.org - Welcome to Electrical Lighting Manufacturing - Website coming soon!

 

[then4280]

You can buy it if it's letting you.

 

[SkyrocketSEO]

So, OP, domain is great because it is 3 letters.ORG or because it have a great link profile or both?

 

[taketheride]

Thanks for the advice! I ended up taking the domain, was a bit hesitant because it's a tld which is not used very much, and quite a bit more expensive than the regular ones. From reading your suggestions, I think I'll just hold on to it for a while and see what happens, then I'll build a repurposed PBN site with some other meaning of the acronym if I don't get contacted for some time

 

[taketheride]

Well, is it a trademark? for example 'wordpress' is a trademark, but 'wp' is not.

I tried searching a couple of places to find if it was trademarked, but could not find anything. But from what I understand, that doesn't mean it isn't.

So, OP, domain is great because it is 3 letters.ORG or because it have a great link profile or both?

It's because of the link profile. Didn't really think much about it being three letters until I considered the trademark thing. I'm not sure the three letter aspect is that big of a deal since it's not com org or net.

 

[bartosimpsonio]

BTW. OP, a 3 letter domain can't possibly be copyrighted unless it's something truly unique and specific. Are you sure it's available?

 

[CarloTav]

Would be very hard to trademark something like that. I doubt the company can do anything unless you start to pretend to be them or something similar.

 

[HoneyHelper]

Buy the domain and sell the same to that company

 

[JCmcclain]

Long story short, I had a domain that was the initials of a company and their attorney sent me a "cease and desist". Based on that, the worse that can happen is you give up the domain (not sell it as others suggested) or retain an attorney to fight it.
Good luck

 

[nakamura]

I remember my dad did something similar like that. But he just wanted to park the domain and then sell it to the company. End of the song was he had to give it away, but it was still worth a try. Funny thing was: He is working for this company. 8)