Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#1

Post by texteller » Wed, Jun 16, 2021, 3:47 PM UTC

Ask HN: Currently working on a side project for AWS, the product's domain name has the word "aws" included. Will I get any legal issue from Amazon? Is it advisable to have the word "AWS"? Please advise

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#2

Post by QuinnyPig » Wed, Jun 16, 2021, 4:29 PM UTC

Technically it runs afoul of their rules. Practically, I started https://www.lastweekinaws.com four and a half years ago, with an alternate "cloud" based domain instead; my thinking was "give me grief, I'll migrate and then start talking about your competition."

I can say that they've never had an issue with my use of it to date, despite my extreme levels of sarcasm.

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#3

Post by quickthrower2 » Wed, Jun 16, 2021, 8:07 PM UTC

IANAL but I wouldn’t risk it. Especially as it’s AWS related stuff (rather than your name is Andrew William Smith or something)

Why not use cloud in place of AWS in the name?

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#4

Post by BjoernKW » Wed, Jun 16, 2021, 10:08 PM UTC

Their trademark guidelines expressly forbid this ("11. No Combination."): https://aws.amazon.com/trademark-guidelines/

This had us rename our eBook about developing and running Spring Boot applications on AWS from the original working title "AWS 101" to "Stratospheric" (https://stratospheric.dev/ ), which in my opinion is a much better name, too.

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#5

Post by gtirloni » Wed, Jun 16, 2021, 11:36 PM UTC

QuinnyPig wrote: post #2

Technically it runs afoul of their rules. Practically, I started https://www.lastweekinaws.com four and a half years ago, with an alternate "cloud" based domain instead; my thinking was "give me grief, I'll migrate and then start talking about your competition." I can say that they've never had an issue with my use of it to date, despite my extreme levels of sarcasm.

It doesn't look like you've created a product that competes with AWS, on the contrary. So I'd think you're fine.

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#6

Post by yellow_lead » Thu, Jun 17, 2021, 5:14 AM UTC

quickthrower2 wrote: post #3

IANAL but I wouldn’t risk it. Especially as it’s AWS related stuff (rather than your name is Andrew William Smith or something) Why not use cloud in place of AWS in the name?

That also didn't stop Mike Rowe

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#7

Post by quickthrower2 » Thu, Jun 17, 2021, 10:08 AM UTC

yellow_lead wrote: post #6

quickthrower2 wrote: post #3

IANAL but I wouldn’t risk it. Especially as it’s AWS related stuff (rather than your name is Andrew William Smith or something) Why not use cloud in place of AWS in the name?

That also didn't stop Mike Rowe

Didn’t he win in the end? But even if he did it’s a lot of stressed to be sued by a tech giant.

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#8

Post by texteller » Thu, Jun 17, 2021, 10:12 AM UTC

Thanks all for your kind response and advise, so I finally decided to change the domain name without their name.

Re: Ask HN: Working on a side project for AWS, can domain have “AWS” included?

#9

Post by yellow_lead » Thu, Jun 17, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC

quickthrower2 wrote: post #7

yellow_lead wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That also didn't stop Mike Rowe

Didn’t he win in the end? But even if he did it’s a lot of stressed to be sued by a tech giant.

Yeah, he did get a good settlement it seems. So maybe not a bad idea if your initials are AWS :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_v._MikeRoweSoft#Pres...