I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help • Hacker News Board

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#41

Post by 0x12 » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:05 AM UTC

techsupporter wrote: post #29

lacker wrote: post #27

Their initial offer was $150. I said no, that I had put way too much money into it for that low of a price. They came back with $250. Anyone who's bickering about $150 vs $250 to acquire a domain is not a "big corporation". The OP is being bluffed.

I looked around the WIPO site and found an arbitration case that meets the facts the reddit poster claimed. Either he found a WIPO case and decided to make it a huge "AskReddit," or, yes, the OP is going up against a quite large company. (Not linking here in an attempt to preserve privacy.)

How can you preserve privacy of something posted to reddit?

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#42

Post by Shengster » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:11 AM UTC

DaveChild wrote: post #38

I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com, before the JD legal team contacted me ... and I'm on a new domain now. The problem, as explained to me by a lawyer (I am not a lawyer, so don't go taking this as legal advice, as I'm paraphrasing what I was told), is that legal departments for really big corporations just care about winning. It doesn't reall…

The fact that your domain doesn't exist anymore is somewhat troubling.

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#43

Post by cynest » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:20 AM UTC

What constitutes cybersquatting or having the rights to a domain you purchased? When can someone who feels they could better use the domain sue?

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#44

Post by masklinn » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:26 AM UTC

DaveChild wrote: post #38

I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com, before the JD legal team contacted me ... and I'm on a new domain now. The problem, as explained to me by a lawyer (I am not a lawyer, so don't go taking this as legal advice, as I'm paraphrasing what I was told), is that legal departments for really big corporations just care about winning. It doesn't reall…

> I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com

it was awesome. Is that why the site died?

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#45

Post by sneak » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:39 AM UTC

lacker wrote: post #27

Their initial offer was $150. I said no, that I had put way too much money into it for that low of a price. They came back with $250. Anyone who's bickering about $150 vs $250 to acquire a domain is not a "big corporation". The OP is being bluffed.

That may constitute a bad faith attempt to profit from the domain from the trademark holder, and may cost him the domain.

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#46

Post by ig1 » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:45 AM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #11

DiabloD3 wrote: post #6

The only mistake he made was asking Reddit instead of a lawyer who specializes in dealing with boneheaded corporate maneuvers. Otherwise, I wish him luck.

Why was asking Reddit a mistake? Put yourself in the OP's shoes. You're a college student and you get a notice like this handed to you. It's not like you have an IP lawyer on retainer or cash to run out and hire one instantly. In fact, one helpful redditor pointed out that his college might have a law school that would be willing to help with his case as a teaching exercise. I bet the OP knew nothing about that, and…

I don't know about in the US, but a lot of UK universities will have a pro-bono law team that will help students with legal problems (run by professors but with law students in observance so they can get some "real" world experience).

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#47

Post by tomelders » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 8:53 AM UTC

sounds like a job for 4chan.

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#48

Post by scq » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 9:01 AM UTC

masklinn wrote: post #44

DaveChild wrote: post #38

I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com, before the JD legal team contacted me ... and I'm on a new domain now. The problem, as explained to me by a lawyer (I am not a lawyer, so don't go taking this as legal advice, as I'm paraphrasing what I was told), is that legal departments for really big corporations just care about winning. It doesn't reall…

> I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com it was awesome. Is that why the site died?

It's still around, just called Added Bytes (http://www.addedbytes.com/) now.

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#49

Post by DaveChild » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 9:38 AM UTC

masklinn wrote: post #44

DaveChild wrote: post #38

I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com, before the JD legal team contacted me ... and I'm on a new domain now. The problem, as explained to me by a lawyer (I am not a lawyer, so don't go taking this as legal advice, as I'm paraphrasing what I was told), is that legal departments for really big corporations just care about winning. It doesn't reall…

> I have some experience of a similar situation, having at one point run a web dev blog at ilovejackdaniels.com it was awesome. Is that why the site died?

I moved it to a new domain, as scq was kind enough to also comment. It's at http://www.addedbytes.com now.

Re: I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help

#50

Post by meiji » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 9:47 AM UTC

There's some good advice on the reddit thread and some poor. Making a counter offer to the company could be construed as intent to make a buck on the sale and end up muddying the water and causing him problems. Best thing in these cases is to refuse offers.