Buying a domain related to a trademark

[dstrout]

I am in NH, for what it's worth. I just purchased the domain name knowyourme.me, which of course is strongly related to the domain knowyourmeme.com, but also to the trademarked name of Know Your Meme (info at http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4009:aitp0p.2.1). First of all, is the mere registration of such a domain name illegal? Second, could I offer to sell this domain to Cheezburger, the owner of the trademark, or would that have legal ramifications?

 

[FlyingRon]

Nothing prevents you from registering such a domain.
Squatting on a domain that is someone's trademark/company name in bad faith (i.e., so you can ransom it to them) is grounds for you to have the domain removed from your control under the UDRP.

 

[dstrout]

Those sound like unnecessarily strong words: ransom? squatting? bad faith? I just happened to buy a domain that they might want. I feel like I should just be able to say to them "hey, you want to buy this domain? if not, I won't actually do anything with it, so it's not like you lose anything." It's not like I'm saying "buy this or when someone access knowyourme.me they will see hard-core porn!"

 

[FlyingRon]

You have no bonafide use for the domain. The UDRP will almost assuredly consider you to be "cybersquatting" on the name similar to the trademark.
While what you're doing isn't illegal, they need only pay the fee to the resolution authority and likely wrest control of the domain from you.

 

[dstrout]

What if I were to offer to sell it to them for less than the resolution fee price (which I was planning to do). Wouldn't it be a lot easier for them to say "hey, you know what? We can get it for $200 from this guy, or we can pay $1500 to pry it from him with the UDRP"? On the other hand, they might just say "buzz off, we don't really care about the domain", which is fine by me anyway. I still don't see why it would be counted as illegal, especially if I take it completely offline if they refuse or say nothing.

 

[Just Blue]

" Live Free or Die" dude/tte

 

[Just Blue]

https://forum.freeadvice.com/starting-operating-business-3/starting-web-design-business-544123.html#post2765291
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[dstrout]

" Live Free or Die" dude/tte

I suppose I have gotten here what I paid for.