4 ms·
Right, so you're using one of your competitors' names quite prominently on your own site? And, er, you think that's ok?
by bshimmin 9y ago
Right, so you're using one of your competitors' names quite prominently on your own site? And, er, you think that's ok?
- logfromblammo 9y agoIt's AZLyrics's responsibility to police their own trademarks, so it's okay, unless they say it is not in a C&D letter. So it's legally okay, as far as we know. Still a dick move, though. It's not okay in my opinion. But I'm not the one who may gain or lose thousands of dollars by deciding whether or not to do it, either. I can't say for certain whether it would be okay or not from outside my comfy judgment armchair.
- ScottBurson 9y agoIt's blatant, intentional trademark infringement for direct commercial gain. IANAL, but I would think this might result in something quite a bit more expensive than a C&D -- like a lawsuit with punitive damages. ETA: and now the site owner is on record here on HN stating that the intent was to steal search traffic. I'm sure this is a cutthroat business ... but this is an open invitation for one's own throat to be cut.
- yvoschaap2 9y agoSo many lawyers here on HN, I forgot...
- wumbolad 9y agoYeah man these people are crazy
- ScottBurson 9y agoIt's not us you need to worry about. Good luck!
- logfromblammo 9y agoThe USPTO trademark search system (TESS [0]) reveals that "azlyrics" is not a registered trademark [in the US]. If the company hasn't registered it, and doesn't enforce it, it is not a trademark. [0] http://tess2.uspto.gov/ http://tess2.uspto.gov/
- rhizome 9y agoOn "initial interest confusion": http://www.klemchuk.com/30-trademark-infringement-by-meta-tags/ http://www.klemchuk.com/30-trademark-infringement-by-meta-ta...
- ChristianBundy 9y agoYeah, that's incredibly shady.
- jethro_tell 9y agoThe whole thing is pretty parasitic. 'How I let other people create so I don't have to work'
- kornish 9y agoReminds me of how some companies will take out Adwords for direct competitors' names to show up in the top of search results for their competitors.