Ask HN: Magento Inc does not want me to use the domain magentocasts.org

4 points·gketuma··5 comments

I created some screencasts regarding Magento development and decided to put them online. Two days ago I bought the domain magentocasts.org and before I could use it, I received a cease and desist regarding the domain. What are my options? At least they should refund my money for the domain purchase.

Here is the letter:

http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=n1KU0eVH

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I wouldn't try fighting them on it. If you do and they take you to court, you are going to be SOL. Find a new brand name and the domain to go with it.

Sorry man!

IANAL and this is not legal advice, but trademark law doesn't favor you. In order to keep their trademark, they must defend it. Unlike patents, trademarks must be actively maintained. They owe you nothing for the domain name because they didn't ask you to register it.

They even have a link to their trademark rules, which explicitly tell you not to use their name in domains, on their front page, so it is not exactly surprising...

Asking for them to give you money would IMHO be very rude (and pointless, since they have no reason to do so)

If you live in the US, you lost. Do what the letter says. They definitely will not pay for you to violate their trademark, either.

Also if you don't live in the US. I've had several of these emails because of the same reason (I wasn't familiar with trademark law back then). It's pointless in fighting it, they have the law on their side.

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