Ask HN: Selling domains that another site started to use?

1 pointkj123452 comments

I registered a domain name (.com, .net, and .org) for a startup I'm working on, and before I could launch, someone registered the .info domain and started a legitimate business on there. I came up with a new name for my site and am not going to try to use the old name, but is best to try to sell this other site the TLDs I own, auction them, give them away, or just let them expire?

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Sounds like you didn't apply for a trademark, did the other guy? You can do a trademark search here: http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=400...

Either way, if the other guy is running a legitimate business AND received a trademark, he'll probably be able to force you to hand those over. That may be true a little longer down the line even if he doesn't hold the trademark.

If you don't have any investment (other than the $7 or so), selling to them for a reasonable (whatever that means) price is probably the most useful course for both sides.

Neither of us has registered the trademark but they're using it on Twitter etc and they're close enough in what they're doing to cause confusion. Thanks for the response.

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