

Ask HN: need help, trademark infringement for using known TM as part of domain - MrBra

Hello Everyone,<p>I have just recently received a kind of informal cease and desist letter (only a couple of lines, no laws quoted, not even addressed to my full name) from a big messaging company.<p>I&#x27;d like to understand if what the company is claiming is legit.I hope you can help me with this.<p>Here are the facts:<p>Here are the full facts:<p>- I bought a domain name consisting of a popular messaging app name, and the generic word &quot;groups&quot; (.com). For example: telegramgroups.com or groups-for-telegram.com where Telegram is one messaging app.<p>- As soon as I registered it, I started hosting just a simple forum on it, for people to exchange their contacts for that messaging app in order to let them find likeminded people for creating chatting groups on that messaging app.<p>- The domain name includes the messaging app name but the forum makes it clear that the users could exchange any other kind of contacts they wanted too (other messaging services).<p>- I put a couple of Google Ads on the forum, not related to any messaging apps at all.<p>* Being a bit naive on legal matters (don&#x27;t laugh please), and thinking I was not doing anything wrong, I contacted the messaging app directly, asking if it was ok if I used their name in a Google Ad-Words Campaign to advertise my website on Google. Shortly after that, I received an informal short email from the company, telling me that I was not allowed, and that I should also immediately stop using the domain name too, because it&#x27;s representing a trademark infringement.<p>- I am from Europe, The messaging company is based in the U.S., and the hosting-provider&#x2F;domain-name-registrar is based in Canada.<p>So what do you guys think? I&#x27;d love to hear your opinions. I apologize if this was so long and I thank you already for having followed me till here.<p>Thanks a lot.
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DanielStraight
You need to talk to a lawyer, not a random assortment of anonymous HN readers.

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MrBra
Given this is all about rights concerning the Internet and that HN has usually
and obvsiouly been very keen on these matters I thought it could make for an
interesting discussion, at least.

Also who tells you there are no chances of a lawyer reading?

And what would be wrong in trying to get in contact with a lawyer with a deep
knowledge of this industry through here?

Of course I'm not gonna be interested in potential unrelevant discussion.
Thanks, but I knew that already.

