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Danny_C · 02-27-2002, 05:42 PM

This is completely non-adult-site related.

I helped a friend of mine start a game site in June of 2000 for Neverwinter Nights (yet to be released). We made a good name, but it was a bit long, so he only registered an abbreviated version for the domain. But the site is linked everywhere, and has been around since June, 2000.

Some site came out today with the exact same name, but using the full title in the domain. I decided to bluff the guy and say he was infringing on a trademarked name (my next step was going to be a cease and desist letter)... but he checked the trademark database, which the name isn't in.

So, aren't there some laws that give you automatic trademark and copyright protection once you have a product released to the public? I'd ask our lawyer to help out, but this is a site that doesn't make money, and therefore, I don't want to spend money except as a last resort. My friend who runs the site has put a lot of work into it over the last couple years, and I hate to see this happen.

02-27-2002, 05:42 PM
Danny_C Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,160	Ok, anybody know trademark laws? This is completely non-adult-site related. I helped a friend of mine start a game site in June of 2000 for Neverwinter Nights (yet to be released). We made a good name, but it was a bit long, so he only registered an abbreviated version for the domain. But the site is linked everywhere, and has been around since June, 2000. Some site came out today with the exact same name, but using the full title in the domain. I decided to bluff the guy and say he was infringing on a trademarked name (my next step was going to be a cease and desist letter)... but he checked the trademark database, which the name isn't in. So, aren't there some laws that give you automatic trademark and copyright protection once you have a product released to the public? I'd ask our lawyer to help out, but this is a site that doesn't make money, and therefore, I don't want to spend money except as a last resort. My friend who runs the site has put a lot of work into it over the last couple years, and I hate to see this happen.