Username Copyright

1. 80

   LeanManposted 12 years ago

   Now that we have our own domains, can someone claim that our username infringes their copyright?
   I have been contacted by someone that claims that my username and site infringes their copyright as it is their company name - not that I knew of them! Can a username infringe copyright if it is two common words joined?

   replyreport
2. 80

   LeanManposted 12 years ago

   Have just done a little digging myself and it seems that copyright does not protect domain names, nor any other name... so no need to worry about anything!! lol.
   
   http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

   replyreport
3. 95

   melbelposted 12 years ago

   Tell them that you are a man and you just so happen to be lean.
   
   Or you could mail poo to their office and change your username to MeanMan.

   replyreport
   1. 59

      capricornrisingposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ha ha ha ha!

      replyreport
   2. 70

      ankitharrytomposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      +1

      replyreport
4. 73

   relacheposted 12 years ago

   It all comes down to how you are using it and if the material you are putting out could be mistaken for the trademark holder.
   
   Whitehouse dot com is an adult website and whitehouse dot gov is the US government, but since the dot com site isn't pretending to represent anything resembling the US government, they get to keep their website fair and square.
   
   Now, i'm not a lawyer but how this is supposed to work is that if you are doing anything that could be genuinely confused with their biz, they have a legit claim.  And if not, they are just bullying you.  But your best bet would be to call someplace that provides free or low-cost legal counsel and get a qualified opinion. 
   
   And don't snark at them or be rude, that will just fuel them up to get you.

   replyreport
   1. 80

      LeanManposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I offered them a couple of links and asked to join their affiliate program... lol Very politely...

      replyreport
5. 69

   sunforgedposted 12 years ago

   Id expected your current country isnt to forward on trademark and copyright law anyway ... but I was wrong .. ruh oh ... all modeled after US Law.
   
   Not that it matters, but its Trademark Law that you would have to have been researching.
   
   As I see it .. not having anything but the most cursory and often hung over education in such things ... One can actually trademark common terms and phrases as you wondered in your OP .. for example "Apple" is well trademarked, isnt it.
   
   But thats because the "common term" has nothing to do with the industry/product
   
   I dont see that anyone in the "Lean Manufacturing" field would ever be able to trademark "LeanMan" (from my limited understanding)
   
   heres a non-helpful link: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/ … 29049.html

   replyreport
   1. 80

      LeanManposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The guy specifically mentions copyright not trademark and trademark is notoriously difficult to use for common words! His website is not covered in little trade mark symbols or anything else..... The Philippines follows mostly US law, but it would apply against HP I guess as much as me personally if it did infringe a trademark..
      I did actually find him almost a year ago and asked if he had an affiliate program for his products but received no reply from him!!!!  I don't compete with him so ... I don't see that there could be a problem!

      replyreport
      1. 80

         LeanManposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Have done a trademark search and it is not registered.. So nothing he can insist on.....

         replyreport
         1. 59

            capricornrisingposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I seriously would NOT worry about it, LeanMan. Until he files some kind of suit against you, which would cost HIM money, and then the burden of proof would be on him. I say cross the bridge when you get there.

            replyreport
6. 87

   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   I have a photography website ,blog and sell on an art site and discovered another person using my name and spelling. I couldn't make them take it down so had to make it as distinct as possible so buyers wouldn't be confused.
   It's a good question and one I wondered about.

   replyreport