Copying a famous domain

[Hubie]

Is a domain such as "foodebay.com" or "jonsmyspace.com" or "familyfacebook.com" illegal? obviously these are plays on ebay, myspace, facebook, and the list could go on forever of famous domain names that other sites could theme in a way the famous site does. would registering a domain name like this and running a site like this be shut down? or is this fair play on the net?

[Webwork]

Why choose this path Hubie?

Why would you elect to use their trademark in your website name when there are billions of other possibilities?

[callivert]

I think what webwork is trying to tell you is: this is unethical. you're riding on the coat-tails of the hard work and brand-building of other people.
I would add the following: it's not fair play on the internet, and if they catch you they'll take your domain away. Now, certainly, many people do it and don't get caught. But many people run red lights when they drive, and don't get caught.

[buckworks]

Another big issue besides ethics is effectiveness. Being a copy cat will always put limits on your potential.

[martinibuster]

Would be a shame to achieve a level of success only to receive a certified letter from an attorney in Washington D.C or New York, NY demanding you relinquish the domain.

[jtara]

A few years ago it was popular to name software packages "Foo for Windows". It seems not so popular today - not sure if Microsoft took action or it just went out of style.

I think that's about as close as you can get, and at least you could make an argument that there is no confusion as to source.

If you have a site that provides enchancements for users of another site, this might be a legitimate case.

But expect a challenge and expense in cases where the site is agressive about protecting their brand.

(There also were a slew of MacInFoo products. I think this gets into a much more grey area.)

[vik_c]

It's possible to think up domain names, even single word domain names, that have good recall and potential to become brands, if all goes well. Just do some brain racking.

[smartpc]

It`s a no-no this practice is trademark infringement and can get you in s##t. aka court case. Would you like somebody doing this to a site/brand you created?

[pkonink]

One of the local news stations here (Portland, Oregon) ran a story about this a while back. I guess Ebay specifically is very alert to this practice.

It seems a real estate agent got a strongly worded letter (or a lawsuit, can't remember which) from Ebay because he had registered depoebay.com ... Depoe Bay is the name of a town in Oregon. So AFAIK this guy's case was thrown out, but it serves as a good example about how companies like Ebay take this very seriously.