Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Domain Names : Legal Issues regarding domains,

[prdgy]

Im trying to find out if im violating any laws (ethics aside ) by hosting domains such as:
ARABBANK.ORG
FOXTEL.ORG
OPTUSVISION.NET
SPORTSTAB.NET
TATTSLOTTO.NET
TELSTRA.US
OPTUS.US
These are reputable companies operating in Australia, and their .com counterparts are among the top sites.
At the moment they are just parked, I dont plan to do anything vulgar with them, I just wish to harness the unique traffic these sites generate.

[Patrick]

You are clearly infringing on their trademarks, and that could possibly lead to legal action in the future.

It's not a good idea to do what you have already done.

[prdgy]

even though i forward the user to another website?
I take your point.

[Postmaster]

there is something you can do! Hide your whois details and transfer to a host in Afganistan....lol

[prdgy]

lol
i think ill remove their nameservers, last thing i need is legal action against me.

[Patrick]

Originally posted by prdgy
even though i forward the user to another website?
I take your point.

Yep.

You actually have a higher chance of having legal action taken against you if you are using those trademarked domains to gain money.

For example: Fowarding Telstra.us to your web hosting website is a great way to be sued!

[Postmaster]

mate.... don't get on the wrong side of giant companys... they can crush you like an ant...

hope you have a big pocket..

redirect the domains to there site ontill you can figure a way to make money out of them without getting in trouble... isnt it here responcibilty to secure domains like them anway? epsecially if they really want them... Also they make large susms of money only disagree if you use the domains to make them look bad in anyway they dont like... then they'll have you....

[Lubeca]

I thought the original posting to mean that prdgy runs a hosting company and that the domains belong to a customer.

If that is the situation then I don't think it is prdgy who would get into trouble - he is merely providing a service to a customer. It is his customer who is infringing on trademarks, and who would have legal action taken against him.

But, having said that, there is also the famous Godfrey vs Demon case...:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/695596.stm

However, the reason the ISP was found guilty here was that they failed to remove the offending content after they had been asked to . As long as no one has asked you to remove those web sites you should be in the clear.

[Bashar]

u wont have any legal issues, the owners will be contacted but not the hosting company.

[Postmaster]

prdgy stated this in his first post "I just wish to harness the unique traffic these sites generate."

and he also said that there his customers?

contradicting or what?

[nameslave]

Originally posted by Bashar
u wont have any legal issues, the owners will be contacted but not the hosting company.

Not necessarily Bashar. There were precedent that hosting companies were named as the co-defendants.

[boonchuan]

Hosting them is different from being the owners, but maybe the laws differ. In Singapore, hosting co is not liable for the contents. But laws differ from each country to another

[prdgy]

Originally posted by Postmaster
prdgy stated this in his first post "I just wish to harness the unique traffic these sites generate."

and he also said that there his customers?

contradicting or what?

I dont believe i said they are my customers, I said users. i.e users of the websites. I wish all the users were my customers

I should have made this clearer, i own all these domains, i was also planning to host them. After receiving negative feedback, Im swinging against that decision.

Thanks for your feedback, appreciated!