Copyright Company Names

[rjlstar]

Say there is a company called Variable already out. And I wanted to name my company Variable.net. Will I not be sued because I have .net attached to the end of my company name?

[transmothra]

it's perfectly possible. the general rule of thumb is that if somebody can prove that they used the name before you did, you'd basically have to give up rights to the name, or change it to something SUFFICIENTLY different.

it works more or less the same way with bands (that's why you see bands with the suffix "UK" or "Japan" or "America" tacked on to the ends of their names).

personally, i think the safest thing in the world is to make up a whole new word that you just KNOW nobody hasn't used.

[rjlstar]

I find that very hard. Well, actually I could make a totally original word, but it will sound bad. :O@ The good sounding words are always taken. :rolleyes:

I noticed that different people own the same domain, but with a different extension. (www.domain.xxx) For example: One dude owns www.domain.com and another owns www.domain.net. So are they constantly suing each other or is it not against the law to have a company name of a different domain extension?

[transmothra]

more than likely one side just never bothered to make a big deal over it, or the two parties reached an agreement on their own. who knows?

if you can't make up a single word (that is kinda hard, but look at Google and Yahoo! and all those other biggies out there whose names mean utterly nothing)... then just combine two in the weirdest or most creative way possible. the upshot is that the weirder the name, the more likely someone's gonna have a good chuckle-- and remember it.

[SCDLT]

I have seen on some sites something that says something to the effect of:
variable.net is in no way, shape or form affiliated with Variable, Inc.

I guess this releases them of the responsibility.
I'm only 17, so don't assume this is right.

[Horus_Kol]

having the same/similar name as another group is not always a problem.

What they have to show is that you have infringed upon their name-earnings.

If you have a totally unrelated product, then there can't be any competition.

Unfortunately, it is a bit of a grey area, especially where REALLY large groups are involved (like Microsoft and IBM and such).

[DabrowskiGroup]

I could be wrong, but I heard long ago that Yahoo stands for Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle. Just thought transmothra might be interested, but like I said, I don't know for sure.

[Horus_Kol]

and Google is derive from Googol - which is the second largest number with a name (something like 10 to the power of a 100) - supposedly because of the Googol of sites they link to...

[Leonisknovo]

Originally posted by transmothra

if you can't make up a single word (that is kinda hard, but look at Google and Yahoo! and all those other biggies out there whose names mean utterly nothing)... then just combine two in the weirdest or most creative way possible. the upshot is that the weirder the name, the more likely someone's gonna have a good chuckle-- and remember it.

Leonisknovo! lol
Leon = American (because I AM american)
Isk = Wanted to fasion into a Russian-ish name
Novo = Basicly same reason as the 'Isk' part

Combined = Leonisknovo.

The 'Novo' 'Ovo' 'Isk' etc. are all vital
to a Russian name;

To help y'all out, its pronounced 'Lee-On-Isk-Nov'

As for my option, I'm not the best in legal stuff
but I think if your name ends like .NET or something,
then it should be enough different...