Scratching my head

[OneDay]

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I’ve got a real quandary and I just know this is the place to get some really good advice.

A couple of years ago I ‘acquired’ a domain name when a joint venture failed to materialise. The JV had nothing to do with affiliate marketing and the domain name is the first name of the erstwhile partner and his dog [name and dogsname .com]. I know this sounds like a shaggy dog story but … The other party disappeared soon after I registered the domain for 2 years. Rather than just leave it be I used it for experimental purposes and put some Clickbank products on it (don’t laugh, it was ages ago and I’ve come a long way).

Anyway, the domain will soon be due for renewal and my dilemma is the domain name is the first and last name (separated with ‘and’) of a well known sportsman.
The site gets some traffic for sportsman’s name + muscle building, sportsman’s name + diet etc.

So, first question. Would there be a problem in adding products to the site? The site’s original purpose had nothing to do with sport and there would have been no suggestion that it had anything to do with the sportsman. If I now go and add fitness/sport/diet related products I feel I’ll be sailing close to the wind.

Any suggestions on how I can make use of the domain without using this much loved and respected sportsman’s name in any way that might be construed that he’s endorsing the products?

[accelerator]

Any suggestions on how I can make use of the domain without using this much loved and respected sportsman’s name in any way that might be construed that he’s endorsing the products?

Don't make any reference to him on the site??? You cannot in anyway pretend your site is official.

You don't own the sought after domain (i.e. non-and separated) so that's the one he'd likely have a problem with.

My opinion would also be if you are making sales of their endorsed products, e.g. their fitness video, diet plan, sports wear, they are likely to be ok with this (seeing that you don't have the premium domain). Do they have any endorsed products? You have to ask the question, am I helping this person make money?

(Note if you had sportspersonsname.com that would be likely to upset them - major football stars now have lawyers that get trademark protection for them).

You will find further postings about celebrity sites at acorndomains.co.uk.

Rgds

[Mike_Scott]

Not Frank Bruno by any chance is it LOL.

Love the story... Good luck with it

Mike

[OneDay]

Thanks Accelerator, I’ll have a look at acorndomains.co.uk tomorrow regarding the legality. I think there’ll still be an ethical issue unless I use it as a fan site type of thing with maybe some biography/autobiography type products and then it may look silly with the ‘and’ in the domain name.

cookie_monsta, the whole story of this man and his dog could easily turn into a hilarious novel.

[staystream]

almost certainly on "Right of Publicity" grounds in some US states (eg California). I don't think that flies here in the uk (I don't know for sure, though).