Tell HN: LinkedIn says I-dont-have-linkedin.com is infringement
Some time ago I registered https://i-dont-have-linkedin.com just for fun. If you go on it, there's a text that says "Hi there! I don't have LinkedIn because it's super annoying. Have a grand day ".
Now I got this email from LinkedIn:
To Whom It May Concern:
Tracer is authorized by LinkedIn Corporation (LinkedIn) to act on its behalf to submit notices of intellectual property infringement with respect to LinkedIn's trademarks, copyrights, and domain names. A letter of authority is attached.
LinkedIn owns numerous trademark registrations for its mark LINKEDIN, including but not limited to US:3971643, US:4016685, and US:4190987. LinkedIn has made extensive use of its LINKEDIN mark for the purposes of advertising, promotion, and the sale of goods and services.
LinkedIn owns the domain name linkedin.com and uses it to disseminate information via computer networks. As a result, consumers associate LINKEDIN, when included in a domain name, with LinkedIn's products and services.
Please note that according to LinkedIn Brand Guidelines, the use of the LinkedIn trademark or logo is infringing and for that reason needs to be removed, please check here all the details: https://brand.linkedin.com/business-books-and-media-usage#business-and-branding.
It has come to our attention that a registrant using your company’s registrar services has registered the domain name i-dont-have-linkedin.com. This unauthorized use of the registered LINKEDIN mark dilutes its distinctive qualities and may potentially confuse consumers. We have reached out to the registrant but received no response.
Accordingly, we request that you pass this notice along to the current registrant. The domain registration should be allowed to expire, and the registrant should not sell, offer to sell, or transfer the domain name to a third party.
The above statements are made with a good faith belief that the use of the material identified herein in the manner complained of is not authorized by the intellectual property owner, LinkedIn, its agent, or the law; that the above statements and the information contained in this notification are accurate; and that, under penalty of perjury, Tracer is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive rights that are alleged to be infringed.
I don't have the time or energy to challenge this with a lawyer (since it's just a joke website), but would this really infringe on their trademark? But now I kind of don't want to let them win on principle, haha.
> would this really infringe on their trademark?
No, that is not trademark infringement. Trademark infringement happens if you're using a trademark in a way that could confuse people into thinking the trademark owner and you have some sort of relationship.
Ask the EFF if they'll send a response letter for you.
https://www.eff.org/about/contact
That's a good plan.
Also, over the decades, I've received a good number of letters like the OP's, claiming trademark infringement when there was none. Each time, I just replied myself, explaining that my use was not infringing and that I won't comply with their demand. Saying, basically, "sue me". Not once have I heard a peep from them in response.
In my mind, I figured that if I got a real pushback, then I'd have a lawyer deal with it for me if it was worth fighting, or I'd just go ahead and cave if it wasn't. I never had to make that decision, though.
The deal is that, unlike copyright, trademark is explicitly something that you can lose if you don't proactively defend it. As a result, companies will usually send out these sorts of letters for any use of a trademark, legitimate or not, on an automatic basis, but won't take it any further unless they really think there was infringement. Sending out a letter is basically free and doing so covers them on the "have to actively defend the trademark" front.
Thanks, will check it out
My browser prompts me when visiting:
Did you mean linkedin.com? Attackers sometimes mimic sites by making hard-to-see changes to the web address.
What browser are you seeing this in?
Brave
Related link: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/17550072876045-L...
"Now I got this email form LinkedIn"
Actually this (automated) email came from "Tracer" not LinkedIn.
Ah, good point. Did not even see that...