googledirectory.co.za? advisable or not

[iPuma]

If i can get this domain, Is it advisable to take it or isnt it a good idea with the name, will google ban it or is it a good name
Thanks

[bruleo]

This just my opinion, but I wouldn't bother. You are dealing with highly recognisable brand name and not just a generic term.

There have been numerous incidents recently where domains with trademarks were taken down, sometimes with very large fines in the process. Prada just won a dispute with a company in China (I think) that had prada in the name.

However, it would depend entirely on what you plan to do with it.

From a personal point of view, I generally reject websites from my directories if they are playing on another's trademark. The only difference would be if the site was an informational site telling you about the company, or selling products from that company under licence. However, that last example would usually be against the companies terms anyway. I am an affiliate of a quite a few large businesses and all of them, without exception ban you from selling goods from a domain that has their name in it!

If you intend using it as a directory, then you would be seen as a direct competitor and IF it came to legal decision, you wouldn't stand a chance.

That fact that you had to ask should tell you to err on the side of caution.

All that said, there have been instances where sites get away with it and continue to do business regardless, so as they say, the choice is yours.

Bruce.

[iPuma]

thanks for your advice

[bochgoch]

[/URL]got to agree with [URL="http://www.phplinkdirectory.com/forum/member.php?u=7940"]bruleo (http://www.phplinkdirectory.com/forum/member.php?u=7940) I wouldn't bother with a domain name with Google in it for any purposes... just not worth the risk and against Adsense TOS

[dscurlock]

If i can get this domain, Is it advisable to take it or isnt it a good idea with the name, will google ban it or is it a good name
Thanks

absolutely not...I got a domain once that contained the name of a very popular company, in no time, their consultants were coming to the site, and they complained to the company about the domain i was using. I rec'd
a call from the company, they claimed to be from their legal dept asking me to remove the domain. I also got an email from someone who claimed to be their attonery with full business card attachment that works litigation
stuff... and he told me to remove the domain and if i refused the company would proceed to the next level of action...big companies have big attorneys, and big money, and i suspect google has bigger attorneys...so messing with another compaines name in any form is not a good idea...

using the domain you mentioned would suggest it would be a legit google directory. I am sure
google would take great offense, even if you used it for a freebie thing, im sure google would
contact you in no time...