Is this copyright theft?

[Nosmo King]

If a company allows a Domain to expire which was relevant to a product range they no longer market and I buy it... would it be copyright theft to host an affiliate site on it selling similiar goods?

I believe something like this happened to Microsoft a while back.

 

[accelerator]

If they still own a trademark on the term involved in the domain name, then it will be trademark infringement. If you are using a term they have trademarked to bring business to yourself, then you are going to be breaching that trademark. If the domain relates to the trademarked term, they will be able to take it off you.

DYOR etc

All the best

Accelerator

 

[olebean]

King

A trademark may exist, however if you purchase the domain bare in mind if a DRS does occur, you must be able to determin you did not infringe on that right.

 

[Nosmo King]

Thanks for the replies, maybe I'll think again