by Let there be NO DOUBT on the Internets that I, David W. Boles, am, are, and forever shall be, THE Script Professor! I have been THE Script Professor since November 28, 2005, so let there be no question to my authenticity as pale imitators and purposeful thieves step forward and try to wrangle in private and modify in public my mark to serve their selfish ends by fogging reality and futzing legal authority.
I am writing this claim to being THE Script Professor because, over the weekend, I noticed links that I did not craft, started showing up in my Google Alerts Inbox for “The Script Professor.”
Following those links led me back to a brand new blog that had usurped the authority of my pre-existing ScriptProfessor.com domain name by sneakily adding a “THE” in front front of my original domain URL. What a jerk! What a thief of ideas! What a totally immoral person!
Here’s the official WHOIS listing for ScriptProfessor.com to show you my preserved mark in action:
Here is the takedown letter I just sent to the owner of the infringing domain in question:
Hi there —
Do you realize your new domain name infringes on my ScriptProfessor.com website and intellectual property?
By merely adding a “the” before my pre-existing business domain name does not protect you from infringing on my right to use that business name as I have been doing on the internet since November 28, 2005.
I am asking you to stop using “TheScriptProfesor.com” immediately or I will have to take DMCA action against you with your domain registrar.
Thank you,
db
One can always try to append a “the” to the front of an existing entity’s domain name and try to get away with it — but on the moral core of the mortal coil — one cannot escape the skeeviness of it in purpose and practice and the infringer’s intent is to deceive and confuse the marketplace.
I will let you know if and when I get a reply from the intellectual infringer and if there is compliance with my Takedown Notice or not!
Nobody would think of registering thestarbucks.com — or at least nobody would be dumb enough to do it. This person clearly had a lot of nerve to do so!
You could probably get away with adding “the” to a generic name, or one that serves a different business purpose and try to get away with it — like TheApple.com or something — but something so specific like TheMicrosoft.com or TheScriptProfessor.com is another bundle of bees, especially when the website intentions are so close in purpose in the marketplace.
I just registered TheUnitedStage.com to be safe because that’s a “the” with real value. Can you imagine companies having to go and add “the” and “a” and such to their originating domain names to thwart these idea thieves? It’s sickening!