Fifa threatens legal action over local website

About time people start realising this isnt a free ride for the average South African.

Unless you are part of the elite, you arent going to get to benifit.

Nice try though... :D
 
Plenty of similar cases were in Germany for the previous WC. Fifa is an organisation and if Vosloo did some research before posting his website he would have known this...
There is plenty of ways to get around this though, just dont infringe on their trademarks. Rename the site and take of the Logos.
 
I do wonder though, why is 2010 Soccer World Cup a trademark? If I were to host a soccer world cup for <random group of people not currently covered by fifa> would I then not be able to use the words "2010 Soccer World Cup"?

Using the logos is quite obviously out of bounds, but I'd like to hear the argument with regard to the domain name.

See:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1983840,00.html
http://eur.i1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/i/eu/fifa/3pgen.pdf (note the lack of the word "soccer" anywhere in the document)
 
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The term 2010 Soccer World Cup is a trademark, so the argument is moot. arguing that FIFA are villians because they seek to protect their source of revenue is just stupid. If Vosloo had done any research (i.e. sending FIFA an email) he would have known that what he was doing was not allowed.

I'm so tired of people whining about this. One of the main reasons that the WC is in South Africa is precisely because the government offered this kind of legislative protection of intellectual properties around the WC.

I can understand someone complaining about not being able to name the 2010 tiddliwinks world cup, but honestly anyone who is using "2010" and "soccer" is just trying to ambush the event.

FIFA needs to protect the interests of their sponsors, if they don't, the sponsors will cancel their contracts and the event won't happen.
 
Lack of creativity if you ask me Mr. Vooslo.

All u have to do is play with words. 2010SA would do just fine, contains no trade mark (unless FIFA bloodsuckers have trademarked actually number 2010 and or SA. NOTE do research this time)

You should have build enough awareness with visitors over last 3 years and if ur site offered anything useffull or interesting they will come back.

Run a redirects promoting ur new site. and dance around the legal fence for as long as you can.

Dot just fold up, because some fat corporate tels you to do so.

Viva la free world.
 
arf9999 said:
The term 2010 Soccer World Cup is a trademark, so the argument is moot. arguing that FIFA are villians because they seek to protect their source of revenue is just stupid. If Vosloo had done any research (i.e. sending FIFA an email) he would have known that what he was doing was not allowed.
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Dude I feel ya but at the same time, memories of me being stripped down @ cricket world cup gates cos i favored a particular brand over the sponsors makes me vomit.

I'm not talking about sabotaging an event and bringing in huge corporate banner advertising coke on pepesi event.. im talking having a minute nike logo on my t-shirt...

That kind a **** just don't fly .. what am i suppose to buy new wardrobe for the world cup just cos addidias pays to advertise there?

Also where does all that cash goes, lining up some phat corporate pocket, sport (socer) in particular has become so overrun by money that we plebs are engaged in those ridiculous debates.
 
Agreed on the stripping down at the gates. That is a step to far. But really, what did this guy think using a trademark in his url?
 
BMW did the same thing when the baught the "Mini" brand from Rover a few years back.

A whole pile of websites had "mini" in them (from years back already but rover didn't mind) and BMW got all snotty about it and started ordering them shut down!

There were just so many of them i think they eventually gave up on the idea and it simply frizzeled out.

Silly really, i think they take it too far sometimes.
 
unless you pay fifa thousands you may not use or refer to them in any way.
 
chiskop said:
Agreed on the stripping down at the gates. That is a step to far. But really, what did this guy think using a trademark in his url?
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I agree, but there is a reason for it. Can you imagine if ABSA gives away thousands of red ABSA T-shirts to people walking into the stadiums, thereby ambushing FNB's sponsorship. This kind of thing happened at the 2002 WC in Korea.

FIFA's lawyers are trying to close every possible door, so they'll probably step over the mark a bit, but in SA there is the "reasonable man" criterion in any legal dispute, so infringing on the stupid provisions (like trademarking "2010") can be defended in court.
 
Solution: call the website 2010reservations or something and have no mention of the world cup on your site, just "need a place to stay in 2010?"
 
Took a chance?

I took out the domain about +- 3 years ago.
Some info for all of you.
:eek:
FIFA applies for 2010 trademark control

FIFA has applied for a range of emblems to be trademarked in South Africa and prohibited for use and is probably resting easy in terms of this being one issue that it need not have to worry about. Ever since ambush marketing legislation was promulgated in South Africa just before the Cricket World Cup took place here a few years ago, these laws have been used by a number of other countries as a legislative model for international sponsored events.

But, South Africa has certainly not just rolled over and allowed blanket bans to take place on anything to do with 2010 FIFA World Cup. But has been very democratic and correct about it all with an invitation for public scrutiny and objections to FIFA's request - as is required by the Merchandise Marks Act.

FIFA's request is wide ranging and predictably includes all variations of the South Africa 2010 logo and all the country and relevant logos of all of the previous football world cup events as well all previous world cup emblems, pictures or drawings of the FIFA World Cup Trophy and Jules Rimet Cup.

Also applied for are the following descriptives:

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA
WORLD CUP 2010
RSA 2010
FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
FIFA WORLD CUP
SOUTH AFRICA 2010
SA 2010
2010 FIFA WORLD CUP
AFRICA 2010
SOCCER WORLD CUP
WORLD CUP
SOUTH AFRICA WORLD CUP
2010
ALL NAMES OF ALL SA VENUE CITIES WITH THE FIGURE 2010 BEHIND THEM
TWENTY TEN
WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA
CONFEDERATIONS CUP
WIN IN AFRICA FOR AFRICA
FOOTBALL FOR A BETTER WORLD
If all of these are trademarked it can be assumed that when Ambush Marketing Laws are also applied, companies and brands that are not FIFA sponsors will be prohibited from carrying any of these in their advertising.

Interested persons are invited to submit, in writing, any objections to Mr Net****enzhe, director of commercial law and policy, Pretoria 0001, fax number: +27 (0)12 394 2506 or email [email protected].

The closing date for objections is 2 August 2007.

This request for objections was published, through notice 787 of 2007 in the government gazette, on 21 June 2007, made available on 2 July 2007.

The Minister of Trade and Industry will take into account objections from the public as well as the principles within South Africa's legislation in this area when he decides whether or not to grant the requested trademarks.

The Government acknowledges FIFA's intellectual property rights as one of its guarantees: www.sa2010.gov.za/government/guarantees.php. Protection of intellectual property and marketing rights will be done in accordance with current South African legislation: www.sa2010.gov.za/government/merchandise_marks.php.

[11 Jul 11:35]
 
A number of people here have suggested redirecting the site to a new more-generic url. Why haven't you done that?

Sorry, I don't mean to grill you.:) Although I really think you were taking a chance with that domain name, there's no reason to throw it all away.
 
Havent yet, still own the domain etc. Working on something at the moment
 
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