Legal Question in Business Law in Missouri

I own a retail business. I have been in business for a long time. Recently a competitor opened in the area and have taken domain names with my business name in them and have them forwarded to there website. For instance Mcdonalds.com points to Mcdonalds restaurant howeverthe have mcdonaldshamburgers.com and that takes you to burger kings website.

This seems to be totally illegal and wondering what I need to do about this.


Asked on 7/17/10, 6:34 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Anthony Smith LawSmith

This may be acase of cyber squatting or it may be deciet or fraud. You should obtain what domains you can, if you have any right to the name in question. Mcdonaldshambergers may be trandemarked name, which woudl revent BK from doing what you described without powing part of their profits to McDonalds. Hopefully, you have trademarked the name or at least registered it as fictitious name with the Secretary of State. If not, then you may nto any more claim to the name then the perosn doing the web site switch. You shoudl make complaint with the Company hosting the web site and the company that is hanlding hte doman registration for examble GoDaddy, etc. You might also complain to the Attorney General's officde in Jefferson City and the Better Business Burea. If you or yrou competitor are in achmber of Commerce, there may also be a platform to raise your concerns there.

Good luck

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Answered on 7/19/10, 1:26 pm


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