Permission to use Trademark revoked?

[toms6928]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the name of your state? IN

Need some advice guys. We are an online company that sells a Manufacturer specific Product. The Manufacturer has the name Trademarked and has had it this way for years.

Around a year ago we asked if we could use their trademarked name in the name of our site. We were told that we could do it and it was fine. They even put a link to our site on their website under Places to Buy their products using the Logo we designed that had their trademark in it. We agreed to only sell their products and other products that work with theirs. Nothing was in writing and it was all verbal approval.

Just today we received a call saying that they are going to force us to stop using the site al together and will have 1 week to close it down. They said it was causing consumer confusion and they were getting calls about our site.

The name of our site is e-trademarkedname.com

Do you think we have any rights to continue using the name and site? If we did and they just cut us off from their products is thereanything we could do about that? Thanks

 

[Michael Wechsler]

What do you think is the reasonable approach? This is not a simple question.

They are the trademark owner and actually helped promote your business for a time. I can understand you may have some time and money invested in the name itself. Perhaps if there is confusion, maybe you guys can solve it by agreeing to change the name of your site and asking them if they can help solve your problem of a lost investment with their consent by promoting your new name. Even if you do win a battle with the name, it seems you might lose the war because I'm not sure what right you'd have that would force the company to also sell products to you. Thus to me, on the surface without more details, the above would be an appropriate apporach.