Comments on: Canon Puts an End to Canon Camera Shop

By: Mr Myo

Mr Myo — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 21:13:03 +0000

I want to buy canon camera in dubai
the model is 30D .Where I can buy.please let me know.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sun, 22 May 2005 20:51:13 +0000

Thanks Toni. Actually, they didn’t answer my letter at all besides an e-mail telling me that they were initiating the transfer and another e-mail after I approved it saying thanks.

By: Toni

Toni — Sun, 22 May 2005 20:24:10 +0000

Sorry to hear about this Patrick. I’m sure it is difficult to have to give up a site that you put time and effort into building.

Did they send you any clarifications on how you may use their name as you requested?

By: Dennis Pallett

Dennis Pallett — Fri, 13 May 2005 15:30:06 +0000

Keith has pretty much nailed it. Canon is required by law to go after trademark violations, otherwise they lose it. That’s why Adobe doesn’t like it when you use photoshop as a verb. Didn’t they publish a whole ‘correct-use of the Photoshop term’ article sometime?

If you had asked them before, you might have gotten permission, but it’s too late for now anyway :p

By: Tanner

Tanner — Fri, 13 May 2005 00:49:25 +0000

I see no problem with the site. It clearly says "The Unofficial Shop of Canon Fans" at the top of the page. As Josh said, why "attack" one person/site when they’re a couple other sites with the name Canon in the URL/Name.

My thoughts…..

By: Keith McLaughlin

Keith McLaughlin — Thu, 12 May 2005 21:58:33 +0000

If it was an AWS site, then it's there to make you money. I know you didn't register it with the intention of using their brand to help in that, but I'm sure that's the way they saw it.

I still think you should steer clear of using registered company names in your domain names, as it'll most likely lead to the same result.

Just my 2 cents.

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 12 May 2005 19:53:00 +0000

One thing to consider is that Corporations are forced to defend thier trademarks against any and all violations. If they don’t aggressively defend their trademarks against all infringements they hurt themselves when they try to go after others who misuse their trademarks. This task is probably almost an automated response from their legal department. If you had gotten their edorsment first that would be a diffrent case. Aside from all that, it sucks that you were supporting them and then this happens. Good luck on your other projects.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 12 May 2005 19:24:34 +0000

I'm not interested in having a Canon fan shop, anymore. Maybe a camera shop. Maybe one day. Maybe not. I don't know.

I was using their name because I sold only their products, that's all. I wasn't using it to help me make money (if money was all I wanted, I could have launched a camera shop with all brands and I would have made more). I've always been about more than money. Nothing to do with profiting off their brand or stealing traffic from them or anything like that. I mean, I could see how someone might think that... but, that's just not me.

This isn't going to stop me from registering available domain names that are the best I can find for the sites I dream up or ideas that I have. Not all corporations act the same. One experience with one company is not going to make me not want to make a site or community dedicated to a company that I and others are a fan of.

By: Keith McLaughlin

Keith McLaughlin — Thu, 12 May 2005 19:11:02 +0000

It's understandable that they sent you the cease and desist letter. It is copyright infringement. You were using another company's name to help you make money. It's as simple as that.

I think you should ask them to reimburse you for the price of the domain and then register a new one without any company names in it and open the shop back up.

I'm sure you can still list only canon products, providing the domain doesn't use the word canon, so in effect you'll still have a canon fan shop. But check with them beforehand :-)

As least now you know not to register any more domains with other company names in them :-)

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 12 May 2005 19:07:28 +0000

I took just a minute to find these other domains that include Cannon:
1-best-cannon-printers.com
cannon-cameras.com
cannoncamer.com
cannoncamcorder.com
cannoncamcorders.com
cannoncamra.com
cannoncamaras.com
cannoncamer.com

Many of these domains are clearly based on people typing the wrong letters for the Canon website. Which I could see Cannon having a problem with. So why go after one person and not everyone?

Upon doing a little more research it looks like they may have done the same thing to cannon-accessories.com as it is registered to Canon but there isn't a site active.

Go look at Nissan.com for more info.