Glendale, CA asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for California

Q: If I create a domain name, and if the domain name happens to be someone's Twitter handle, is that a illegal?

In other words, if the domain name I've created and purchased also turns out to be someone's personal Twitter handle (not a business), would that be a violation of any copyright/trademark/intellectual property laws?

3 Lawyer Answers

A: The most likely answer you're going to get here is "it depends".

You should feel free to consult with an attorney so you can discuss more specific facts.

A: Possibly

You should consult with an attorney

A: Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. In copyright law, there are a lot of different types of works, including paintings, photographs, illustrations, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, poems, blog posts, movies, architectural works, plays, and so much more!

A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or services. It’s how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors.

Personal twitter handle is mostly an account name. Unless it is registered also as a trademark, I don't think there is infringement on your part solely based on the use of it as your domain name.

1 user found this answer helpful

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