TopChef.com dropped and was caught by DropCatch, the auction is already at $4,150.
Now most people know the Top Chef brand as a tv show on Bravo.
Bravo and others have many live trademarks on the term “Top Chef”
These range from entertainment services, caps, aprons and hats, video discs and many more categories.
The domain name was registered in 2003 and looks to have had one owner who moved around from Australia to Florida to New Zealand.
The site had many looks over the years:
In 2017 the domain started redirecting to a Facebook page. https://facebook.com/topchefsoftheworld/
In 2018 it seems that the owner was having some health problems and was accepting offers over $10,000 for the domain name.
Bravo does run a website on TopChefCutlery.com and there is a TopChefMeals.com
Bravo never seemed to go after TopChef.com when the previous owner had the domain, most likely because it predated the show. First episode date: March 8, 2006, Domain registered 2003.
The new owner might not be as lucky.
I think I see what will happen. Some planning going on;
Topchef
(210)/(260)Application number 3020192045126
(270)Application language de
(220)Application date 2019-02-05
Trade mark office Germany – DPMA
(190)Registration office DE
(111)Registration number 302019204512
(151)Registration date 2019-07-04
(141)Expiry date 2029-02-05
(550)Trade mark type Word
(551)Kind of mark Individual
(511)Nice classification 9,35
Current trade mark status Registered
Opposition period start date 2019-08-09
Opposition period end date 2019-11-11
Expand Collapse the section(510)List of goods and servicesList of goods and servicesGo back to the top
Classification version
Classification kind Nice
Mark standard character
Expand Collapse the sectionDE
Nice class number 9
List of goods and services Software für die Analyse von Unternehmensdaten; Herunterladbare Anwendungssoftware für Smartphones; Computersoftware für den elektronischen Handel, mit der Benutzer elektronische Geschäftstransaktionen über ein weltweites Computernetz durchführen können; Software für die Verarbeitung von Geschäftstransaktionen
Nice class number 35
List of goods and services Unternehmensmarketingdienste
In English;
Software for analyzing company data; Downloadable application software for smartphones; Electronic commerce computer software that allows users to conduct electronic business transactions over a global computer network; Software for processing business transactions
I wont say anymore.
Yes
Haven’t heard of the show before, I would imagine this could be defended in a UDRP, it is hardly going to be a strong trademark.
Since there are 9 live exact match trademarks, I would say it’s not a good idea to bid on it.
Isn’t descriptive.? (Is a question)
As long as they don’t use it in bad faith…
Yes, but if Andrew wins the auction, he probably has the best chance of selling topchef.com before receiving an UDRP.
This is a very weak trademark, it’s completely descriptive. Never heard of the TV show.
The mark is far from weak, and there are several categories. Michael you have a lot of readers who must have no tv, not sure who hasn’t heard of Padma Laskshmi?
I would agree not weak and Bravo has big money behind it, NBC Universal, Comcast.
Bravo has several marks and a few other companies have ip in the mark.
IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: [ CALENDARS, ] COOKBOOKS [, STATIONERY, AND PRINTED RECIPECARDS ]. FIRST USE: 20080430. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20080430
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: PRE-RECORDED VIDEO DISCS, DIGITAL AUDIO AND AUDIO VIDEO [ TAPES AND ] DISCS, FEATURING REALITY COMPETITION TELEVISION PROGRAMS AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING RELATED TO REALITY COMPETITION TELEVISION PROGRAMS; AND INTERACTIVE VIDEO AND COMPUTER GAMES PROGRAMS. FIRST USE: 20081112. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20081112
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S: RESTAURANT SERVICES. FIRST USE: 20100108. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20100108 (Not Bravo)
IC 008. US 023 028 044. G & S: Kitchen cutlery, household utensils, namely chef, kitchen, butcher, and paring knives, shears, and scissors. FIRST USE: 20031001. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20031001 (Not Bravo, what’s interesting is that Bravo has a website at TopChefCutlery.com
TOP CHEF JUNIOR
Goods and Services IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, production of television programming in the nature of a reality competition television series; providing non-downloadable television programs and entertainment programming related to a reality competition television series online via a global computer network; providing online electronic games; providing a website featuring information related to a reality competition television series. FIRST USE: 20171013. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20171013
IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, television programming in the nature of a reality competition television series; providing non-downloadable television programs and entertainment programming related to a reality competition television series online via a global computer network; providing online electronic games; providing a website featuring information related to a reality competition television series; and entertainment services, namely, providing podcasts in the field of a reality competition television series. FIRST USE: 20060308. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20060308
When I saw this domain on the drop list at NameJet, I immediately looked up the Registrar and it was GoDaddy. So if GoDaddy didn’t immediately put it into their own auction, that should tell you something.
So which trademark has the rights?
can’t wait for the answer.