Afternoon Folks!!
So today I get a WIPO action from a company in Brazil I never heard of until today. What struck me was that it was one of the most generic domains I own. SaveMe.com
I hand registered this domain in 1996. Before this company was even in business or thought of. They decided to go the lawyer route and try to reverse hijack this domain that they have no claim to whatsoever. Now I am going to stick it up thier asses! :-)
But it gets better. As I am going through the attachments and this CLOWN, Márcio Mello Chaves, contacted me back in August to buy the domain name. I told them at that time “High 6 Figures”. He came back at $10k and I said not even $100k. End of that chain. There may be more, have not researched anything yet on my end. (See comment 99 for details)
The clown is actually the attorney that filed the WIPO Action. So now that I know this CLOWN, Márcio Mello Chaves is just a wolf in sheeps clothing he is a low life to me. When some LOW LIFE stoops to that level, that rubs me the wrong way and I intend to use this guy as an example along with the CHEAP PRICKS he represents. Oh, that would be himself and brother pictured below. Marcio on the left and Heitor on the right of Buscape.com.br. Guys that appear to be professionals and would not suspect them of doing bad things and so now they are EXPOSED for the WORLD to see!
Did these two CHUMPS conspire against me and my domain name to Reverse Domain Hijack Saveme.com because they own SaveMe.com.br and were too cheap or did not have the money to buy MY domain name? Now I am going to stick it up BOTH of their asses. Let's find out what they KNEW in June 2010 when they opened up shop. Are these CHUMPS going to claim they did not know the dotcom version was taken???
But more importantly to YOU, this is what I learned. Just like the .co leaked 61%, one of the documents they filed show that 43% of my traffic comes from Brazil. The traffic they might be leaking. Why?? Because this CLOWN represents SaveMe.com.br and they have a HUGE LEAK! Or so they say.
Yo Baby!! That’s what I have been talking about for years now and especially recently. Not my fault dude. Not my problem dude. There are thousands with similar problems. Talk to ICANN. The new gtld's will only make it more of a clusterfuck. No Johnny Come Lately is going to even TRY and take what I own after this. I am going to hang my hat on this action.
So Buscape.com.br aka saveme.com.br filed a WIPO today because they think that is cheaper. They think they are entiltled. Well guess what? Bad move SPORT! The value of this domain just went up. That is why dotcom is KING! So this guy with no ethics decided to try this little trick. Because of that, I will make him a poster boy so others know what is coming and how it is coming. I will be as transparent as I can be. Just like Goofoff.com and what became of a similar sitution. These morons just don't seem to learn. So they need to be educated. That only happens when the thing explodes in their face. That is unfortunate. My job is to protect every other domain I own from similar jerks. So each time I have no choice but to make them regret their actions.
There is no company on earth that should be allowed to intimidate any domain owner at any level. So Márcio Mello Chaves I am going to make you famous. You and the idiots you represent might have this all come back on you. That's before I even mess with MY domain SaveMe.com which I am sure I can use in a very effective way to illustrate what a FOOL you and your clients are. To make sure your own customers know what you folks are and how you behave. Preadators! I never initiated contact with you but if you mess and poke this lion, be prepared to explain things to everyone you know and everyone you will ever know. As they said in the 'Social Network', the Internet is in INK.
So this will never go away and will only be a search away. Bloggers will blog about your behavior and that of your client. Then customers might not think they want to do business with such a predator. Assuming you have any customers. When it spins out of control, look in the mirror. You are fucking with MY LIVELY-HOOD and that is a place that not only I will defend, but will legally SLAY anyone that gets in the way. I will do everything legally and openly, but tastefully is not a promise. I am going to stick it up your asses in the most unpleasant and disgusting way I know how in front of the world. I will always be factual. But I don't always have good taste or play by any other rules other than by what is legal. If you folks get embarrassed, so be it. If you have to explain to your family and neighbors, so be it. WIPO is public and so is everything to come.
Márcio Mello Chaves, Heitor Chaves and SaveMe.com.br.....You are going to be the poster boys that ends up protecting every dot com domain holder in the world from predators and lowlifes like you. SCUM! Márcio Mello Chaves, you and your brother just peed on the HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FENCE! Me. But you and that third rate company you represent can't afford MY domain name. Dotcom is KING! I have owned SaveMe.com for 16 YEARS and you will not STEAL it from me or anyone. You and SaveMe.com.br are just being exposed as the predators you are. Maybe those tactics work for you sometimes, not here. Not ever again. Let's see what your own customers have to say when this goes viral. You opened this can of worms. DEAL WITH IT! Here is his Linkedin Page so if you get an email from him, run!
More to come. I have a mission. :-) In the way these folks think, just go ahead and register any country code or 3rd class domain and then go after the dotcom because of some sense of entitlement to things they don't own just because it will make their business stronger or better or more competitive. So if I buy a house in Kansas with a 500 Park Avenue address, I am certainly entitled to throw out the guy in New York City if I do well according to their bent logic.
Márcio Mello Chaves of Brazil Acting in BAD FAITH!
The POSTER BOY for Reverse Domain Hijacking
What can you do? Spread the word. Save me and Save you. It's the gospel to anyone that makes a living online. How fitting to have the SaveMe.com domain name used in this landmark case. Some may say....Miraculous!!
Rick Schwartz
UPDATE: Here is the actual Complaint: You all should read this because his allegations and extreme over reaches would have a bearing on many of you.
Você simpatiza com gente que tenta dar um 'jeitinho' para tomar coisas que não lhes pertence?
Este é o caso de 2 irmãos no Brasil que estão por trás de um site relativamente novo, o SaveMe.com.br. Veja, eu possuo o domínio genérico SaveMe.com aqui nos EUA desde 1996, quando o domínio (aquilo que vem depois do www...) estava livre e eu o registrei. 16 anos mais tarde, esta empresa no Brasil parece ter optado por um caminho sujo, após registrar o domínio SaveMe.com.br, em 2010.
Agora eles querem o MEU domínio, e não querem pagar por isso!!! Eles simplesmente querem que a justiça lhes 'entregue' o domínio. Sem mesmo ter uma marca registrada do nome 'Save Me' no Brasil, quanto mais aqui nos EUA, eles decidiram entrar com uma ação contra mim e meu domínio de 16 anos. Note que, antes de entrarem com uma ação, eles fizeram ofertas pelo domínio, mas eu as rejeitei, simplesmente porque não estavam no patamar adequado, com a agravante de que não informaram corretamente quem eram (ou seja, mentiram). Eu nunca soube que eles representavam esta empresa até que esta semana recebi uma intimação. Acredito que você possa ver claramente as implicações do que eles estão tentando fazer, pois eles não têm quaisquer direitos sobre aquilo que não lhes pertence.
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Este es el caso de 2 hermanos en Brasil que aparentemente operan un sitio web relativamente nuevo; 'Saveme.com.br' Ocurre que yo soy dueño del dominio genérico Saveme.com' en los Estados Unidos (USA) desde el año 1996 cuando lo registre a mano. 15 años más tarde esta empresa en Brasil parece haber encontrado algo valioso al registrar 'SaveMe.com.br' en el 2010.
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Do you like people that try and take things that don't belong to them?
Such is the case with 2 brothers in Brazil that seem to run a fairly new site SaveMe.com.br
See, I own the generic domain name here in the USA SaveMe.com since 1996 when I hand registered it. 15 years later this company in Brazil seems to have hit pay dirt after registering SaveMe.com.br. in 2010.
Now they want MY domain name and they don't want to pay fair market value. They want the courts to just give it to them. Without even a trademark in Brazil let alone the USA, they have decided to file a suit against me and my domain of 16 years. See I refused their offers because they simply were not in the ballpark plus he misrepresented who he was. I never knew he represented this company until this week when I got the papers. I think you can clearly see the implications and that they have no rights to what does not belong to them.
If you ever use this company, you might want to tell them not to try and take things that don't belong to them.
3/19/2012 UPDATE:
Let's see if he responds or ABANDONS this suit. We will know in 5 days.
'In accordance with Rules, Paragraph 4(b), you are hereby notified of the following formal deficiency with your Complaint:
(1) The text below section (C) of the Complaint, with the emboldened heading “Bad Faith in the Domain Name Use”, does not appear to describe why the domain name should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith.
Please note that paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy and paragraph 3(b)(ix)(3) of the Rules require a complainant to describe why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith.
(2) The Complaint has not been signed (in any electronic format) by the Complainant or its authorized representative, as required by Rules, Paragraph 3(b)(xiv).
Unless the deficiency specified above are cured within five (5) calendar days, March 24, 2012, of the date of this notification, in accordance with Rules, Paragraph 4(b), your Complaint will be deemed withdrawn, without prejudice to the submission of a new Complaint by you.'
I think I can hang my hat on this part: 'Please note that paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy and paragraph 3(b)(ix)(3) of the Rules require a complainant to describe why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith.'
Now please tell me how I REGISTERED saveme.com in Bad Faith in 1996? He can't. And so on this single point alone he will lose. 'USED and REGISTERED' are the keys. Of course that is only one set of keys. There will be a multitude of reasons his claim will be denied!
4/25/2012 UPDATE: Yesterday we filed and published our official legal response to this suit. You can read the contents at: http://www.erealestate.com/saveme.htm
Scott
I was waiting to see this post. Go get ’em, Rick. Funny thing is Kboing.com was sold to kboing.com.br for $150K recently and that isn’t generic at all like SaveMe.com is.
Acro
Any ccTLD that includes the”.com” subdomain with plenty of traffic (Saveme.com.br has an Alexa rating of 4,725) will leak traffic to the matching .com
Reversely, .com domains that match the country codes receive traffic, e.g. pizza.gr.com receives traffic from pizza.gr
I’ve two domains with high traffic from Brazil; the .com.br equivalents of those generics are a sure type-in source of traffic.
According to Alexa at http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/http%3A%2F%2Fsaveme.com# 100% of the visits to Saveme.com are Google.com.br searches, of which 73% then goes to Saveme.com.br (top result in Google for”saveme”) and the remainder goes back to Google.
From my personal experience, Brazilian buyers are extremely stingy and usually contend with the .com.br. In this case, obviously, it’s a non-brainer that you have legitimate rights to the domain. The Brazilians are 16 years too late!
Owen frager
Now I’ll tell you that this name is what OVERSTOCK should rebrand to or it could be Googles answer to Groupon. The save me app could be the first place you go to find a better deal on anything you buy.
Meanwhile it can be a slide show photos of polar bears, glaciers, whales, chimps, the planet with call to action help save yourself by saving the old donte at saveme.com
This is the name I was hinting to when I suggested you owned the bet cloud name. Saveme.com is the ultimate file cabinet. In cyberspace– as in the $600 million drop box turned down
Good luck!
Tim Davids
They have links in their footer showing other domains I assume they own…country code names.
Maybe they should just get .saveme or .gagme :)
Acro
DomainTools shows the Brazilian domain was registered in 2010, so even with an assumed tm they stand no chance. Howard will cut through this like a laser cutting butter.
Ron
Rick, It is time for you to get damages for Reverse Name Hijacking, set a precedent, to many of these wolves are waking up to see they missed the boat, and instead of acting like business men, are acting like cowards, and hiding behind over priced lawyers in cheap polyester suits.
scott alliy
Despite your best efforts thru TRAFFIC conferences etc. lack of education about domain names to end users has led to these lowball offers and ridiculous expectations IMO.
Here is a great quote you can use when talking to the other party from the movie Hoosiers
Look, mister, there’s… two kinds of dumb, uh… guy that gets naked and runs out in the snow and barks at the moon, and, uh, guy who does the same thing in my living room. First one don’t matter, the second one you’re kinda forced to deal with. LOL
Good luck and Keep us posted …
Ron
Rick, I think you should fild a udrp for saveme.com.br out of spite.
BullS
Yea–kick his A*ss but leave the Brazillian gals to me
Again–dot com is what again…..KING
Rick Schwartz
Acro,
That is why they are going to be the Poster Boy and Poster Company for”Reverse Domain Hijacking” and show the masses exactly what it looks like when it happens and who is behind them. We will find out of they got any domains through intimidation. Then we will see how their own customers react when they find out. Most people are fair minded. They know how to put themselves in the shoes of others. This one stinks an ocean away! When they search SaveMe.com from now on they will find this mess added to the 43% that I am about to talk to directly as soon as I figure out a NEW WAY to use Saveme.com that will change things dramatically and ruffle a few feathers. :-)
Rafique Ahmed
This is a big proof of traffic leak you always talked about in your blog. You are giving us right direction all the time. We love your blog Rick. Never stop blogging. We eagerly wait to hear from legend like you. Best of luck.
Rick Schwartz
Here’s what happened when the idiot Lawyers for GoofOff embarked on a similar journey.
http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2010/07/the-goofoffcom-back-story.html
And their case had more merit. But the same type wolf.
Frank Schilling
I am looking forward to hearing how this ends. Good luck Rick.
Guy
you Rock Rick!
hopefully they will see sense and cancel wipo and pony up the money they have to instead of trying to steal via wipo
thankyou mate for always being candid and honest
they made a mistake when they thought the bespectacled gentleman sitting in the corner would come quietly when they tried to bully him.
big mistake. they ain’t seen Rick fight
http://www.tonyrogers.com/humor/images/valuev1_large.jpg
Ron
Judging by the layout of the site, and the declining margins of group deals, I am guessing they know they cannot afford to pay the fair value of the domain, and this is just a one off cheap way of basically attempting to steal it, with little consequence, or so they imagined.
Dietmar Stefitz
Rick, this story would be great for a Keynote Speech at our Conference in Valencia. Please come and tell us …..
Rick Schwartz
I can’t wait for this WIPO action to be published if it is even accepted. They throw everything and have nothing.
They have no trademark and accuse me of this and that. Then they say my domain is a typo of theirs.
They said it was going to a pornographic website but also admit it has been parked. So which is it? Their evidence is some guy on Twitter saying something in another language I don’t even understand.
And since they accused me of it, why not stick it in their face? They want it, I can give it to them. I am still figuring out the best way to upset them. ;-)
Rick Schwartz
They ask for a 3 person panel to decide which is good.
However they are all from Brazil. Nice try!!
Rick Schwartz
What makes this really funny. Is they accuse me of diverting customers of a company I never even knew existed plus I don’t read or understand Spanish or Portuguese. DUH!! I must have been clairvoyant and figured out how to do this in 1996 a full 14 years before they knew they existed with no trademark even in Brazil. They BLAME the backlog in the Brazilian Government for not having the trademark yet. :-)
Acro
Rick, while it’s great publicizing all their flaws, it’s also prudent to keep your cards closed. Just give it to them royally at the WIPO, then we’ll all rejoice. This is a monumentally flawed case but apparently they did zero research.
Rick Schwartz
Sorry Acro, not my style. I am laying it all out there on this moron so the next moron knows better.
I am going to get my pound of Flesh FIRST and then we can await the decision. I want to be on record each step of the way. I am protecting more than one domain name and more than one domainer. When this shit happens, they need to be put on notice.
I am willing to stand up TALL and LOUD for what I own and protect what I have. Others can play it their way, I have my own very effective manner. ;-) I was minding my own business until I got the email today and I have seen this bullshit pulled on domainers that can’t afford to fight. This one is for them! I hate this tactic and the more it is exposed, the better for everyone.
People and companies have to deal with the consequences of their actions. I am their consequence!
Rick Schwartz
Let the fun begin.
I am forwarding some very special domain names to this guys linkedin page within a few hours.
Let the world know what a legal”Whore” looks like.
Andy Booth
Really looking forward to the aftermath of this, perhaps eventually these leeches will get the message. This domain is now 7 figures plus after you walk away victorious.
Rick Schwartz
Here is the actual and COMICAL complaint. If he had his way everyone from Brazil and every other country would have automatic rights to your dotcom.
http://www.erealestate.com/BUSCAPE%20-%20SaveMe%20WIPO%20Arbitration%20-%2012mar12.pdf
Bill Sweetman
Rick,
First of all, good luck nailing these folks against the wall. Wow.
Second, the pathetic thing is that although to us domain folks this appears to be a slam dunk for you, the UDRP process is so flawed, biased, and basically broken that even a rock solid case like yours could still be found in favor of the other side. I now have almost zero faith in the UDRP process based on so many bad rulings over the last few years. Here’s hoping you not only win this but get a RDNH ruling that actually has an impact on these wannabe domain stealers.
Go get ’em!
Rick Schwartz
Bill we are not only going to get a RDNH but Howard is looking for a Brazilian counterpart as we want to establish”Case Law” on this one because it is such a slam dunk. I am working on the NEW SaveMe.com and I have a hunch they might not like what they see and will be especially upset when their own customers call them on it. I guess I have to translate everything in Spanish and Portuguese. My first site in 3 languages!!
I hope Marcio likes all the new traffic his linkedin page is getting from Whore.com and Whores.com but I think he may have a better understanding of Puta.com. We’ll see. Business ain’t bean bag and when folks interfere with my business, well I have fun with them until they find out is no longer in their best interest.
Scott
“I am willing to stand up TALL and LOUD for what I own and protect what I have. Others can play it their way, I have my own very effective manner. ;-) I was minding my own business until I got the email today and I have seen this bullshit pulled on domainers that can’t afford to fight. This one is for them! I hate this tactic and the more it is exposed, the better for everyone.”
*insert digital standing ovation*
Thanks Rick!
Scott
Just read and laughed at this part of the UDRP:
[22.] Respondent uses many of its domains, including the one subject to this arbitration, for pay-per-click domain parking (Annex VIII), widely known type of profiting used by internet domain speculators to monetize from diverted consumers and to sell domain
addresses for exorbitant prices to legit trademark and business owners struggling to recover their brands identities online
So I guess they don’t have to worry as they don’t have a”legit trademark” and since you owned SaveMe.com WELL before they were even a thought it would make sense for you to”recover your brand identities” they have squatted on. :-)
Rick Schwartz
I am open to suggestions of what to do with Saveme.com to have a 2×4 effect with nails sticking out.
Because of the religious nature, I have been sensitive to the specific use and so no adult. But I may have to change that to make my point with these predators. I am working on a page now. But would prefer something clever that would drive the point home in a way that would be a”Teachable moment”.
I will give these folks as much respect as they deserve. As much respect as anyone trying to take something I own and they have no claim to whatsoever.
Rick Schwartz
His Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/marciomellochaves
owen frager
I looked at their site. Nice try. Buy your name then rebrand and sell out to Groupon. Problem is the site is not in the same language as the name- obvious attempt to hijack your name so they can open a global market, And not only did you own the name years before, none of the Internet strategies and technologies they depend on (Group buying, mobile apps, vouchers) existed just two years ago so you couldn’t have had their operation in mind. In fact I know what you had in mind because you shared your first offer from Jesus Freaks.
What SaveMe.com.br wants to do is a popular strategy I have been blogging about until I am blue in the face- it’s called TRUNCATION- losing excess characters or lessor status extensions. In fact Frank Schilling has been closing a lot of the sales- you see when someone wants to do this they BUY, and not sue. That is the precedent. Just hours ago Schilling closed his 8th domain sale in a single day- a perfect example of truncation careerloft.com redirected now to the .de.
The other thing is .com is a brand in and of itself that says I am an internet business or application- you don’t need special hardware or software to use me. That is why Personal Cloud at PC.com will have a different meaning in 2012 than it’s predecessor known as PC. In this case they are hijacking a non-native tongue that gives them the global recognition they were not entitled to by birth, plus the .com branding that makes it a cool internet business- you know the ones that go IPO. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a .com.br accomplish that on its own accord. It’s usually why one company acquires another. Here they think they can acquire the brand equity needed to make them compelling and salable without paying a dime or sharing the returns. SO truly a landmark battle brewing here.
Good luck!
@Domains
Good luck Rick, I hope you win this case and get a RDNH decision. A good outcome from this could help other domainers and send out a strong message to other domain hijackers.
Intenet Crime
Watch the d!ckhead in action:
Crimes na internet (Crimes on the Internet) – Márcio Mello Chaves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qAR5WfyijQ
I think the worst Internet crime is RDNH.
Rick Schwartz
It is pretty obvious on a generic domain like this what the potential uses are.
1. As a religious site
2. As a call to action to save animals as Owen Pointed out
3. As a retail discount website
4. As a Drug and alcohol rehab site
I have not made my choice yet. I have not gotten that far in life. That is why I have the luxury of time on my side. As things unfold it will add more and more clarity.
That is why I acquired BuyWholesale.com, Cheapest.com, DiscountPrices.com and a dozen other domains of that nature. Because even 16 years ago i knew how this would/should unfold and the first thing you needed was the location. So they can sue away and I get to mock them and make them look like the toe jam that they are.
Ron
This almost seems meant to be, with all the recent 3L reverse hijacks, it is time to set a precedent, an example, best way to get revenge is to offset traffic to their competitor, doubtful this company is making money, hand over fist though. 1000 of these sites online, you can buy a script, put some banner ads up, and be in business tomorrow…
There is nothing proprietary about what this company does, the domain is worth more than their entire enterprise.
Ian
Yeah Rick, how about filing an action to take Saveme.com.br off them for reverse hijacking in bad faith. They appear to be trying to extort you to a low price when you had prior rights.
Rick Schwartz
His pitch on getting clients for.xxx
http://www.almeidalaw.com.br/almeidalaw/upload/noticia/Trademark%20protection%20xxx.pdf
Rick Schwartz
Ian,
Howard and I have discussed it and we are going to make this an all out frontal attack and be extremely public about it. Since we are not dealing with rookies here, we believe we can more than prove reverse domain hijacking and go for damages and sanctions. Like I said, we are here to make case law because seldom do you get a GIFT like this where they are sophisticated enough to know EXACTLY what they are doing. As we dig we are finding some strange coincidences. So there may be more than meets the eye here.
Ron
So this guy has a personal website, MICROSOFT might be interested in filing their own UDRP…
marciosoft.adv.br
Rick Schwartz
Marcio, you have an entire industry of motivated guys that want to dig up dirt on you and they will find everything that is out there. They will find the pimple on your ass.
Martin Hess
Hi Rick,
I know I wont be able to dissuade you [because you are who you are] but posts like these cut both ways.
Good legal advice is always to SAY NOTHING and let your lawyer handle things.
I read the complaint and obviously you will likely (I say likely because this is the law and the law is in many ways, a game of chance)prevail but why take the chance?
For example, in this blog post you admit [not meant as an accusation]that 45% of your traffic on this site is from Brazil. Why would you admit that?
Haven’t combed over all the implications of your post but you get my point, I hope.
Anyways,………..Good Luck KING!!!
Breno
They don’t have a good reputation in ReclameAqui (http://www.reclameaqui.com.br/indices/25718/saveme/). People go to ReclameAqui to complain about companies (the name translates to ComplainHere). It’s Alexa 99 for BR. Those consumers deem SaveMe”Not recommended”, with an angry face. According to the site’s charts, they’ve stopped answering to consumer complaints since last October, but the dissatisfaction escalates.
Ron
With the fact Breno mentioned they are actually costing you money, in slandering the goodwill of your keyword .com.
Andy Booth
That guy looks like he’s come straight out of the movie Elite Squad, Tropa du Elite 2. Corrupt as hell — here’s to hoping we get a movie like ending and justice is served.
Rick Schwartz
Hi Martin,
Thanks!
I admitted nothing I am just referencing their number in the complaint. When I provide real numbers and match it with Alexa that will prove that Alexa is not a standard with much merit. But it is based on Alexa and Alexa is flawed and can be manipulated. They say I have a ranking of like 592,000 except it states 725,000 there now.
Rick Schwartz
I know some folks don’t like my style but I am results oriented. When some idiot comes looking for trouble, TROUBLE is what they will find. Especially when they are a lowlife Reverse Domain Hijacker IMHO and trying to hurt my business and our industry.
Altaf
Rick,
You opened a timely subject when we domainers face regular WIPOaction.
May I get your permission to publish here an issue just I am currently facing.
One Attorney from USA sent me email & a letter to unlock & transfer my domain unitedhealthinsurancequotes.com as I might have infringed TM right of a US co. called United Health Group.
I am living outside the USA & in my country similar named entities are common .
While I asked the attorney which transferee should I transfer the domain he sent me his personal profile instead of the co. He claimed that he was dealing the legal matters of the United Health.
Rick, I seek your and expert folks’ here advice. Is it legit?
We will follow your case, and the result to savedomainers from WIPO.
Gratefully,
Rick Schwartz
“They don’t have a good reputation in ReclameAqui (http://www.reclameaqui.com.br/indices/25718/saveme/). People go to ReclameAqui to complain about companies (the name translates to ComplainHere). It’s Alexa 99 for BR. Those consumers deem SaveMe”Not recommended”, with an angry face. According to the site’s charts, they’ve stopped answering to consumer complaints since last October, but the dissatisfaction escalates.”
I guess they don’t give a shit about their own customers. Seems like bad actors. I can’t read what is said but the angry face says it all. They just want the domain name. I wonder if this is a business for them?
Rick Schwartz
btw, I handle the PR, Howard takes care of the legal. :-)
I think the time is right to have this debate and be very public about it. I think many will write about it and hopefully the media will pick up on it. The social outlets work now in ways we have never even dreamed of. Word of mouth is still the greatest advertisng medium of all time.
What this demonstrates is that if you want a global brand, you MUST have a dotcom domain name. Those that FAILED to see that will lash out and try all methods to take what we own. It will only get worse as values go up and that is why I will use every weapon in my toolbox to shine light on this practice. To expose these companies that can’t play in the marketplace and resort to WIPO actions as a way to TRY and get domains on the cheap.
THEY are the squatters! They think they can lay claim using the backdoor and that just is not going to happen. Any fair minded person is going to see what we are dealing with here.
The Other Adam
SaveMe.com would make a better cloud back-up site than a discount site.
Gnanes
This clearly shows how WIPO is flawed. They didn’t have to send you the notice. Just had to check the whois on the domain and case was closed. This is pathetic.
Ian
I used to think that perhaps we’d reached the zenith in .com prices but with all the growth in the BRIC economies I really do think they are going to pay up to get great English worded brand names to show they are global. Chinese companies want to vertically integrate beyond outsource manufacture and they will want solid .coms.
Ricks case is a classic and I hadn’t thought about all these nations trying to muscle into the English category domain names, but its obvious really as the language has become standardised in new tech words etc etc.
Lastly, on Monday with the clearance of the DOW above 13000 it was yet another precursor indicator to economic change… I’m now beginning to believe that 2012 might be where everything takes off.. Last half likely. Let’s hope so… it’s been too long these last 4 years! The Bull is running… stockmarkets generally run 6 months ahead of the economic stats…
Paul Lyons
Ironically his personal website, http://www.marciosoft.adv.br/ is confusingly similar to http://www.Microsoft.com.
Bob
What makes you think Rick that each name you own is worth 7 figures anyway? Just cause it was registered in 1996 doesn’t mean it is a gold mine.
UDRPtalk
Hi Rick,
I’m wondering why you don’t just file a US based lawsuit against the Complainant which should result in the UDRP case being terminated?
Wouldn’t that provide better strategic leverage instead of dealing with the 2 month anguish on whether WIPO would rule against you as Bill Sweetman rightly pointed out?
Ringo
Game on !
Warn them of a penalty of 2 years in a cell with Owen… that’l shock the yogurt out of em’ … and they should fold ASAP … LOL
These’s guy’s F”@%’d with the wrong marine !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh5yOZRUwgw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo
Morgan
Love it Rick, so awesome to see you doing this! You are a true leader and are making a stand for something that I think we all can agree is important for us as an industry.
Go get em’ – I look forward to seeing this play out!
SF
If this results in the Establishment Of Case Law, it could be a landmark event.
There should be clear cut laws and”Substantial Punishment” for Reverse Domain Hijacking dolled out to those who try to take what is rightfully someone else’s.
Since the system is effectively rigged, that will be a hard thing to do. But, here’s hoping that’s what happens!
The more publicity, the better. Light needs to be shed on how lop-sided these systems are that provide ways for people to take domains away from others, when there is NO Trademark Infringement.
owen frager
Ringo spend two years in a cell with these guys (after selling the domain to the guy who really needs it to replace this one a guy with more money than God- Leonardo DiCaprio
http://www.savetigersnow.org/
owen frager
ps. I forgot to mention that NBC just bankrolled a new series”Save Me” starring a major cast
http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/anne-heche-set-to-star-in-nbc-comedy-pilot-save-me-lifting-projects-contingency/
Bea Carefull
I would not be too smug. Read the ceat decision a few more times. The tides are turning.
You are right but the system is all wrong! Be carefull
Ron
Marcio just ruined his career, this is a case he will never be able to shake, who would want to be represented by this guy after he is going to get it handed to him on this case. Rick has been saying for years, secure your domains, they didn’t listen, now they want to steal them, don’t think so…
chickenblaster
@Rick, if you would have just developed this name years ago instead of parking, you would have an even greater”slam dunk” :-) ,c’mon isn’t it them registering YOUR name in a different extension years after????
I am with you on this one and cannot wait for the outcome….
namaste…..
Michel
A lot of people are missing the point here. It has little to do with saveme.com and a whole lot to do with saveus.com. Rick is going on a crusade that will inevitably benefit all of us. I think it fair that anyone interested in the results should, by any means available, do all that is possible to help him shoulder the task at hand. Blog, write, make use of all possible venues at your disposition and get the word out.
Thanks Rick, really!
Donny M
I think they are going to run for the hills and try to withdraw this with in 24 hours.If possible can they still be sued for R-jacking after withdrawing, I have no idea.
My vote is for an animal site for pets. Not a money maker but your first pet can be a”pig in a dress” to honor the people that tried to steal this name from you.
Donny M
Mark
I hope they are not successful in the reverse hijacking, but I must say that your attitude comes off as an immature, adolescent 7th grader…Your smug attitude has no effect legally on the case, but to those with good taste, your comments are laughable…
steve
Rick, I will sacrifice to and offer to hold SaveMe.com for you while this case goes on. We all must kick in.
Roma
Hi Rick,
Guess people who don’t have LinkedIn account are getting to ‘sign in’ page instead of profile of this ‘whore’. Maybe you should redirect the traffic to his Facebook page or personal site?
Good Luck! Kick their asses!
Ron
How about emailing this person, and letting him know how you feel, and the numbers backing Rick, this domain was registered before UDRP was even created.
mmchaves@almeidalaw.com.br
Jonathan Jacobs
Sure, Rick doesn’t want to lose his 150k domain, and he is going to use the information and skills of all of us to help his case. That’s great. But Rick doesn’t really need the help and the publicity in all honesty.
Hundreds of honest, small-time domain name owners have this issue, and it would be nice if a big-time domain name owner or two would choose to promote the cause of a small-time domainer who is facing legal pressure.
In short, don’t spend too much time on Rick’s cause. He knows enough people to do it himself. Help somebody who doesn’t know the top people in the domain industry.
Sure, I’m going to be unpopular for this post. But Rick is going to be just fine while small-time domainers actually lose almost all their cases.
Anunt
When Rick wins this case, this is definately going to be a HUGE victory for ALL domainers who run into future problems like this.
Hopefully, this will turn into a”Case Law” where domain lawyers can very easily point to this case and win every time when shit like this happens to domainers.
New Law in the making: SaveMe.com Law
Good Luck Rick
Bob
Hi Rick –
TOO funny that they had NO idea who they were messing with! They thought it was an easy honey grab, but didn’t expect the sting!!
This is SO much better than a soap opera! I can’t see any way for them to extricate themselves from this clusterf@&k of their own making!
Best of luck reaming these pretentious pricks!
Dave
Thanks for doing this.
When you hear things like this, it sometimes makes small time domainers like myself, balk at pulling the trigger on a premium domain or high-priced domain.
Putting a lot of your capital into 1 domain is hard to do, especially when you see silly court rulings and things like this happen …
Hope this case sets some solid precedent, best of luck!
Saveme.com Protects Internet Real Estate
Saveme.com would be a great website
for domainers to network and everytime
these scum bags try to steal our domains
we list the complaint on saveme.com and
now they will have a network of domainers
to deal with.
We could add saveme.com network protecting Internet real estate
in our Whois for all our domains and this would make them think twice
about playing this game so they don’t destroy their business.
Joe Ray
Rick I hope the bad press from this hurts the company’s bottom line and makes other company’s think twice about doing this type of domain grab in the future.
rob sequin
Point SaveMe.com to this blog post.
Rick Schwartz
It’s all about Case Law now. This is bigger than me. This is the ONLY way to protect us from future harassment and the smaller domainers that can’t fork over thousands for the process. I am going to show that this practice is a BUSINESS! This tactic is going to finally come back to haunt the folks that perpetrate these deals. Howard and I are contacted WEEKLY to negotiate on domainers behalf and almost every one of these negotiations fit THIS M.O. This is a business. This is an orchestrated business. The light of day will shut many of these folks down. These are attorneys that are akin to ambulance chasers except THEY cause the accident.
I am going to bring to light all types of things that will destroy this practice once and for all. Seldom do you get a chance at something with so much definition. So many points to argue. Just a GIFT!
Howard has one of the best records in the business and I have a feeling that our response will be one of the most comprehensive responses ever received by WIPO. To me, this is just the first inning. It’s what happens after that is really going to be important. I expect it could go on for 1 or 2 years as we follow the process. I am patient enough to follow through as everyone reading this knows.
I will spell out what I am doing every step of the way. Like I said, I will be as transparent as possible. I did not pick this battle, but since it is in my lap……..I will use it to break the back of this practice once and for all.
Rick Schwartz
Rob, that is my backup plan as I do with Goofoff.com. Those morons still have not figured it out.
But I am looking to do something a little more dramatic and shocking using Márcio and his company that would attract much more interest. My goal, is to make him famous and known throughout the world.
Rick Schwartz
The fire is starting to spread. And spread it will!
http://www.domainsville.com/blog/daily-deals-site-saveme-com-br-attempts-to-steal-saveme-com-from-domain-owner/
Rick Schwartz
As you all know when it comes to SEO not only don’t I do it, not only can’t I do it, I believe in something a little different. I have talked about it many times over the years. It is called”Relevance”.
Google my new friend. Márcio Mello Chaves. This appears before his Facebook info and most other results. He appears pretty damn high because of RELEVANCE which trumps everything else online.
So anyone smart enough and sharp enough to do their due diligence will find out about this wolf in pretty short order.
James
Rick, why not forward saveme.com to domainnamesales.com/domains-101 – Frank’s infographic about why you need a premium .com!
JohnnyNet
To borrow some choice & relevant words from Clubber Lang (aka Mr. T)…
“I Pity the Fool !” …”I would destroy any man who trys to take what I got.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJnKm6ftPu0
Prediction —-> Pain !
——
Perhaps a link to this video clip on the site.
Hawaiian shirt John
Thank you for doing this, Rick, especially for those of us that do not have a bankroll big enough to cover a lawsuit. Some of us have no choise but to roll over. I hope you knock their dicks in the dirt.
For those slamming Rick, pretty damn low of you. He’s fighting a fight FOR you. What you are doing is called WHINING and it only makes YOU look bad.
Paul Bliss
As someone famous once said:”It’s good to be the King!”
All of us are watching and waiting to see this joker go down. Thanks for standing up for all us little guys.
John Howard
I had a guy try this on through WIPO years ago. I prepared my WIPO defence and, as required by WIPO, sent the respondent a copy. In my defence, I stated first and foremostly that I regarded the claim to be one of a reverse-hijacking. I listed in detail the domains that I had already developed and said that if the respondent was successful in reverse-hijacking my domain name through WIPO I would take the matter to the courts and seek compensation, not only for the loss of a potentially valuable domain name but also for the disruption to my Internet development operations and the time and effort I had to put into preparing a proper defence.
All I can surmise is that this guy shit himself upon receiving my defence because within 12 hours he had withdrawn his claim and emailed me a very humble apology.
What I’m saying here is that you need to let these people know that if they are going to try this on, that even if they are successful through WIPO, that the matter doesn’t end there … that it could potentially end up costing them a lot of money.
John Howard
Rick,
I just called up SaveMe.com to have a look and noticed that the first link (related search) on the parked page is for”Passagens aéreas brasil”.
It might be advisable to change your parking page controls so nothing directly relevant to Brazil (or Brasil) comes up. You can bet this cretons would try and use something like this against you.
Rick Schwartz
John, thanks. Indeed we are on the same page.
I don’t think they own all the traffic from Brazil. I have no idea where that link even leads as I never click on a parked page.
A little earlier I changed DNS on SaveMe.com to point to THIS BLOG POST as I have done with Goofoff.com and as Rob and others have suggested until I employ my other idea. It should start resolving later this morning.
Robert
Hello to All
Thank goodness this is happening to a big
gun like Rick Schwartz who has means and huevos
to fight something that’s been going on for some time.
Let’s put blame where it belongs. The UDRP and their
neferous and nimrod decisions. Their the ones who
perpetuate and allow this practice. If you have the
judge in your pocket go for it. Isn’t Google trying
to do the same thing
Google files a complaint over the GooglePlay.com domain name
Google introduced Google Play earlier this week and one of the key missing pieces for the online launch was the domain name GooglePlay.com. That’s because the name has been owned by someone else and not the search engine giant for years. But Google isn’t wasting any time trying to get the domain name to go
Fusible.com
Good Luck to Us All
Robert
P.S. I seldom comment but compelled
to on this issue
Andy Avots
Bravo to you Rick!
There are many assholes out there doing the same thing.
A public shame list of these people or corporations needs to be created and posted. Shame them all and boycott their products. This Marcello ass has a practice that is just as vulnerable. Clients too will see that he is an amateur and an unscrupulous failure. Shame him and all that try the reverse hijacking route of obtaining a domain, when they too stupid to enter into legitimate negotiations to buy. Dont let the coward crawl under the rock of backing down, hang him so others will learn of their stupid ways!
Mauro
Rick… why not develop an online game on SaveMe.com, where people can Tap on Márcio’s Ass (like you’re doing already) while he screams”Same Me… Same Me… Save Me”
And you can also develop an App for smartphones and iPad.
This way people from all around the world could have some fun with your domain, and give some Taps on Márcio’s ass.
This could be really fun for all of us.
Richard Skala
Thanks for fighting the good fight and exposing this ass clown, bury em!
Kickyourace
I love this one Rick. Good luck reaming them up the Ace. Thiefs. I hate Thiefs.
Rick Schwartz
Whore.com and Whores.com now pointed to this blog post.
It’s about circulation and I am going to keep driving more and more traffic here until it goes viral.
I think I own CyberBully.com or something like that and HallofShame.com so there is a long way to go before I make my point. This is going to be the LAST Jackass company and the LAST CHUMP that even thinks about doing this to me in the future. Like a said, I have a mission. I now have a FULL TIME job and I am VERY EXPENSIVE!
Rick Schwartz
Sins.com and TopSecret.com now pointed here and 500 more daily visitors.
Duane
You could change the title of this post to :
“Márcio Mello Chaves of SaveMe.Com.br is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing and I am Going to Make him Famous”.
or
“Márcio Mello Chaves is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing and I am Going to Make him and SaveMe.Com.br Famous”.
This should pretty much put this post at same or higher position of there site when searching for Save me or the SaveMe.com.br domain.
Just my 2 cents for some little extra action.
Rick Schwartz
Thanks! Title updated!
Steve
This should be dismissed in an instant.
The only winners in this type of situation are the lawyers.
Story is going global now added to our site in the UK.
RaTHeaD
go rick go… if you need anyone to spit on official documents let me know.
Rick Schwartz
HERE IS THE EMAIL CHAIN!
First contact that I know of was in August 2011 and Last contact was September 14, 2011. The last inquiry I responded to about saveme.com was from another party a few weeks back and I quoted 7 figures. I don’t think folks understand what is happening with values.
Hello Rick,
I’d like to buy your saveme.com domain for this start up project I have. What would be the initial price tag for it?
Marcio
My Response:
Well into the 6 figs.
He Writes:
Sorry for the inconvenience, Rick, but I’m afraid that a 6 fig price tag would be a lot over the current market value for it, specially considering the amount of visits it gets, don’t you think? What do you say we bring a little closer to $1,000?
Márcio
I respond:
go away
He writes back
What about 10k?
I Respond
Not even $100k
Rick,
I’d really appreciate if you could accept my final offer for US$ 50,000.00, which is more than twice my last offer and way more than my first offers. I understand it is still below what you had in mind, but I’m afraid that´s all I can do and this is my last offer to settle this once and for all. Please consider it.
Márcio
I never responded to the last email until yesterday when I let him know about this blog post. I guess he was trying to”Settle” something I did not even know was going on. CHUMP!
Djpromoter
Thanks for sharing this. One day I expect to receive a WIPO action for one of my generic domains, so this will be useful to bookmark in order to follow how it develops.
For what I consider to be my best generic domain in terms of future value potential, a few months ago I have received a similar type of email approach to buy the domain, where they claimed it is for a new business/startup, so maybe the ‘interested party’ will also chance it with a WIPO action. In my case I have not been brave enough to park this domain because one of the words would mean most of the ads would relate to an Apple product (the word itself is generic it just so happens Apple decided to use it for one of their products, many years after I owned the domain). In my case I didn’t even offer a price to the ‘interested party’ because if the tech gadget becomes reality I believe it would become a 7 figure domain overnight. If I was offered a 6 figure sum right now for it, I would knock it back.
Jonathan Jacobs
Rick is using small domainers to try to make himself richer.
You are stupid if you help him.
Jonathan Jacobs
Rick is really not interested in making anyone famous – but himself.
Acro
Rick – sent you an email to the AOL address.
steve
I would have sold SaveMe.com for 50k, but to think I then could have gotten 100k, wow.
I bet if SaveMe.com dropped on Namejet it would go for 5k.
But this is much more funny to watch this play out.
Unreal they tried to bully you. Amazing, now they will never ever get it unless they use a third party to buy it.
Ian
Rick,
His opening lines pretty much indicate bad faith..
Hello Rick,
I’d like to buy your saveme.com domain for this start up project I have. What would be the initial price tag for it?
Marcio
Fact is that it wasn’t a start up it was in fact another business that was already in operation. Hence we have a deception that led to eventually a reverse hijack attempt, an acquisition on the cheap. Its a case without merit and in bad faith, if they’d approached and said straight out that they thought it was their’s etc then they would have been acting in good faith.
@Domains
I think this is the hottest topic going on right now in the domaining world. Certainly the most interesting! I’m guessing this guy will withdraw his claim before it actually gets heard.
Amazing he started a WIPO action for a domain after trying to buy it for a (his words) ‘start up project’. That is so sleazy and underhanded.
@Domains
Looks like SaveMe.com.br was only registered in 2010.
Paul J Kapschock
Good luck Brother.
diCEPT ApS
There is no doubt in my mind that you will win this case.
I just hope you take it further and sue this squatter for economic compensation for the time you have used, the lawyers cost and the”damage” on your reputition by being sued, it is hard for one’s psychology to be accused of scam, so you should have economic compensation for all the trouble the squatter has caused you. :)
Maybe this will teach other companies from similar cases.
As you mention, this is not only about you and your domain name, this is for all us domainers. Get him Rick. :)
Best regards,
M. Unal
CEO of diCEPT ApS Ltd.
A Digital Concept Development Company
Turning Point
The world is changing its time for these people to realise owners of premium domains have the power. You can’t walk into someones house take their keys and take over their house!! That’s what they are trying to do with ricks Internet Real Estate.This is a joke and its disgusting
Once again rick is showing domainers why we should look up to him because he stands up for what’s right in life and too many people run away. It’s not my problem and the better most people do the more they don’t bother looking after the people doing not so well.
Rick would win in this case what ever happens because this is going to be talked about for years and it will change lots of other companies views on stealing domains and that would never happen if Rick didn’t stand up for whats right.
Thank you Rick this is the turning point! I agree they will get
famous over this and they will be thinking every night laying
in there bed SAVEME SAVEME SAVEME
My advice to them its too late now it’s best to start over again
new we all make mistakes in life. They should say sorry and change
the name before they do anymore harm to their customers.
Andy
Pretty dirty tactics, indeed.
Hey Rick, I speak Brazilian Portuguese and can help you find a Brazilian trademark lawyer, if that’s what you want. I can also help you respond to this person in Portuguese.
If interested, just let me know. :)
Scone Underworld
Rick, you are a very rich and greedy man… Can we swap lives? lol… I only own one single-word generic domain and I worry about these bullies because often it comes down to the winner being the one with the most money and this means the little guy loses.
UDRPtalk
Hi Rick,
Why wait 2 months and take a chance on the UDRP outcome?
Why not just bypass the UDRP and file a Federal lawsuit which would force the matter to be heard here?
Wouldn’t that be a more strategic path to take?
Scott
Ron is in the mix now!
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20120315.htm
Jp
Did the .com.br extension even exist yet in 1996?
David
and welcome to the Blogsphere Chaves Brothers
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20120315.htm
Leonard Britt
Thanks for sharing this case and setting a precedent for the industry. Given the claimant is in Latin America, I will be particularly interested in how the case proceeds. I’ve had a couple of XXXX offers for Portuguese names where the potential buyer wanted to pay via Paypal. I insisted on Escrow and they disappeared…
Richy
Hi Rick,
I can see why you are truly exasperated by this situation, it is obviously an underhand tactic by a not-so-clever wannabe.
Given the fact that the news of this WIPO is getting a lot of internet coverage have you thought about pointing the domain to one of the many charity web sites based in Brazil?
Not sure if that would prejudice your WIPO stance but it would show a sign of good faith until things are sorted (I am sure in your favor) and potentially you could be helping out a worthwhile cause.
Good luck with it!
Richy
Uzoma
Those too got to be the lowest life forms on earth. How do they even fix their mouth to argue this? Give them hell, DomainKing!
Gnanes
SalesForce recently tried to steal Forces.com using UDRP and lost. That case results wasn’t highlighted. This will be a great example for all those who try to hijack domains.
Michel
Rick, as promised, we owe you one…
http://regsite.com/domains/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
Makis.TV
I did a blog post as well, its funny story that most of us wouldnt sleep overnight in case it happened to us.
http://www.makis.tv/domain-news/com-domains/another-attempt-of-reverse-domain-hijacking-landed-on-the-wrong-person-to-deal-with.php
Rick I ve sent you an email about it, let me know if you want to fire some tweets using my geo twitter accounts.
Jamie
They couldn’t even get your name right! They have eRealState.com and not eRealEstate.com! LOL (Page 3)
“Since its release in October of 2010, SAVEME has been gaining a growing number of users” So what, SaveMe.com was registered in 1996!
“Despite not being granted” They didn’t even get the saveme trademark but I did laugh at the excuse provided”due to Brazil Trademark Office´s enormous backlog in analyzing trademark applications”
“useless pay-per-click parking pages” Funny! Useless, yet they claim you are profiting from the PPC!
“According to its own website (Annex VII) eRealState.com has more than 6,000 Internet domains” Page 9 [21.] Once again displaying the wrong domain.
“The eRealState company is one of the enterprises
owned by Ricky Schwartz, well known in the Internet speculation business.” Page 9 [21.] Ricky! LOL and the”Internet Speculation Business”… that is a new one!
“As we can see in the statistics presented on Annex IX, 100% of the
saveme.com visitors go to the Complainant´s real website after realizing the confusion made.” Bullshit! 100% is a strong statement and rarely accurate!
Homero A. Gonzalez
Classic Rick Schwartz;
From the email Chain
“I respond:
go away
He writes back
What about 10k?
I Respond
Not even $100k
Ha Ha Ha!!
Did you catch in the complain document that they refer to you as
Ricky Schwartz???
Here it is;
VI.I.II. RESPONDENT´S ACTIVITIES
[21.] According to its own website (Annex VII) eRealState.com has more than 6,000 Internet
domains and as main activity the purchase and the”electronic real estate development” of their domains. The eRealState company is one of the enterprises owned by Ricky Schwartz, well known in the Internet speculation business.
Ricky????? LOL!!!!!!!
Looking forward to see how this ends. Good luck to you and Howard!!
johname
Give em Hell Rick. Word Spreading!
LindaM
Hi Rick, Id also like to say thanks for sharing this in the open, it is at once shocking and thrilling. If any domain investor is gonna hand it to them for sport then it surely is you!
I have forwarded a name i own that gets traffic from brazil, worthless but it seems just found its place in the world lol.
If everyone forwards a traffic name he’d be the most famous moron on the planet.
Good luck with it Rick, I hope you and your home-team lawyers make them sing.
Picas
need some one throw bullshit to fking guys always think that they can rob any names by filing via WIPO …
Limit
Looks like 100 comments is the limit on this old version of Typad?
abe
Martin,
Who cares if it leaks?!! So what! B/c traffic leaks does it mean they are enlightened to Ricks domain??
Its not a valid argument, b/c if itus, then every .com is in danger to be taken by someone else.
Chadi Ghaith
Hey Rick,
Good to hear from you. SaveMe.com is obviously a super generic domain name; its ridiculous that they believe they have a chance to begin with…
This would end up more like a SavemyAss thing to them…
Tim Schoon
Rick, thanks for sharing. You’re the spokesman of all domainers on this, what a ridiculous hijack attempt!
Go get em!
Owen frager
Also a great name for a death penalty appeal kawyer
Rick Schwartz
Tim, I am sure because of my style I don’t speak for everyone. But for those that I do speak for, I am going to ROAR FIRE!
These Chumps are going to be known as the Poster Boys for Reverse Domain Hijacking. If this was a legitimate claim, it would be one thing and I have been through the process and actually respect it in most cases. But since they obviously conspired to put this frivolous suit together and they obviously had that intent if I read their email of September 14th correctly, then this is my thought process.
With their logic every dotcom owner would lose their domain on the WHIM of almost any 3rd party registering a domain in any other extension and establishing a business. Ridiculous in the face of it. There are so many holes, where do you even begin? So their CRIME is that they are WASTING MY TIME which I have written about previously. The ONLY natural resource you can not get back.
See these folks are not misguided. They know exactly what they are doing and that is why they are the Poster Boys for this. I guess if I were cruising the coast of Brazil, I would compare them to pirates. That is just the visual I get. People I don’t know trying to board MY SHIP without invitation.
Robert D
Rick, I think these jerks deserve what is coming. Would you mind if I made a small donation to you to show my support? If 100 visitors gave $10 each it would be a step in he right direction… or, maybe we could setup a group buy with 100 domainers each paying 10k to jointly own the name and permanently link it to this blog, forever? Would you be ok with me organising this?
Brett
Dumbest move ever. Legally speaking. Now, if you could get the name Márcio Mello Chaves to appear when someone searches for”ass clown” on Google, that would be something special.
Rick
Good luck Rick, I hope you get all you want for the domain name. Just looked and there facebook is gone.. at least for me.
Tom
Márcio:”What do you say we bring the value a little closer to $1,000″
Rick:”Go away”
Bhuuaahahahahahahhaaaa :-)
Rick Schwartz
I pointed SaveMe.com HERE yesterday morning but seems slow to resolve.
How is it for you guys?
Tom
MarcioMelloChaves.com is available to hand-register…
Domainer
Rick,
I am a veteran domainer from Brazil. Just as you I am disgusted with their move. I am sure you are well prepared to deal with these crooks, but if you need any advice on Brazil, Brazilian domains or even Portuguese – please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Altaf
“Márcio Mello Chaves is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing and I am Going to Make him and SaveMe.Com.br Famous”.
It is already indexed everywhere on Page # 1. I could see that he would bow down. Mere cry will not savehim.!!
Tommy White
Pointing fine for me :) Good read btw.
Scott
Reddit anyone?
http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/qzgwt/brazilian_company_trying_to_steal_domain_name/
jayjay
Something interesting you may want to check up on Rick. I did a google url-image search on those photos you posted, the second image appears to be the photo of a Heitor Chaves traced to Facebook account
http://www.facebook.com/heitor.chaves
You may or may not have the right name to match that image. Overall though it sounds like a legal joke on his behalf.
Rick Schwartz
@jayjay, same image as is on the linkedin page.
Rick Schwartz
This is about one thing. AWARENESS.
My NEW JOB IN LIFE is to circulate this story and have as many businesses see it as possible. The bigger the business the better but the smaller guy will relate much more because he sees the direct threat.
Then have them ask the question if some obscure company in a country a half a world away found some degree of success using their exact domain with ANY of the THOUSANDS of extensions to come, would it be okay for them to challenge their domain name and potentially put them out of business? THAT is the question and THAT is what is at stake.
So my goal here is to circulate this story as far and wide as possible because it makes no sense on the face of it and society has a HUGE role to play in this. Every small operator can envision some CHUMPS like this can come along and sweep them away. This suit and what is to come will act as a retaining wall. Like I said, this is about case law. This is about making this CRIMINAL with STIFF penalties. Because while I can afford to fight the fight, many of you reading would not have the resources to do so and I know it happens every day of the week.
David
Hi Rick, Like you, I have also been victim of reverse hijackings on domains they had no legal rights too. They have tried to break me financially to give them my domain by doing things such as hiring very costly big law firms and powerful attorneys (i.e. even hiring Michael Jackson’s old lawyer) to fly cross-country and appear in federal court lawsuit against me. Clearly a goal was intimidation and expenses for me along with ongoing visits to US District Court to defend myself.
Ever since then I always wanted to file Federal Court lawsuits myself against these unethical people knowing they will be filing a WIPO or lawsuit against me so wanted to go on the legal offensive first and ask the court on prose basis to rule my rights are valid. Problem is I did not know how to prepare the pleadings. None of the attorneys I contacted would prepare the pleadings for me except at very high cost and insisting they handle it with a 25k to 50k retainer fee.
IMO, the best defense is a strong offense which is why as an interesting way to impact the lowlifes who do these things such as the scum-bag Brazilian predator Márcio Mello Chaves and other bastard attorneys I am proposing you ask Howard Neu to prepare a generic looking Federal Court lawsuit which all domainers can freely use to file lawsuits of their own to stop this BS and abuse taking place. The domainer could substitute the example.com domain name with his own name and also of course change the facts of the case when needed. He could then file the papers himself prose (without attorney representation) which last time I checked cost was just a few hundred dollars.
This proposal would be a great public service you could offer to all domainers to help teach these scumbag corporations and their unethical attorneys a lesson, plus defend our domains too! P.S. We could even include an interesting side-note in our cases crediting the prick Márcio Mello Chaves and SaveMe.com.br with inspiring this court action. How sweet would that be!
John
I love how these people come in to owners with the”I’d like to buy your domain for this start up project I have …” usually with a generic email address. They play deceptive games with owners. Rick: I hope you body slam them and get new laws written against corps that feel they are entitled to names years after they have been registered and before their start up projects and industries even existed. They often have uncreative and not skilled marketing people that then call domain owners squatters. Not to mention when it comes to trademarks there tons of different classes TM’s can be given to. Lots of companies can be using the same name in different industries yet they all must feel they have the Apple thing going on with their genius concept. You should really get creative and counter sue on all counts. At the end of the day, the company should call it a day and pick a better name anyway for that field. Use the geniuses they have in marketing to find a name with no conflicts. Clowns is right.
Shai Neubauer
Hey Rick,
Just a fellow domainer showing support. Keep on doing what your doing and thanks for taking the lead against hijacking of domains. I know its happened to me and to many of us as well. Funny how all the negative comment trolls are always anonymous. If these people cannot understand the importance of this they should not be amongst us but then again they are probably not one of us but the hijackers themselves.
Martin Hess
Rick,
I am curious if you have any insight on the fact that the panel is comprised of 3 Brazilians.
How exactly sis this happen?
Is there a fix in?
I truly do not understand how this can be a random fact of chance.
To me,…….it looks. …WEIRD [SQUARED]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Domainer
Rick,
Here is an idea that just occurred me. Why not create a smaller version of your post, targeted to Brazilian people, in Portuguese? It’s a sad fact many Brazilians don’t speak English thus won’t understand what’s going on. If you like the idea, send me the text in English and I will gladly translate for you.
Rick Schwartz
A translated page would be great
Mike
It’s happening the same thing to me with the domain name reelstudio.com NO TM at all, owning domains since 10 years and peoples are threatening as no one before.
Erka
Rick,
your case can be read now on my blog in the German language.
Good luck!
@Domains
If this domain had been owned by a hobby domainer with less resources than Rick, and the same action had been brought by the Brazilian guy, what options would the small-timer have to defend themselves? What does the average domainer do when a large company with their lawyers files a WIPO against them that is unjustified like this one?
domainerdon
Rick, when I heard about this WIPO action, I was amused, when I read the entire complaint, I was astonished! I am glad that you have the resources and the resolve to make an example out of these guys. The are no better than politicians who sell their influence and destroy the country they are supposed to represent. This filing is an outrage and I hope that these Brazilian Schmucks pay the ultimate price for their attempted thievery. Good luck and keep us posted
Don
Chris
This will be a very interesting case to watch, indeed.
For several reasons:
1. It is an attempt to retrospectively claim a trademark right on a domain that was registered and used (for whatever purpose) over a decade prior to claiming that trademark (my gut-feeling would be that this will also become the basis for the denial of this case).
2. A part of the claim is also a blatant character assassination of the current domain owner (as evidenced by the repeated references to the”dirty” nature of many of his domains as well as apparent other prior WIPO claims that went not in his favor). It will be interesting to see how (and if) the WIPO panel will give any response to that.
But the much bigger issue is the following:
This claim will make it near impossible for the current domain owner to find a buyer in the future. The term”SaveMe” renders itself only to fairly narrow spectrum of likely profitable commercial development options, all of which I am pretty certain this Brazilian business will have incorporated into their trademark filings.
So even if they are not able to wrestle the domain away from the current owner (since he acquired the domain long before any use or trademark application by the Brazilians), anyone acquiring the domain from here on will have a nearly impossible leg to stand on trying to put this domain to any commercially meaningful use.
This is the true tragedy of this case (i.e. it could have and should have been developed before 2010 – but now it will be extremely difficult if not impossible, with all subsequent negative consequences on the value of this otherwise really great domain).
The only possible option of escaping this trap would be to try to squash the trademark application of this company (problem is: SaveMe.com has never been put to a meaningful and consistent business use).
My prediction: Rick will get to keep the domain, but it will become almost impossible to sell it to anyone else.
Mobiletechtv
Thanx for posting the complaint. Saved it, plus bookmarked this site, for future reference, should I ever be served UDPR for any in my small portfolio. You go!
Adam
Rick. You don’t know me however I have followed you for a long time.
I’m a mod a namepros (gemmistar) and have to say I am proud of you for being able to have the foresight to being successful in your business. I was that close also but my choices took me in a different direction.
I was just about to start investing in 92 but like I sad medical and personal obligations took me the other way .
Anyway I’m here for the long run and your posts inspired me to continue as you are right! There is still time.
Getting to the main topic.
You have shown us that one can succeed in their own dreams and now you will show us another revelation.
How to protect that dream. Reverse hijacking is out of control and unless someone squashes this annomoly in our business now which is devistating our business it will spiral out of control.
You my friend are now about to make another journey to success .
It will be settin the standard once and for all that this kind of shady business will be stopped in its tracks!
Go for it my friend you have the responsibility to put the finger on the sickness and make a cure.
We are all behind you on this . And I personally am confident you will set a new standard to how domains can be secure.
Adam
Adam
Oh sorry gemmistar is short for Gemstar :)
BaJob
For the benefit of all domainers throughout the world, it is absolutely imperative that Rick wins this important, precendent-setting case. Should the Complaintant win without having a trademark, that would put all .COM domain owners at risk of losing their cyber property to the guy who was too dumb not to register the .COM when he had the chance.
Anunt
If you type only… saveme.com … it goes to directNic under construction parking page with ads.
But if you type the whole thing with http://www... http://www.saveme.com … then it goes to this story at ricksblog.com
This is very easy to fix…if you don’t know how…please let me know.
Good Luck
Anunt
saveme.com
http://www.saveme.com
now working…
jayjay
Rick I’ve found a more accurate, larger image of Márcio here, http://buscatextual.cnpq.br/buscatextual/servletrecuperafoto?id=K4204673Z6
also below are his social network accounts,
https://plus.google.com/111637923288431682452/posts
http://www.scribd.com/márcio_chaves_5
http://lattes.cnpq.br/0553083517733293
interesting indeed :)
Belinda Pepper
GRATS Rick, for taking action on these guys. I’m really proud of you and I sincerely hope you make these dudes cry.
It’s funny, reading through the complaint document, it’s a closed case. The details in the complaint alone clearly mark you as innocent and the rightful owner of the domain. I can see that people like this rely on bluff and the lack of education of the respondent.
Suggestion for SaveMe.com; a place where domain owners can go to seek information and advice on dirty practices like what this Marcio is involved in. A nice big blacklist would be fantastic too.
ScottM
Go shred this bastard Rick, should be easy for Howard. I remember last year with GoofOff.com that you wrote about. Now seems a perfect time to re-release the sequel, a/k/a DontFuckWithRick.com!!
Josh
If your asking $100k is a”bad faith” offer, then his $50k is a”good faith” offer? That should negate part of his argument.
You should win this. Then again, a lot of UDRP cases should be won. Luck of the draw–good luck man.
techguy87
Anunt I thought you and Rick weren’t buddies
James
Rick – thanks for doing this – I know you’re not just doing it for your own benefit.
Domainer
I read the complaint carefully. Thanks for the knee slapper!
So…when the new gTLD’s come out…I can simply register INSURANCE.WORTHLESS and then pay WIPO $4K to transfer your INSURANCE.COM with the pathetic argument that they are stealing my traffic?
And I can do this 20 years after the .COM was registered? And without a trademark?
LMFAO!!! (With milk coming out my nose!!!)
Mike
Rick, can I point some of my generic domains here? I will submit to you before to point and you will decide, will be generic domains with traffic and without TM problems.
Rick Schwartz
Mike,
That would be great. Anything to circulate this story far and wide until folks clearly see the picture.
Thanks!
Adi
get the party started!!!!
David
Here is the predators resume:
http://www.almeidalaw.com.br/almeidalaw/Ingles/detEquipe.php?codequipe=73
David
Very interesting to note on his resume the connection to WIPO. Could influence with the WIPO Academy http://www.wipo.int/academy/en/ be how he somehow managed to get 3 Brazilian panelists?
c
“Let the fun begin.
I am forwarding some very special domain names to this guys linkedin page within a few hours.
Let the world know what a legal”Whore” looks like.
”
This is great, but I’d be careful. I hope you 100% win and take the guy down; but by saying all of these things and harassing the guy, you may just be getting yourself into worse trouble and handing them the case. What if all of this is shown in court or to a jury? While we love it, they may not.
Rick Schwartz
Actually, decided to point Whore.com and Whores.com right here instead.
You can’t go through life being scared of bullies. You need to call them out.
These are bullies and worse so I would take my chances with a jury of peers any day of the week.
Scott
Has anyone connected the dots to the uncanny similarities between the Portuguese”Márcio Mello” and the English”Marshmallow”?
Inquiring minds want to know…
http://www.c.cr/Marcia_Mello
Anthony
What do you say we bring a little closer to $1,000?
Márcio
I respond:
go away
HAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA
You crack me up mate. Of all the people this guy could have tried this with, you have to be the worst! They must not have carried out their due diligence.
Rick I hope you or the legal team have made the client aware of the shit storm that has now been created.
LOVE YOU FOR DOING THIS, LOVE YOU!
Domainer
I translated your blog’s post to Portuguese, but frankly, it’s too filled with technical details for the average Brazilian to understand or even care about. I really think you could get a big Brazilian audience, maybe even from a local Newspaper, if you had a short,”lay man” version of the post in Portuguese, where you unmask these pricks. I am sure many of the SaveMe.com.br customers would disapprove what they are trying to do and this would hurt their public image. If you like the idea, send me the text, I’ll translate for you.
techguy87
He changed his facebook page.. It is now at https://www.facebook.com/mrciochvs
He made his last name his first now :P
Old facebook link no longer active.
Rick Schwartz
I think he did the same with Twitter? Can’t reach his page.
What is his new name? He can RUN, but can’t hide.
Rick Schwartz
Você simpatiza com gente que tenta dar um”jeitinho” para tomar coisas
que não lhes pertence?
Este é o caso de 2 irmãos no Brasil que estão por trás de um site
relativamente novo, o SaveMe.com.br.
Veja, eu possuo o domínio genérico SaveMe.com aqui nos EUA desde 1996,
quando o domínio (aquilo que vem depois do http://www...) estava livre e eu o
registrei. 16 anos mais tarde, esta empresa no Brasil parece ter optado
por um caminho sujo, após registrar o domínio SaveMe.com.br, em 2010.
Agora eles querem o MEU domínio, e não querem pagar por isso!!! Eles
simplesmente querem que a justiça lhes”entregue” o domínio. Sem nem
mesmo ter uma
marca registrada do nome”Save Me” no Brasil, quanto mais aqui nos EUA,
eles decidiram entrar com uma ação contra mim e meu domínio de 16 anos.
Note que, antes de entrarem com uma ação, eles fizeram ofertas pelo
domínio, mas eu as rejeitei, simplesmente porque não estavam no patamar
adequado, com o agravante de que não informaram corretamente quem eram
(ou seja, mentiram). Eu nunca soube que eles representavam esta empresa
até que esta semana recebi uma intimação. Acredito que você possa ver
claramente as implicações do que eles estão tentando fazer, pois eles
não têm quaisquer direitos sobre aquilo que não lhes pertence.
Se você algum dia usar os serviços desta empresa, talvez você queira
dizer a eles para que parem de tentar tomar aquilo que não lhes
pertence.
————————————
Do you like people that try and take things that don’t belong to them?
Such is the case with 2 brothers in Brazil that seem to run a fairly new
sute SaveMe.com.br
See, I own the generic domain name here in the USA SaveMe.com since 1996
when I hand registered it. 15 years later this company in Brazil seems
to have hit pay dirt after registering SaveMe.com.br. in 2010. Now they
want MY domain name and they don’t want to pay fair market value. They
want the courts to just give it to them.
Without even a trademark in Brazil let alone the USA, they have decided
to file a suit against me and my domain of 16 years. See I refused their
offers because they simply were not in the ballpark plus he
misrepresented who he was. I never knew he represented this company
until this week when I got the papers. I think you can clearly see the
implications and that they have no rights to what does not belong to
them.
John
A fund should be established for those that would like to donate monies to further the cause beyond this one case and have laws passed to protect rightful .com owners.
Steve K.
I gotta hand it to you King, when someone pisses you off they better run for the hills.
I’m just sitting back and enjoying this, cant wait to see how this ends up.
We are all behind you all the way!!!!
Thurston Howell III
UPDATE: A Google search for: Marcio Mello Chaves now puts this fascinating blog page in position #3 out of 1.5 Million results…yes…above Marcio Chaves’ law firm, Almeida Law!
Man oh man did this turkey of an attorney pick the wrong dude to mess with! Serves him right, though.
Boys and girls, I hope you all follow this case closely. Rick is paving the way on a super huge precedent here. The consequences are huge! If somehow Marcio Chaves wins, no one’s .COM will be safe. How can some thug just come along and fault Rick for stealing traffic just because he has the .COM version of their .SHIT domain? Nope, sucks to be you, Marcio Mello Chaves. And for him to argue that Rick is not using it as well as his client would? There is no room on this earth for that absurb argument to be made. Would we really want to go there? The internet will no longer be a safe place to conduct business if one constantly needs to worry about a trivial threat such as this.
Do we want to have Alcoholics Anonymous arguing that they are entitled to AA.Com because they can put it to”better” use than American Airlines? That is basically what is happening here. They argue that Rick was not”using” it because it was parked.
Parking, like it or not, is a valid use. Perhaps there exist various degrees of usage, but who wants to have courts make that determination? Not I. Nor should you.
First come first served. Come second, whip out the wallet. That’s how it works with conventional real estate too.
If I am homeless and you have two homes, can I have you kicked out and take the home away? Of course not! How absurd is that? Yet, that is what is happening here.
The Big Cheese
I like your style, brother. You are in the right on this and you and anyone else with half a brain knows it – so come out swinging until the ref stops the fight.
Phineus
I have several hundred generic (non-TM’d) domains I’d like to point your way to increase your exposure and would like to make a call to action for all other .COM domain holders to do the same.
Mario Chaves, in my opinion, is an IP ambulance chaser and should be sanctioned by the Court for filing such a frivolous complaint. There is no merit or substance here. Just an obvious land grab attempt of a lottery ticket. Rick has done no wrong other than owning the better version of the domain. That is not a crime and this case seems like a no brainer in favor of the Respondent (Rick) to me.
Rick Schwartz
This was just sent to me. The plot thickens!
“Were you aware of this? NBC is coming out with a Comedy Series Called SaveMe”
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a364647/alexandra-breckenridge-michael-landes-join-nbc-pilot-save-me.html
http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/anne-heche-set-to-star-in-nbc-comedy-pilot-save-me-lifting-projects-contingency/
MarkH
“And since they accused me of it, why not stick it in their face?”
The face is OK. One of my domains expresses more what I was thinking – StickItUpYourAss (dot) com. And a reply email from goaway@stickitupyourass (dot) com can be a real time saver, lol.
Howard has helped me out a few times and I can definitely say I am glad he was for me and not against me.
And Rick I pity the fool that f*cks with you.
It’s a crime you are even having to deal with this…
Brian S. from the Isle of Man
I wanted to buy Sex.com for $10,000 and the guy was not interested in selling at that price so…
I just bought sex.travel for the purpose of filing a UDRP against him arguing that he is nothing but a nasty pornographer (gasp!!!!) and that the domain would be better used by giving it to me cause I will use it to help feed poor children in Yemen (Hail Mary!). Also, I will argue that I am terribly upset to”discover” that he seems to be STEALING 40%+ traffic from my site. Apparently, some of MY intended visitors are going to his site and he (double gasp!!) profits from them!
Sounds like a good plan, no?
Total cost of this lottery ticket? Just $1,500 for a one person arbitrator. If you consider that 50% of all judges graduated at the bottom half of their class, I think I have a pretty good shot.
In all seriousness, good luck kicking his ass, Rick and Howard. For the future of domaining on the internet, this case needs to be decided in your favor.
Brian S. from the Isle of Man
Hi…me again…allow me to clarify my last line in which I said your case is important for the future of domaining on the internet. While that may be true, this case is actually important for the future of all operating BUSINESSES on the internet — since, the .COM domain is the fundamental foundation of any solid online venture. To think that someone can simply come along and easily steal it out from under you would send high voltage shocks and shivers down the spine of the entire WWW. Can’t happen. This decision needs to go in your favor — especially with no trademark.
Incredible Case!
In a show of solidarity, our domain buying group has unanimously agreed to forward http://www.MasterDebater.Com and http://www.MasterDebator.Com to your blog so visitors can read the legal details of this malicious, frivolous and disturbing complaint.
Leaky Leaky Boat
Is he claiming in the complaint’s paragraph #30 that, according to Alexa, 81.4% of your site’s traffic is now coming from Brazil? Yowza!
Remember that post you did a while back comparing alternative tld’s to a hole in a boat (ie, who would buy it!?!?!), well, it looks like we now have some reliable data to support that, your royal highness.
Thanks to O.CO’s recent disclosure, we know that .CO leaks by 61% and, additionally, we now know that .COM.BR leaks by 81.4% thanks to this filing.
New gtld anyone???
Unknowndomainer.wordpress.com
“With their logic every dotcom owner would lose their domain on the WHIM of almost any 3rd party registering a domain in any other extension and establishing a business. Ridiculous in the face of it.”
This could actually be partially true.
As @Chris says earlier (or something similar):
If a company properly creates a brand on a name and makes it internationally famous – that would severely hamper any opportunity to sell without a TM disclosure a similar domain. If you changed anything to profit from that association it is bad faith EVEN IF the domain predates the new company.
The date or age of you domain is relevant in terms of usage – if your domain is 20 years old it doesn’t matter if you setup something confusing six months ago. For some reason domainers don’t understand this.
If you had registered Googol.com in 1992 you would STILL have a hard time selling it now. If you put a search engine on it today? It would be bad faith. If you put ads targeting search engines? Bad faith. Make a search engine? Bad faith. Try and sell it to Google? Bad faith. Domain age is ONE factor. Usage is a bigger factor.
The ACPCA states:
“registers, traffics in, or uses a domain name”
Notice the OR. It’s NOT just about registration. It’s about USE.
This jerk off from Brazil may have no case but I don’t think it’s ever as clear cut as people want to make out. The only way you could sell GoofOff is to someone who wanted to use it in a manner totally non-confusing with Goof Off, for obvious reasons. If you made it confusing? That’s bad faith. These leaves you with what? A rather amusing site. Big fucking deal.
You can make a mockery of these chumps coz that”you’re style” but
I’m not sure that pointing WHORE, WHORES, or PUTA at them does anything of value. It’s potentially defamation as none of their tricks constitute any form of prostitution that I am aware of. At minimum it makes you look like a bit a jock bully.
I also think that as you say you do PR and your buddy does legal you should let him do the legal because through this blog and your comments your confused where one starts and the other ends. imho.
GiftedDomains
Destroy him and make him regret trying to steal Domain Names.
Rick Schwartz
“Education: Master of Laws (LL.M.) at the Università degli Studi di Torino (UNITO, Italy) and Worldwide Intellectual Property Organization Academy (WIPO, Geneva);”
Can somebody tell me what”Worldwide Intellectual Property Organization Academy (WIPO, Geneva)” means? Is that where you make connections?
“Courses on Advanced Intellectual Property at Worldwide Intellectual Property Organization Academy (WIPO)” What’s that?
I mean with this much specialized training, it makes this case even more outrageous and suspicious to me. Many lawyers in the same field have contacted me and they too are outraged at this over reach. It does not even hold water among his peers. So then I think it is abuse and bad faith because he does know better.
http://www.almeidaadvogados.com.br/almeidalaw/Ingles/detEquipe.php?codequipe=73&PHPSESSID=nrivvclqsmss
Rick Schwartz
This entire event just Illustrates, Validates and PROVES what I have been saying about .co and .whatever.
“For years I have had to live with the bullshit spewed at me by know nothings for discovering things early only to get vindicated by the FACTS later on. So when I have the facts on my side after eating shit for years, I get to stuff that shit back in the mouths of those little pricks. Not for disagreeing. I love the joust of examining all sides of an issue. But when the facts come in and the debate was low and personal and twisted, the joust is over. I will use those facts to destroy whatever agenda some may be protecting and the snake oil they sell.
There are a number of non .com domain extensions that can be promoted and have great value. But if you do not own the .com counterpart, you are pissing away in excess of 50% of all your dollars spend AND if that .com counterpart is owned by a competitor, you are fueling your own demise. You are feeding the beast that wants to destroy you with your own hard work. It’s no longer a debatable issue. It is what they call”Settled.” That’s going to screw up the plans of many and they will lash out. They lash, I laugh.”
http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2012/03/birdie-in-the-mine-doa-we-now-have-a-cause-of-death.html
Rick Schwartz
I am going to issue a press release next week and I plan a very public offense focused on both here and Brazil but carried worldwide. The media will be involved and there is no court more powerful than the Court of Public Opinion. I am going to reach out to trade groups and companies that may share the same concerns. I have a plan that will finally help to end this abuse.
Uncle Sam
What a croc of poo that complaint is! To think that some a-hole can claim that he is losing traffic to you cuz you are the .com guy is just retardo. I’d like to own the Empire State building, but someone else owns it. I think he should give it to me.
This Joe The Plumber”Share the wealth” mentality has gotten out of hand in America and has, apparently, reached Brazil shores as well.
Make it stop by putting these anti-capitalistic jerks in their place. If they can’t afford it in cash, they need to work out financial terms and arrange a loan so they can buy it from you. Or, maybe bring on a partner. Or, maybe offer you a partnership in the deal in exchange for a lower price. Or offer to clean your driveway and swimming pool for the rest of your life. But to try to steal it from you via an arbitration panel is bad faith and needs to be retaliated against with sanctions and punitive damages.
Saveme.com Protects Internet Real Estate
Thank you Rick :)
You are the Martin Luther King of the domaining world
LISTEN TO THE LYRICS – Ricks followers will NEVER STOP
fighting for what’s RIGHT!!!
Johnny Cash – God’s Gonna Cut You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bwfm7-uNS4
Blogger B
Hi Rick,
Longtime follower here. Looks like I will be your 200th commentator on this topic and I just wanted to wish you good luck in your denfense against these baseless claims.
I will be spreading the word on my 2 blogs as well to help get the word out.
I think that creeps like Marcio Chaves need to have their legal permits taken away.
David
I noticed one of the WIPO Academy courses the dishonest predator Mario Chaves may have taken while studying in Geneva is this one. Possibly they also taught him how to get 3 (likely biased) Brazilian panel members too:
“DL-317 Arbitration and Mediation Procedure under the WIPO Rules[-] Summary: This advanced course is intended to describe the main features and advantages of the procedures designed by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center; how the selection process of the most appropriate dispute resolution procedure for any given case; and how to draft appropriate dispute resolution clauses for insertion into and agreement. Duration: 50 hours Tutored: Yes Certificate: Yes Cost: Fee list Course administrator: DL317e.academy@wipo.int
Rick Schwartz
Another thought because this is more than just a domain dispute. This is a country code dispute and the USA as a country uses .com not .us and not .com.us. So this would put a substantial burden on the broader US market because we are .com based. So the level of alliance on a subject like this is substantial because the MASSES can put themselves in my shoes.
I have a 20 year plan for a reason. 20 years to get to THIS point. Not unexpected. Take a drive today. There is land wherever you drive. Undeveloped land. Some NEVER developed after MILLIONS of years. The Internet is still a baby. Now in adolescence. It’s getting where I envisioned it would be in 20 years. The start! The most valuable real estate in the world. I bet my fortune on back then and it has made me a fortune since then. No secret.
I articulated what I would do and why it would be done and the timeline from my earliest posts. I understood that an embryo had to mature. Well, you can consider it matured. We are at the big stakes level and sometimes common sense just has a way of winning out in such a way that it changes things in the most dramatic of ways because folks are fair minded. They can wrap their heads around this. They can put themselves in my place or his place. Then folks no matter where they are from know the answer.
Rick Schwartz
“Saveme.com Protects Internet Real Estate”
That would be a pretty good slogan. I think as saveme.com evolves it needs a short headline that describes it. That conveys something just like the above. Short and powerful.
David
It appears this scumbag attorney quickly changed his name or removed his Linedin profile listed in Bing since that url (was ranked #3) now says no record. However, the cached page below is still working:
http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=marcio+mello+chaves+brazil&d=4582382711540401&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=7a121e7,7ab6ebf1
K Zone
I actually like the name SaveMe.Com since it can mean so many things to so many people. It is one of those cases in which a two word domain is actually preferable to a one worder since the two words bring on an entirely different meaning than either of the two individual component words. Not all two word domains are like that. I think your inital price was way too low and that we should be talking 7 figures, not 6. As you have said in the past, if they think that is too high, tell them to come back later when the price does seem fair, but, of course, the price will probably be even higher at that point.
Whatever you do, don’t settle with these South American extortionist hoodlums. You have a great case and need to press WIPO to offer punative damages and legal fees for the winning party. Otherwise, why would a company with a .shit or a new gtld not take a small monetary risk to try to go for an established .com.
ScottM
“SaveMe.com Helps Save Domain Owners From Would-Be Domain Thieves”
Andrea
Rick,
on the page you linked there is an interesting list of associations (CAD, INTA, OAB/SP,…).
I’m sure they won’t approve mr Marcio Mello Chaves using their names in his CV while working on reverse hijacking and IP dirty tricks.
Maybe your lawyers should let them know what’s happening…
Professional Thinker
Maybe you should point the domain RECTAL.COM at his law firm or LinkedIn page?
Seems appropriate to me.
Bob
Wow Rick, I can hardly find any information from a google search regarding his job as a lawyer.. Every single result on the first 20+ pages are all regarding this case.
Rick Schwartz
Let’s see if he responds or ABANDONS this suit. We will know in 5 days.
“In accordance with Rules, Paragraph 4(b), you are hereby notified of the following formal deficiency with your Complaint:
(1) The text below section (C) of the Complaint, with the emboldened heading “Bad Faith in the Domain Name Use”, does not appear to describe why the domain name should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith.
Please note that paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy and paragraph 3(b)(ix)(3) of the Rules require a complainant to describe why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith.
(2) The Complaint has not been signed (in any electronic format) by the Complainant or its authorized representative, as required by Rules, Paragraph 3(b)(xiv).
Unless the deficiency specified above are cured within five (5) calendar days, March 24, 2012, of the date of this notification, in accordance with Rules, Paragraph 4(b), your Complaint will be deemed withdrawn, without prejudice to the submission of a new Complaint by you.”
I think I can hang my hat on this part:”Please note that paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy and paragraph 3(b)(ix)(3) of the Rules require a complainant to describe why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith.”
Now please tell me how I REGISTERED saveme.com in Bad Faith in 1996? He can’t. And so on this single point alone he will lose.”USED and REGISTERED” are the keys. Of course that is only one set of keys. There will be a multitude of reasons his claim will be denied!
Rick Schwartz
“Wow Rick, I can hardly find any information from a google search regarding his job as a lawyer.. Every single result on the first 20+ pages are all regarding this case.”
I think that is called BRANDING and this CLOWN has been BRANDED in days just as I promised in the title. I promised to make him famous and in the exercise I think I proved something about search. Relevance!
I would much rather brand a commercial and profitable product. But this little exercise shows what you or I can do with ZERO Search Engine experience.
James
How about”SaveMe.com from getting stolen”
Iron Tech 2
Good one! Or SaveMe.Com from a-holes who try to steal stuff to which they are not entitled.
Next time, Mr. Marcio Mello Chaves, I propose that you get a domain name the ol’ fashioned way, register it or buy it. The way you are attempting to go about it is abhorent and, as a result, I think you are lower than scum on a snail’s belly.
David
I’m beginning to feel a bit sorry for Chaves. But as a young guy in his 20s, he unfortunately needed a life lesson like this, if he actually thought he could get away with what he was trying to do. He probably really is thinking”Save Me,” at this point.
Domainer
Rick,
If you are seeking media coverage in Brazil, you should try to contact these groups:
– Valor Economico (Brazil’s main business newspaper and a huge audience of executives/businessmen)
– G1.com.br
– UOL.com.br
– Terra.com.br
Good luck
SaveMe.com Protects Internet Real Estate
LET’S PUT THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN
We should show this video to anyone who tries to take our
INTERNET REAL ESTATE
http://youtu.be/-KoRh451Ukw
Rick Schwartz
http://youtu.be/-KoRh451Ukw
Great Job on the video!
Sounds like a Joe Pesci voice over. lol
SaveMe.com Protects Internet Real Estate
Thanks :) lol
I’m glad this subject is getting so much attention because we really need to fix this problem fast! Every year domainers are going to get
new problems people trying different tactics trying to steal our domains so we need to network together bringing this story to mainstream showing them what will happen. We need to build walls protecting ourselves from them because they will never stop trying anywhere there is good money it brings out the sharks.
dean
what a fucking guy!
money is important but I want to give him a advice first.
Be a Man before you become rich boy.
Cheers Rick!
I am very sad as a domainer about recent domain market situation.
because even generic domains are under danger of hijacking.
I have mostly of course generic domains too.
but frankly I am afraid of the same cases like yours.
for example) I have kind of Colorfood.com something like that.
colorfood.com is not mine
I am interested in your case and I am sure that he cannot take your domain away.
If he can, that means this world is not working.
and it is already crazy there is no reason to do business.
We need to learn cheating people, threatening people, or even killing people.
Do you agree??
Mike
Don’t get me wrong, Rick, reverse domain name hijacking is criminal. BUT why so hostile? And be honest, without this .br business your domain would be worth low 4-figure at most. I would have taken the $10k. And then you turned down $50,000 before telling them to fuck off?! Get real, man! You probably deserve to lose this domain the way you’re acting.
Joao
Rick, i dont know why your blog doesnt print the right portuguese words, but here is the portuguese version without those funny mistakes:
Você simpatiza com gente que tenta dar um”jeitinho” para tomar coisas que não lhes pertence?
Este é o caso de 2 irmãos no Brasil que estão por trás de um site relativamente novo, o SaveMe.com.br.
Veja, eu possuo o domínio genérico SaveMe.com aqui nos EUA desde 1996, quando o domínio (aquilo que vem depois do http://www...) estava livre e eu o registrei. 16 anos mais tarde, esta empresa no Brasil parece ter optado por um caminho sujo, após registrar o domínio SaveMe.com.br, em 2010.
Agora eles querem o MEU domínio, e não querem pagar por isso!!! Eles simplesmente querem que a justiça lhes”entregue” o domínio. Sem mesmo ter uma marca registrada do nome”Save Me” no Brasil, quanto mais aqui nos EUA, eles decidiram entrar com uma ação contra mim e meu domínio de 16 anos. Note que, antes de entrarem com uma ação, eles fizeram ofertas pelo domínio, mas eu as rejeitei, simplesmente porque não estavam no patamar adequado, com a agravante de que não informaram corretamente quem eram (ou seja, mentiram). Eu nunca soube que eles representavam esta empresa até que esta semana recebi uma intimação. Acredito que você possa ver claramente as implicações do que eles estão tentando fazer, pois eles não têm quaisquer direitos sobre aquilo que não lhes pertence.
Se você algum dia usar os serviços desta empresa, talvez você queira dizer a eles para que parem de tentar tomar aquilo que não lhes pertence.
Any help you need with portuguese, just say.
Rick Schwartz
Joao,
Thanks!! This is the 4th translation I have had and thank each of you very much. Between Portuguese being a difficult language and that typepad does not handle all the special characters very well, it has been challenging. So thanks again and hopefully it reads better now.
sade
at demene.com ?????
subpixel
So what you’re saying is… close to zero work and zero expenditure (licensing a domain name and squatting on it for years) on your behalf absolutely trumps creating an actual working service/business. Utility to the world of your site: zero. Utility to the world of the working website: let’s suppose something greater than zero.
And now…”saveme.com” as a brand or whatever is forever poisoned by your trash. Good work.
You don’t own anything. saveme.com doesn’t even exist, and what value it has you appear to be intentionally burning. A domain name is a license, if anything, and domain squatting is only a step back from patent trolling as a despicable form of”business”.
-spxl
jayjay
Crimes na internet – Márcio Mello Chaves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qAR5WfyijQ
lol.. pot calling the kettle burnt! ;)
SEO Cornwall
Wow! Tread on his toes and he stamps on your leg!! Great post, and funnily enough I’ve had this sort of thing on my mind for a couple of weeks due to an issue I’ve had with a domain infringing intellectual property.
Rick, you would make a great lawyer!
Joao
Rick,
My pleasure!
Lucas
Very bad what this guys have done to you Rick, and you are right: you are protecting more than one domain and one domainer. You are protecting an entire community.
Wish you success Rick with your case. Once again standing up and protecting that very industry that you contributed so much to create.
carlos lopez
the .com.ve
Fecha de Vencimiento: 2012-09-21 13:37:04
Ultima Actualizacion: 2011-11-03 21:16:06
Fecha de Creacion: 2010-09-21 13:37:04
bought this for my domain domain saveme.com.ve in 2011-11-03 21:16:06
SaveMe.com Protects Internet Real Estate
Ricks like a solar panel the more you fight against him he soaks up all your energy, all the domains he has sold will shine so bright it hurts your eyes something most domainers can only dream about. Rick shows facts.
Think outside the box, true leader scumbags need to realise they can’t get their wicked evil scum way and steal the prime internet real estate from you. Márcio was testing the water but this time high power electric is running through it, what’s done in the dark will come to the light. I really hope he is sorry for doing this and becomes a real man and says sorry because he will be wasting time and making himself look like a very untrustworthy business man and this would affect his future business.
I’m a Rick fan YES, I will do anything to help him because he is the key person to help us and his advice over the years has been life changing. Rick has proved himself so many times and once again he will change things! Trying to take this domain away from Rick is like taking meat from a lion. You are going to suffer the after effects and his followers are watching every angle and would come down on you like a hot ton of bricks and pick at you like piranhas prey.
Rick can do whatever he likes with his domains just because others didn’t have the brains to invest in domains at the right time it’s not Ricks fault! Billions of people in the world and Rick was one of the first buying domains and saw things before that many people! Rick deserves everyone of his domains. Look at all the people who have old wine collections you don’t see them getting lawyers letters or people trying to steal there collections.Why the hell do these scumbags think the can do it with our domains. Makes me sick!!! Hate people wasting time
I’m going to put my time into seo work now helping get this story out :) I have a huge team and if I don’t start seeing results soon I will keep taking it to the next level, my team could tell everyone of their customers on their social network sites exactly what they are trying to do.
Also I’m going to put this logo on all my websites and emails anytime someone contacts me about my domains
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/saveme2.jpg/
Chris
@ Rick (and most comments her):
You guys are actually all missing the bigger picture.
Instead of focusing on this silly UDRP”COMPLAINT” (let’s face it, it is not even a CASE yet, and it will not go anywhere because 1 of 3 key provisions of a successful claim can not be met) you should really focus the following:
Rick actually did not act very smart in regards to this domain.
Let me explain:
Rick registered the domain SaveMe.com about 15 years or so ago.
It’s a nice and catchy domain with commercial potential (up until now).
So what did he do with it? Absolutely nothing. (other than constantly trying to convince everyone what a great guy he is)
Of course, no domain owner is required to do anything with his/her domain(s). Like most of them Rick was simply waiting and hoping for someone to make him a”high six-figure offer”.
But here comes the glitch:
Now we have a company in Brazil in the process of registering”SaveMe” as a trademark.
Does this give them any rights to the domain SaveMe.com? Of course not (Rick owned it long before they ever started their business).
But:
Rick never developed the domain or started a legitimate business under this domain. He therefore will not be able to block the Brazilian trademark application (you would have to show prior use in COMMERCE for that).
Because of this new trademark Rick will now be facing the following obstacles in the future (the first one is a nuisance, but the second one is fatal for a domainer):
1. Since he has already been made aware of the trademark process he will not be able to use the domain for any competing E-commerce purpose. He may be able to find other uses for it, but anytime he tries to use it for online sales, coupons, etc. (the only logical profitable application for this domain) he will run into conflict with the trademark and then can be taken straight back to WIPO for”bad faith” use.
(and trust me: those Brazilians will be watching like hawks…)
2. From this point on Rick will not be able to sell this domain to anyone who wants to start an E-commerce site (unless he finds a sucker and fails to disclose this trademark dispute – not a smart thing with all this publicity on the web now), because any new owner of SaveMe.com would immediately be in conflict with the trademark (a”bad faith” claim against a new owner would be very easy; the only thing protecting Rick is the fact that he acquired the domain about 15 years ago, but a new owner will no longer have this protection…).
Rick will win this fight (there may not even be a fight, because the COMPLAINT is so absurd), but he has already lost the battle for the market value of this domain (religious groups and non-profits usually don’t pay”high six-figures”).
In essence: the Brazilians will put a straight-jacket against E-commerce use around this domain, because Rick did not properly protect and manage it.
This is the real important lesson to learn from Rick’s misfortune:
If you want to protect (or increase) the long-term value of your premium domains, put them to some kind of identifiable and legitimate commercial/business use – no matter how small.
Owning a domain and parking it or redirecting it does not count as”commerce”.
Don’t do as Rick did, otherwise the same thing can happen to your premium domain(s).
(and that’s why I said Rick was not very smart with this domain)
Rick Schwartz
Chris, thanks for the well thought out comment.
Here is the part I don’t agree with.
1. He may NOT get a trademark. I actually doubt he will. It’s very weak.
2. I don’t know that I have to use it as you say to challenge it if I wanted. But I believe it will fall on its own weight if it hasn’t already.
3. I don’t believe in page holders for income producing domains. This domain has made me a lot of money over the years and I think it just gets better. You can ALWAYS figure out a way to make money if you have millions of annual visitors.
4. Most importantly, I don’t want to sell my income producing domains. I am not looking to sell any domains. I don’t make sales calls.
And if I do sell, then it comes down to how much the parked domain vs the parked money. If I put $1MM in the bank today, there is virtually no interest. But even at 5%, $50,000 a year, the incentive to sell the domain at $50,000 isn’t even present. I mean this is just dumb. Not your statement, their offer.
Let’s assume they are 100% right and I am taking all this traffic? What does that cost them per day? Or Overstock to make it unrelated. How much did it cost Overstock.com to lose 61% of the business they spent millions advertising for? Overstock at least tracked the numbers and understand it and reversed course. These clowns never even asked the question. They offer $50,000 but the leak could be $50,000 a month if they are as big as they say they are.
The clowns would have to know the value of each customer and then be capable of actually multiplying it daily. If they lost 100 customers a day how much would that be costing them in their eyes whether true or not? 1000 customers? 10,0000 customers? 100,000 customers??
So the clock ticks, the boat has a gash in it according to them and they have wasted nearly 2 years not even figuring it out. Me thinks they are not as big as they say or think.
They point to Alexa and their 7500 ranking. Sorry, Alexa is meaningless and I will demonstrate it in no uncertain terms. I did a little test this week and can demonstrate just how easy it is to manipulate Alexa, show the inaccuracies and other incapabilities. Remember, I know nothing about search, but I do know about numbers and traffic. Alexa is as credible as a domain appraisal. No credibility whatsoever.
If I used saveme.com for an ecommerce site right this second, they have no claim and never will regardless of the trademark or no trademark. It’s a common term. I can use it to sell insurance. I can do many things and so could many others without infringing on a trademark that does not exist and likely never will. Their suit does not limit me in any manner. If I wanted to go into direct competition with them I could do that. But I don’t know that is the highest and best use of the domain name. That is why I have a 20 year plan. 1 by 1 domains become more important as they ripen. Highest and best use becomes more and more apparent.
I also have certain”Common Rights”. Either way, this is all banter, speculation and the rest. But certainly demonstrates and PROVES what I have said. If you use any other extension and don’t own the .com version, the more success you have, the bigger and more expensive the leak is. There is no longer a debate over this part and it will become more clear with ever passing day.
Parking grows the traffic on a domain from my experience. Holding pages generally have done the opposite for me. I watch the traffic dwindle. Parking regenerates it. Go figure.
Saveme.com Protects Internet Real Estate
I’m going to take the seo to the next level now!
This business is finished people need to see this
is what will happens when you try to steal domains.
Rick Schwartz
They BLAME the Brazilian Government for not getting a trademark. (Not that it would matter)
They have not applied for a US trademark, who do they BLAME for that?
They BLAME me for having the SUPERIOR extension.
Who do they BLAME for the other”Deficiency”?
Who do they BLAME for not signing the complaint?
Who do they blame for the other mistakes and inaccuracies?
Winners win and have results, LOSERS BLAME OTHERS!
Are these two going to go through life BLAMING others for what they lack?
SAD!
ScottM
These are truly the”Boys from Brazil”. They are too stupid and immature to behave like real men and do the real work in registering (not stealing) a suitable dot com and a filing a U.S. registered trademark from the onset. His”Hail Mario” pass trying to hit the UDRP goal line will fail miserably and he will be sacked big time. Odds: 99 to 1 on Rick.
Biggie.us
rick
glad you re-confirmed that Alexa is useless
also
saveme.com is great name to offer”Rescue Equipment, Life Saving Techniques, CPR training and related accessories” which could lead to medical, fire fighting and trade schools that offers those classes.
so it does have other commercial options
imo…
amcik
why the hell is this blog opened while i was typing http://www.whore.com
ADvermain
I get a kick out of all your posts, out of all the domain blogs I visit yours I enjoy reading the most. I like your style. I also hope he ends up buying the domain after he finds out he does not win. LMFAO
Rick Schwartz
@amcik
Because we are pointing out something that crosses many lines. Besides Whore in the sense of a prostitute there are folks in business that have no”Principles”. These businessmen are referred to as”Whores”.
Whore Defined: (and there are many more definitions believe me)
A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.
intr.v. whored, whor·ing, whores
1. To associate or have sexual relations with prostitutes or a prostitute.
2. To accept payment in exchange for sexual relations.
3. To compromise one’s principles for personal gain.
Number 1 and 2 do not apply to this situation the rest does. Of course that were to assume one had principles to compromise to begin with and in this case I have yet to see any from my Brazilian friends.
Trec
Hi Rick,
There is another error on their original complaint. They do not own all the domain names listed on 11.i: saveme.mx is not theirs.
Contact me if you need more information.
BTY, do you have access to the annex III of the complaint?
ScottM
I’ve been through the U.S. registered trademark process enough times with my partners and clients to know that”Save Me” or even”SaveMe.com” as a word mark trademark would probably generate a USPTO office action on the first application and likely be considered generic. Also it would likely have to be filed as a service mark as they are offering services i.e. discounts of other companies. If it even gets accepted it may very likely be on the supplemental register and not the principal register and with disclaimer of the word”save”, and even then only for a single and very narrow classification of services. There are literally hundreds of other classfications that”Save Me” could be used for also involving commerce and savings, unless the Brazilians were planning to file in multiple classfications, and would have to show legitimate statement of use specimens in each. The trademark examiner would do a thorough Internet and trademark search and maybe see that Rick’s use of it even on a parking page but offering other similar services would constitute Rick’s prior use of”Save Me” in the same classification as the Brazilian’s thus may bar them from getting a U.S. trademark for”Save Me”. No way the Brazilian’s can get over the UDRP hurdle of bad faith at the time of registration of the domain in 1996 by Rick, didn’t happen and it’s not retroactive. In any event Rick was not put on notice his domain was infringing on any trademark, not even one that was filed but not registered and issued, instead, he was given several offers to sell it by the Brazilians which negates any miniscule of alleged bad faith.
Afrim
Good Luck Rick! I am sure you will win this case, common sense should prevail. I really admire your fighting spirit!
John Berryhill
Ummm… Is there a reason you are addressing Brazilians in Spanish instead of Portuguese?
Jacob
Destroy him. Is there any other competitor in Brazil?
Danny Pryor
OOoooh!!! Watch it! LOL!
Brazilian
Brazil will conqueour the world —– lalalalala
steven
i’ll be amazed if they actually follow through with the complaint at this point, i doubt they ever expected it would explode in their face like this … lol
have fun with it rick! … you da man!
cris
dot com is the law? too pretentious? I agree with one thing while it is not my subject, but since it is on the web – I will defend Brazil! Each country determines its domain, there is no international council to decide this, and to worsen the patents that are stolen among all countries, as the U.S. who claim that create everything in the world and in the end are the immigrants? Respect first, on the Save me everything is solved through dialogue and discussions like this one not born of prejudice and racism to say that some dot com is the law!
Luiz Monteiro
Well done rick!
I will be waiting this end and everybody knows what is gonna happen, give them the same juice after they finish!
Custom Facebook Application
Let me start by saying the UDRP is a joke, and he couldn’t have picked a worse person to try it on, i hope Rick wins and it helps others thinking of doing this think twice in the future.
Ok, now Rick is acting like a complete c o c k with an ego that is out of control and no class, his rants make him sound like a spiteful,childish chav.
Custom Facebook Application
Let me start by saying the UDRP is a joke, and he couldn’t have picked a worse person to try it on, i hope Rick wins and it helps others thinking of doing this think twice in the future.
Altaf
Hi Rick,
Any further update on the above case?
If I own a domain and its any part matches with any TM co. in USA or elsewhere, does it fall under Arbitration under ICANN? Why? Some common generic words could be TM in USA while that is not TM in India. Will it still be termed as squatter?
Roger
Saveme.com.br parent company, buscape.com.br is known by their”creative” ways to do business. Their latest soap opera is about whining about the entrance of Google Shopping in Brazil that affects their main business, comparison shopping. They’re trying to use anti-trust law to kill a competitor: http://thenextweb.com/google/2011/12/21/anti-trust-investigation-looming-against-google-shopping-in-brazil/
Sergio
Hi Duane, hi all,
I just read the suggestion on the title change:””Márcio Mello Chaves is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing and I am Going to Make him and SaveMe.Com.br Famous”.
This should pretty much put this post at same or higher position of there site when searching for Save me or the SaveMe.com.br domain.”
I live in Brazil and for some reason when in google.com.br looking for save.com or saveme.com.br i cant find any results of this blog.
What i saw though was saveme.com.br doing adwords and by the size of the company (saveme.com.br was bought by Buscape http://blog.pagamentodigital.com.br/saveme-%E2%80%93-nova-empresa-do-buscape/ (i know it is in a language you said you dont understand, but buscape was a company bought by naspers, so they are not a new kid in town).
Anyhow, my hunch is that buscape (saveme) investing in google adwords might have negotiated some”help” on the organic results not to show any of this party to the brazilians looking for saveme naturaly without direct typing.
Anyway, i truly hope you can make a strong case and best of all make a show here so that brazilian domain market receives the reputation it deserves.
Best of luck!
huji
yuio
ScottM
This looks like a good precedent for Rick to beat these boys from Brazil:
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/04/18/in-a-case-that-looks-a-lot-like-saveme-com-udrp-denied-on-rentfaster-com/
Michael
Once bitten twice shy! I really don’t see anyone wanting to do buisness with these two brothers anywhere in the future.
irfan
1.Whoever registers a non-trademarked dot com for a particular generic or his own made-up name must be granted the actual right over that particular word. No reverse hijacking should be entertained.
2.First come first served basis should be followed and the old registrar must be cleared from bad faith or cyber squatting sins.
3.Before internet many not so famous companies has a trademark for a particular name with a different line of businesses. At trademarkia.com when i looked for aristotle as a trademark it shows many registrants but different line of products. But, only one can get the dot com domain name. In this case, first come first served basis should be followed.
4.Domain name registration for buying and selling of generic name must be made legal.
… Mr.Rick SAVEME.COM for sure will remain YOURS ONLY.
OzByte
I was researching to see if saveme.com was available and came across this crazy story! All I have to say is….Get’em Rick! I wanted saveme.com as a coupon store however, after reading this, I guess its time to pick another avenue! Good Luck to you!
Hahaha
I got here from typing in http://www.whore.com
this isn’t porn!
FrienFromBrazil
Uma dica Rick, traduzo o seu post inteiro para o Portugues do Brasil para que todo brasileiro que acessar seu site veja como são as pessoas por tras deste site que quer fazer monopólio do mercado nas costas de pessoas honestas como você.
Eu sou do Brasil e por isso estou dando essa dica.
Exponha esses”carrapatos” que querem sugar o sangue do próximo só porque acham que são grandes.
FriendFromBrazil
A tip Rick, translate your entire post for the Portuguese of Brazil to all Brazilians who access your site to see how are the people behind this site that want to market monopoly on the backs of honest people like you.
I’m from Brazil so I’m giving this tip.
Expose these”ticks” that want to suck the blood of others just because they think they are great.
Eduardo
Jonathan you got the point.
Rick, now i m the target of SQUARESPACE.com – but in inverse, they want the domain name the i got in Brazil (.br)
What could you say about this, tips or suggests on how to handle this.
Thanks a lot for any help Rick!
Justin Cooper
Geeze! I randomly looked up the website because, facing yet another eviction and realizing I am undoubtedly poor, I thought I could find some sort of help program or make believe that I could have the vigor to start a website designated to rid me of my poverty. Guess I will, like the man (don’t like to call out names) should have, steer real clear from the domain. haha. Good luck with everything, although I doubt you’ll need it.
EVELYN
I AM A CUSTOMER, AND JUST I DONT CARE, AND NOBODY WILL CARE TOO, SAVEME.COM IS DIFFERENT OF SAVEME.COM.BR HAVE A BR! AND SAVEME IS A GREAT, BIG, AND SERIOUS COMPANY EVEBORY LOVES!, I THINK U ARE FIGTHING ALONE.AMERICANS ALWAYS THINK THAT THEY HAVE ALL REASONS, HONESTLY, THIS TWO BOYS JUST REALLY DONT THINK ABOUT YOUR”PROBLEN WITH NAMES”
Luiz Pacheco
Hello, I’m from Brazil and I was trying to reach saveme.com.br and accidently I ended up here. At first I didn’t understand what was going on but after reading your text i realized the”problem”.
Also, let me thank you for letting me know that saveme and buscape are from the same owner. Buscape is well know for illegal practices in Brazil like fraud, smuggling, conspiracy among other things and its owner Marcio Mello Chaves is also known for the same acts. Since the beggining Buscape has been prejudced consumers all over the country by offering products and services from malicious websites and yet gainning a lot of profits on these fraudlent issues.
Both of the main pro-consumer sites in Brazil (Reclame Aqui and Confiômetro) rate Buscape as NOT TRUSTWORTH. A quick research on google let me prove about above afirmations.
http://www.reclameaqui.com.br/indices/9742/bondfaro-buscape/
http://www.e-commercebrasil.org/negocios/buscape-nao-se-entende-com-reclame-aqui/
http://www.confiometro.com.br/buscape/reclamacao
http://srclicker.wordpress.com/2007/09/09/fraude-no-buscape-sites-roubam-pequenos-empresarios/
I am one of the prejudice consumers losing about US$1,8k in 2010 when trying to buy a computer from a e-commerce site that Buscape had a partnership. Never got my money back.
I will stop using Saveme from now on. And wish you good luck against those bastards.
ps: Márcio Mello Chaves deleted his profile from facebook LOL coward prick.
Grim
@EVELYN – Is that you, Márcio?
Domainer
Rick, I sent the WIPO decision to 20 newspapers and tech blogs in Brazil. Let’s hope at least one of them will publicize the case.
Rick Schwartz
@Domainer
Thank you!
One of the publications in Brazil has contacted me and you know I gave my honest responses.
I can only hope that people in Brazil are as outraged as we are.
Wrong is wrong.”Bad Faith” and”Abuse”.
See you monday
Good job Rick! You did great as always and its really helpful for me!
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