How To Officially Piss Off the Largest Bank in the World

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Unarmed Gunman

Unarmed Gunman

Medium Pimpin'
May 2, 2007
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I feel a strange sense of pride in this email I just received, so I felt the need to share:

JPMorgan Chase & Co.​
We are writing on behalf of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “JPMorgan Chase”) to you, as the registrant of the Internet domain name chase-sucks.com.​
JPMorgan Chase has well-established rights to , as its trademark for banking and financial services. JPMorgan Chase’s trademark rights in are based on the long-standing and extensive use of by our firm or its predecessors. JPMorgan Chase owns trademark registrations that consist of or contain .​
Our firm does not object to your ownership of chase-sucks.com. However, JPMorgan Chase has determined that the website located at chase-sucks.com contains references to banking or other financial services. This content, placed on the website located at chase-sucks.com, creates a likelihood of confusion about the source of these services.​
If you believe that your references to banking or other financial services at chase-sucks.com have been authorized by JPMorgan Chase, please specify the source of this authorization and the date on which you received it. If you have not received such authorization, our firm demands that you immediately remove all banking or financial services references from all web pages that are located at chase-sucks.com.​
JPMorgan Chase would like to resolve this matter amicably if at all possible. Please respond in writing to brandprotection@jpmchase.com within ten days from the date of this message. Otherwise, our firm will assume that you are unwilling to comply with this demand. In that event, JPMorgan Chase will take all steps that it deems necessary to enforce its trademark and other legal rights.​
Our firm looks forward to a prompt reply to this message.​
JP Morgan Chase Brand Protection
301 N. Walnut Street
1CC - 17th Floor - DE1-0175
Wilmington, DE 19801
Fax: 1-302-282-3001​
Click to expand...
First, I would just like to say - I rule. I only built the site because they pissed me off one day (as usual), and I wanted to try to make them feel my pain. Then a few months into it, people started sending me their stories, so I posted them. Then it started ranking #1 for all kinds of negative Chase terms like Chase Sucks, Chase Bank Sucks, etc. and started to get a little traffic so I threw a few offers on it. It doesn't make a lot but now that it has gotten the attention of JP Morgan Chase, I'm starting to like that little site.

So now what? Do they have a leg to stand on? I mean, their claim of possible confusion is a bit of a stretch. I made a point to stay away from their blue/white color scheme and their logos. They said they don't care about the url Chase-Sucks, so wouldn't this fall under a parody/complaint site. I can only imagine that paypalsucks.com was similarly threatened, but they're still up.

I was actually going to sell the site now that it has some value, but with the letter, I don't know if I can (at least not without disclosing to the new owner). Any advice?
 


First off, let me say... badass!
Secondly, I'm no lawyer but, I don't think there's anything they can do about it. I would request compensation to take it down and see what they say. If it works, let us know.
 
Sucks websites are fine usually. Paypal sucks I think set the precedent when they won some sort of dispute with paypal.com
 
I'm leaning towards mkrongel's advice. I have a credit report offer that I think is fine, but the credit card offer is probably the only leg they have to stand on (even though it says - "The Anti-Chase" in big bold letters.

It's an obvious form letter, as you can tell by the 2nd paragraph with all the missing words they forgot to fill in. I think I'll tell them to put their specific complaints in writing (not an email) and then take the credit card offer down if they follow-up.
 
nice nice...

my advice consult a lawyer... you might want to think about putting up a disclaimer too...

btw, if I were you I'd post that letter on your site...
 
They own the trademark- I wouldn't fuck with it too much. Unless you have lots of dough to throw around with courts and lawyers.
 
Chase this ?
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I'm pretty sure that as soon as you obviously monetize critical sites, especially with competing products, you are entering the danger zone. Look at the paypalsucks.com that was mentioned. 1 banner probably hand picked, but other than that, no obvious ads on the page... at least not AdSense or the like.

The fact that they aren't asking for the domain, aren't bothered with your ownership, and would simply like those links to competing products removed tells me that there is very little chance they will pay you a dollar to go away.
 
I would consider removing the image of the bank in your header as well or at the very least put the disclaimer below the image.

I would also respond to the email stating that you do not intend to remove the website but ask what specficaly they are concerned about and voluenteer to remove anything that is deemed confusing.
 
Give it another few weeks, they will go bust and wont be able to afford their lawyers. If the govt don't bail them out then you can probably buy the whole bank for a fiddy.
 
If you are in the US

Consult with a qualified lawyer and stop taking advices from WF members (exception of this advice).

Chase has a big legal dept and they will protect the brand big time.

Maybe they can't do much but only someone qualified can tell you.
 
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