Backstabbed, what do I do?

[nowthatswhatica]

Hi all,

This thread is a small update and also a question.

The update follows on from my thread ( Business partner - not doing much.. | AVForums )

So where I am right now is;

I've sold my car, taken out two personal loans and all my life savings is invested into the business.

I'm expecting to launch my company in the next 2-3 months at the very latest.

My problem is:

I've stumbled upon a site which has the same name as my business but with an extra word at the end.. for example avforums-talk

My friend is behind this site and I can see from whois its his home address and he registered a day or two after our agreement where I paid him what he invested. I never said he can't launch as a competitor but whats pissed me off is the damage to the brand I'm creating.

I've registered for trademark, I've got people working for me 9-5 every day prepping for launch and hes gone and made a half baked site with a logo created in ms word and clipart.

Do I have a case for damages?

Do you recommend I say something now or to wait and see IF he starts to copy my site after launch then go to a solicitor or lawyer?

 

[Mr Noble]

DDOS...in 3,2,1

 

[tbc]

How similar is the branding of his website compared to yours, has he copied more than the name?

 

[porkchoplambchop]

DDOS...in 3,2,1

Not sure if joking but in the UK anti-DDoS laws have been in place since 2006 and could result in you being sent to jail for up to ten years.

 

[Mr Noble]

Not sure if joking but in the UK anti-DDoS laws have been in place since 2006 and could result in you being sent to jail for up to ten years.

The proof is in the source ...good luck finding it

edit: Not saying he should make it happen, but it could happen, with minimal to no consequences

 

[nowthatswhatica]

Sorry for late reply just out with friends.

But he is offering 1/3 of the same services as me but that is Becuase I've added more features. He has kept the core principal of the site and cut costs on all the features. It looks as if he's used one of those web site builders.

Where he's cut costs in quality of service and no branding, I've invested my money into the brand and to make the site bespoke not templated.

My friends advise is that I've got nothing to worry about as I'm offering a better level of service but they also suggested I should seek legal advice as he's gone ahead with the idea and added an extra word before the end of the domain/brand so he's playing of the back of the brand I had originally aimed for.

It's literally as if we wrote the-Avforum instead of avforum

I've bought around 100 domains to protect my site before launch which is how I stumbled across his :/

Hmmmm

How similar is the branding of his website compared to yours, has he copied more than the name?

 

[Desmo]

What do you do? Be better than him in how you run your business. Over the years I've had things copied, customers stolen by people who worked for me and more. I'm still here and they're not.

 

[nowthatswhatica]

You are right

What do you do? Be better than him in how you run your business. Over the years I've had things copied, customers stolen by people who worked for me and more. I'm still here and they're not.

 

[bl0at3r]

Suck it up and move forward - no point in getting bitter and twisted. Be the best you can be and hopefully he will fail.

 

[SteveCritten]

Sounds like he is lazy anyway so he will fail. I wouldn't be saying "my friend" anymore that's for sure.

 

[DarenD]

Innovate. He will soon lag behind and then vanish

 

[nowthatswhatica]

Completely agree with innovating. Since going it alone I've stepped up the web site altogether to offer a plethora of services.

Thanks everyone for alleviating my
Concerns.

 

[Trollslayer]

Let him eat dust.