We’ve spoken extensively to each other via email, and here is the immediate course of action that we plan on taking:
- We continue to claim our right to use http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com. However, we understand that we may be quickly forced off the domain. So, we are going to move the site to a new address, TBA. The current domain will forward to our new site.
- We are offering to sell the domain to MLBAM/The New York Yankees. We will not disclose the amount of money that the site is sold for. The entirety of the sum of this sale will be donated to the Yankees Universe Charity.
- While we will not use the Yankees logo, we will continue to use the terms “Yankees” and “Yankee Stadium” at the new site.
- If necessary, we will support our claims with the appropriate legal reply.
Speaking for The Yankees Universe staff, we appreciate the outpouring of support that we have received in the past 24 hours. Moshe will be delivering this message to MLBAM this afternoon. Any all all replies from MLBAM will be posted on this blog. We will very quickly be back to our normal baseball activities.
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15 Responses to The Yankee Universe's Offer To MLBAM
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TIQ IQ
Good luck guys…!
It looks like you have a few lawyers following this blog. Not all bad is it?!?!
Good luck guys. Like the writing and I will follow you guys regardless.
They’re making you give up the site and you’re going to sell it to them and give them back all the money? I’ve heard of taking the high road, but that seems over the top.
I don’t think giving the proceeds to charity is “over the top” in the slightest.
The idea is that TYU isn’t making any profit at all from this, and that TYU, while believing in certain ideas articulated above, does not want to be hostile to the Yankees.
Guys… I know you’re not looking for legal or other advice at this point, but here’s one fan’s two cents: The Yankees have had a TM on “The Yankees Universe” since before you started this site, and have been selling “Yankees Universe” t-shirts (with proceeds going to charity) since 2006, also before you started this site (see: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/64916.cfm). Just one fan’s opinion… But I’d just choose a new name, announce it to your fans (and maybe ask some other blogs to publicize the new URL/name), and move on. It’s always seemed a bit strange to me that your name was so similar to the whole Yankees Universe thing, and I think it seems pretty fair for the Yankees (or MLB or whoever actually made the request with/on behalf of the Yankees) to protect their property in this manner. And, honestly, even if you’ve never intended to rip off the “Yankees Universe” thing, having “The Yankee Universe” as your address and the title of the site appears like you are and comes off a bit cheesy. This is probably for the best, anyway.
Yeah, I’m going to have to disagree strongly. I’m quite a big Yankee fan, and I had never heard of the charity nor the t-shirts when I started the site. It was very small and local, and infrequently advertised from what I can tell. In fact, it is still difficult to find much information on. After I registered this site, then the Yankees decided to run with the fan club and expand the brand. They left me alone until the first time I used the name in conjunction with advertising, at which point they pounced, as my fair use argument became weaker. I think that a year of goodwill poured into a site has value. We are not trying to profit here at all- all we want is some money given to charity and the right to use Yankee in our next name.
Moshe, from our past conversations I hope you know that I totally respect your opinions and, whatever I may think about this particular issue, I don’t think you or your colleagues are bad people, were intending to do anything bad or even realized you were doing something bad… But the only explanation I can think of to explain you, and your colleagues, each individually and collectively as a group not knowing about the Yankees Universe charity and t-shirts before this year is a random and very unlikely coincidence. They’ve been selling those t-shirts at Yankee Stadium and on the internet, and have advertised the t-shirts/charity on YES, for years. And even if you didn’t know about it, the fact remains that the charity and t-shirts have, in fact, been around for a while, and were around before you used “The Yankee Universe” for this site.
I just don’t think the Yankees/MLB are being unreasonable here. When you do a google search for “Yankees universe” your site comes up second after theirs, and when you search for “Yankee universe” your site comes up first, before theirs. It’s just way too close for comfort. This isn’t like the Yankee Candle Company, this is a Yankees-centric website that is using a term that is a derivation of a Yankees TM as its name and URL.
Again… I don’t think you guys were knowingly doing anything wrong. I just think the Yankees and MLB are right about this, and I’d just move on and choose a new name if I were you guys.
This is really none of my business, I shouldn’t have spoken up in the first place. I enjoy your work and look forward to continuing to read it.
I understand the viewpoint and I appreciate your thoughts. If you will take note of our posts, nowhere have we said that they were being unreasonable. We might disagree with them, but we fully understand where they are coming from.
Good luck Guys and Gal, keep up the good work
1) “Squatters” buy and sell domain names all the time. Just because this one happens to be the name of a charity that the Yankees created out of thin air a few years back doesn’t mean you should just give back any money that you can make on it. As our friend Jason Rosenberg always says “Its About The Money, Stupid.” The Yankees shouldn’t force money for this charity out of your pockets. Unless, of course, you really believe in it and want to donate whatever money to charity. Disclaimer – I’m skeptical of a lot of charities – would prefer to make an impact personally first, and then if I understand how the money is being used, I might donate.
2) The Yankees Universe name has always made me think of the Yankees charity. I’m aware that this is more of a coincidence than anything else, but I think if you move to another name, it might even help your site. To be honest, the Yankees Universe name gives a very unique and well-written blog something of a generic feel. Ditch the name, ditch the current design of the page, and I’m sure the Yankees blogosphere will help spread the word about the new name. At the end of the day, this will be your 15 minutes of fame and should be able to roll over to your new site.
Cliffs Notes version of the above:
1) Take the money and run
2) Change your blog’s name and everyone will spread the word.
Moshe, don’t give the money to charity – here’s why:
1) Your site is valuable – you’ve built up rank on search engines, people spend thousands of dollars to make their mark, by starting a new domain, you effectively hit reset and lose a valuable instrument
2) You do great work, and provide interesting insight. If the Yankees want to buy the site, by all means let them do that, and accept their compensation
3) The Yankees are by no means a non-profit, look at their ticket prices! Going to a game with a couple of friends costs more than going to Miami for a weekend!
Reb Moishe, do yourself a favor and accept compensation, you’ll need it to promote and build your next site.
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