Beware - Request for removal of content by Skrill

[mcasinos]

Few days ago found an email from Skrill Brand Protection Team with following content:


"
Dear Website Owner,


Skrill Holdings Ltd. (Skrill) is the owner of the well-known trademark and trade name "Skrill". As you are no doubt aware, Skrill is a trademark used to identify products, services, activities and events related to Skrill Holdings Ltd.


The trademarks, emblems, words and phrases of Skrill are exclusively used by Skrill and any other use by a third party constitutes trademark infringement.


In connection to Skrill proprietary rights over its famous trademark we are notifying you of the following:


It has come to our attention that our trademark Skrill appears as a metatag, keyword, visible or hidden text on the web site(s) located at:
...com/payments/skrill/ without having obtained prior written authorization from us. This practice infringes upon the exclusive intellectual property rights of Skrill.


Also, by using such trademark, you have intentionally attempted to attract Internet users to your web site(s) or other online location(s), by creating a likelihood of confusion with Skrill’s trademark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of your web site(s), online location(s), products or services.


We trust that you will remove all metatags, keywords, visible or hidden texts including trademark presently appearing on the above-cited web site(s) and any other web site(s), or draw this issue to the attention of the appropriate person(s).


As part of Skrill’s Trademark Enforcement Program, be assured that we will continue to monitor your web site(s) to verify your compliance with this letter. Failure to do so will force us to defer this issue to our Trademark Lawyer for further actions.


Should you require additional information or wish to further discuss this issue, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.


Sincerely,


Skrill Brand Protection Team
"


Now also received this request from my hosting and have to remove some pages (with rankings) from my site. Otherwise whole domain will be blocked. These pages were not dedicated to harm Skrill, just list of casinos with Skrill as payment and text how to use Skrill (as you can see it everywhere).


Does anyone already had same issues? How to write a review if everything is literally a trade mark...

First Neteller adverbs gambling within banking portal. Secondly, Skrill and Neteller spam with 'newsletter' with casino and sportbooks offers. Now they activelly eliminate all competitors.

[vardan]

They used our resources and free advertising (not all webmaters have affiliate accounts at Skrill) to gain popularity and now they don't need competitors.

Have you asked them to give you a written authorization like they mention in their letter? It is highly probable that they will reject, but why not try?

[mcasinos]

They used our resources and free advertising (not all webmaters have affiliate accounts at Skrill) to gain popularity and now they don't need competitors.

Have you asked them to give you a written authorization like they mention in their letter? It is highly probable that they will reject, but why not try?

Currently I have removed all mentions of Skrill and Neteller (who knows that Neteller don't do the same ) as they want to stop further actions and domain block.

I'm just wondering that it's a single case, or it's just the beginning?

[Azureus]

What about fair use? I had some random useless sportsbook send me the same request. I ignored them and nothing happened.

[Triple7]

Currently I have removed all mentions of Skrill and Neteller (who knows that Neteller don't do the same ) as they want to stop further actions and domain block.

I'm just wondering that it's a single case, or it's just the beginning?

This kind of companies are using their name and fame to impress with this kind of requests. It all depends a bit on how you're using their terms. A lawyer should have a look at the pages where you use the Skrill trademark.


I should contact a specialized lawyer because of this. Webhosters usually are quite fast impressed if big companies are contacting them. For them it's just extra work, many of them are not going to discuss hours with lawyers because of such a request.

[-Shay-]

Do you know for certain the email is legit?

[mcasinos]

The email was from enforcements@skrillbrandprotection.com. I think, when they also have contacted my hosting company, this request is not a scam. Hosting company also gave me only 1 week to act, otherwise they will put my server down. So I was forced to remove all mentions of Skrill.

[doovde]

I've also had this email. My approach was to ignore it and see where it went. Eventually they got in contact with my hosting provider who in turn got in contact with me basically telling me to resolve the problem or they'd take my website offline.

The problem here is, and they know it, that fighting it just isn't worth the time or effort. Legally I don't think having a page about using Skrill for online gambling isn't an infringement of their trademark but as usual threatening anyone with legal action is an effective weapon to get what you want.

[offyourface]

These are just intern wanna be lawyers that send out these generic emails all day long. I've gotten more of these than I can count in the 10 plus years I've been in the business. and I get pissed every time I'm required to waste time on it. I usually ignore them unless they complain to my hosting company and I get a DMCA request.

If that happens, I usually reply with something along the lines of

"I absolutely have the right to review any product or service that I damn well please on my website. Such use is called nominative fair use and is indisputable protected forms of speech under the First Amendment. Kindly **** off..."

PS: This is just how I handle these situations and should not be considered legal advice. Also I would make sure you have a clear disclaimer on the page stating that you are in no way associated with said brand.

[sweetbet]

According to google's search results, there are over a million casino related pages containing the word skrill. Are they going to contact every single site owner and follow up with them?

[universal4]

Same thing happened YEARS ago with:
PayPal
Western Uniion
Mastercard

In some instances PayPal went as far as closing accounts for site owners

Rick
Universal4

[wonderpunter]

Same thing happened YEARS ago with:
PayPal
Western Uniion
Mastercard

In some instances PayPal went as far as closing accounts for site owners

Rick
Universal4

This was mainly due to US programs right?

[Mlndrss]

According to google's search results, there are over a million casino related pages containing the word skrill. Are they going to contact every single site owner and follow up with them?

Very good point!

[petjah]

Funny, i've got a message from someone from Skrill asking for a do-follow link in my article. I asked for a link back lol!

[Triple7]

According to google's search results, there are over a million casino related pages containing the word skrill. Are they going to contact every single site owner and follow up with them?

That's not said.

It might be a specific country or other things what makes that they contact some and others not.