Feature Request: Branding/Trademark Reservations (similar to domain/subdomain/subdirectory)
There are many efforts to expand Steemit into the marketplace in various ways. Some are finding and building tools to integrate WordPress while others, such as @greymass, are building brand new platforms (Reprint) to help manage Steemit accounts.
In many of these cases, the users will have their own domain names associated with their project. While not necessary, it does add a sense of "ownership" and branding that can be appreciated. It also provides some options that Steemit alone cannot, such as branded email addresses, subdomains, subdirectories, etc.
A concern with trying to register a brand on Steemit is that anyone can adopt that particular brand and simply add a prefix or suffix to it and claim it as their own. We already see this with various @steemit-whatever accounts. We also see where some have reserved many accounts to sell.
My request is that some sort of system be put in place to reserve specific branding/trademarks. For example, suppose that the National Football League decided to open a Steemit account. They could reserve all @nfl usernames. This would give them the ability to create @nfl-vikings, @nfl-cowboys, @nfl-dolphins, etc. If the NFL could reserve @nfl as a main account, nobody else could use this specific name and circumvent their ability to brand all the franchises.
IMO, this sort of brand protection could provide more appeal to integrate larger corporations and projects with Steemit. Additionally, it provides protection for smaller startups that can't afford to buy (or foresee) all potential variants of their brand and heads off potential profiteering off their brand by reserving variants ahead of them.
Disclaimer: I have three projects I'd like to pursue that would benefit from this option. One is a concept, two others have working prototypes with domain names. My main lack, ATM, is a good developer who understands the blockchain and is willing to work on these with me.
Steemin' on,
Another Joe
Logo courtesy of @oecp85
True, even using anonsteem at $10 a pop, "sitting" on account names is way cheaper than buying top level domain names these days! Eventually "the law" stepped in where people had to hand over trademarked names, but tracking down anonymous account owners from all over the world here would be very difficult!
Good post and suggestion, hope they heed it to avoid a "bad rep" for the platform.
Thank you for helping to bring awareness!! :)
Haha, my pleasure!
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Thanks for upvoting my content just now. Upvoted this.
that wordpress style idea would be awesome
this too - upvoted
Thanks!
Aaaand...
Somebody just created all of the NFL team accounts. Good luck getting those accounts, Roger.
lol, yeah, that's why I chose NFL. I figured they're big enough to fight their own battles... or pay for them. ;)
The "pay for them" route would probably be much easier. Good luck trying to fight an anonymous miner to hand over the account keys.
Agree. It could really be messy, especially for a startup. Thus, the request.