I suggest that you all find a new domain name and stop confusing people who are actually trying to get to the official Sims 3 website. I mean seriously, people can type sims2.com and get to the official EA website, and now they'll type sims3.com and think they're at the official EA website when they're just here. Don't you think EA is going to make you change it anyway? They made sims2.co.za change their domain name because people were confusing it with the official site. So my suggestion is to find a new domain name before you're forced to find a new one by EA.
It's good that they do this. It gets more people and more people are happy.
Who exactly is it making happy? Because I know from the Sims 2 BBS that it's making a lot of people angry, and I'm sure EA isn't going to be happy about it.
Well, first of all, everyone on this site is happy. Sims 3 is sweet and easy, aswell as The Sims 3. If you can read carefully, on a Sims box (Or something) it will have the website. I tell fellow Simmers out there to read more carefully.
Why would EA/Maxis want to take this domain away from a fan site that promotes its games for them? This site, along with all the other Sims fan sites are basically providing free advertisement for them. We also make it very clear that we are not an official site, by explaining so at the top and bottom of every single page on these forums, so we're not trying to 'fool' people into thinking we're anything but a fan site.
The Sims community is one of, if not the, strongest gaming community on the internet due to the fan sites promoting the game and giving the fans places to hang out, chat and get their information. EA/Maxis have always had a really good relationship with the community and I'm sure they would support what we are doing here.
If we had got the domain and exploited it, by filling it with links, adverts and other ways just to make money then fair enough, but as we are providing a service to the community which I think EA/Maxis would approve of, then I can't see any justification as to why they would even consider challenging for the domain.
Another point worth making is that 'Sims3' isn't a trademark that I know of. If we had registered 'TheSims3.com' then I think it would be a different matter entirely.
I hope that makes things a little bit clearer for everybody.
No, Matt, i think you are still wrong, The sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3 ARE trademarks, and also having things at the top and bottom saying that you are not the official site doesn't cut it. The law SAYS that you must have LEGAL permission on things like this. Having a domain name: Sims3.com is actually against the law without LEGAL permission and documents. Sims 3 IS a trademark of EA, as a matter of fact let me give you the legalized statement at the bottom of every Sims game out there: "(COPYRIGHT AND YEAR) Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic arts, EA, the EA logo and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved." I would be very careful if i were you, even though EA has a close connection with the community, they can still turn around. And i don't object to this fansite at all, its just the domain name that might/will be a problem. i am here to just state my opinion and thats what i think.
Also, about the trademarks, if you look closely at the legal stuff on the site, it does say they are registered trademarks, and "The Sims 3"
Itchmecho, I understand what you're saying and I agree to a certain extent. However I think I'm correct in saying, "Sims3" isn't a trademark, "The Sims 3" is.
Mr Admin knows more about this than me, I'll let him clear things up...
I beg to differ!
Loads of different websites have domains like official sites, they simply just add something like "UK" onto the domain so it would be something like thesims3uk.com or something like that. Whilst this forum has simply taken away the "the" from Sims 3. So no, this isn't illegal.
