Parody and Criticism Domains

Parody and criticism domains are websites that use a name similar to a trademark to comment on, satirize, or criticize the trademark owner, raising complex legal questions at the boundary of [[free-speech-domain]] and trademark infringement. Under US law, parody may be a valid defense to trademark infringement if the use is clearly humorous rather than source-identifying. In [[udrp]] proceedings, panels distinguish between domains that add clear disclaimers or critical terms (e.g., 'brand-sucks.com') and those that merely clone a brand's domain without distinguishing signals, which may constitute [[bad-faith-registration]]. The legal outcome varies significantly by jurisdiction and by whether the site monetizes traffic through advertising, which can undermine a [[legitimate-interest]] defense.