[natethomas]

I was a little curious why random users seemed to care about this so much. Makes more sense now.

[pikes]

Upon further investigation, it appears no one at WeTek was contacted about this giveaway. It was actually set up between an authorized third party seller of WeTek Core boxes. Intentionally or not, KP then made it sound like this was an official WeTek giveaway. Perhaps they were confused, perhaps not, but they have been contacted now so that corrections can be made.

Furthermore, it seems the number of "complaints" about this is due to two Kodi-centric user groups that are based in Portugal, and them fighting with each other. While I still thank those people for bringing this to our attention, as it was still an issue, it would be better for everyone to fully disclose their connections. We are only interested in protecting the WeTek and Kodi brands, and have no interest in other community disputes.

That still leaves the problem of the KP site abusing the Kodi trademark. As WeTek has resources in Portugal, feel free to let us know if there is anything we can do to help, if we can. Helping Kodi helps WeTek, especially when it comes to these kinds of issues.

Ned, you only have one site in Portugal using KODI in a registered domain (one no, two, because KP as the .pt and the .com domain) and plenty Portuguese kodi-centric user groups.
If the decision to create a site didn't passed by the usage of domain as is, wouldn't be any problem, right?
Even than not official you don't see for example tvaddons with same problems, as they choose to use another domain and also the image of site as nothing to do with kodi official site, they prosper being a non oficial community and every one knows that.
KP never tried to be different than oficial KODI, even using the words as "official community" of Portuguese users (so using the word official on a non official community isn't some kind of misleading thing?), without speaking of similar logo, topping this you have strapped the word Portugal to KODI in the domain, it's true that there exists a small disclaimer (but that do not validates the usage of the domain).

Without to forget the origins of the site that only spoke about illegal IPTV lists, and plenty banned addons tutorials, so how can you trust a external entity to use kodi on a domain that started with the things that kodi official community want to not confuse users about kodi? (for example the domain is still used to redirect to illegal iptv lists: kitina.kodiportugal.com)

So kodi name still is connected by the KP site to redirecting to illegal iptv lists...

I think that would all be ok, if they didn't used a domain that could make users to think that kodi is about that, no?

[pikes]

The problem is that the site started as a way to people getting illegal content on KODI, and not a way of helping in more legal stuff as they want to seem. So did the site done more good to KODI name or bad?
When they choose to create a domain with kodi in it they should think the image that would pass to the internet, as they didn't started with the good of kodi, but the bad.

[natethomas]

Pikes, no one is arguing that it's totally ok for a group to use Kodi in their domain. The only question I had was why you personally seemed to care so much. Now I guess I know why. I wish you'd have been a bit more clear about your own allegiance at the outset. There's no shame in having a competing website or group, but hiding the fact that you are a competitor looks pretty shady.

[pikes]

Pikes, no one is arguing that it's totally ok for a group to use Kodi in their domain. The only question I had was why you personally seemed to care so much. Now I guess I know why. I wish you'd have been a bit more clear about your own allegiance at the outset. There's no shame in having a competing website or group, but hiding the fact that you are a competitor looks pretty shady.

So the question here isn't having a site that goes against your own trademark? Is that the message? Because now it seems that the problem is that I reported a site...
The site grew with shady content associating it to Kodi... Uses Kodi name and similar logo... But the bad guy it's me...

Wasn't this issue requested by you guys to be reported?

Independently of my allegiances is kp operating ok under your eyes? Isn't suppose sites to be reported? If isn't brought to atencion probably you don't know all sites that operate like this...
Should I address other sites that also talk about Kodi and I follow but didn't went against your trademark policy?
Probably by respect? As it seems that the policy is only for that. Right not it seems that's no problem in creating a Kodi domain site and speak about what I we wants related with Kodi even leaving users thinking that is ok to use Kodi to piracy.

Can you tell me why I shouldn't ask if the site is approved by Kodi? It operates a bit like and official site about Kodi, but sometimes have shady content.

Also regarding only this "There's no shame in having a competing website or group, but hiding the fact that you are a competitor looks pretty shady."
I didn't hide nothing, as nothing was asked to me regarding that, is you pointing that i go to other sites. Do I have to inform all sites that I go to when I detect the ones that are wrong?
Does that changes in any point the fact of the site have registered a domain with kodi trademark? So what's shady?

Competition is with Kodi.tv and not other sites... because it goes against your rules, and even so the problem it seems the ones that don't go against it can't have a word in it.
You want to remark the question of competition, but the issue of trademark remain, no?
Competition is good when all play by the same rules, breaking them is a bit different... Because what some do, others don't go so far to get the same results.

But the situation is reported, from now one is you guys that should see, my part is done.

[natethomas]

Pikes, no one is arguing that it's totally ok for a group to use Kodi in their domain. The only question I had was why you personally seemed to care so much. Now I guess I know why. I wish you'd have been a bit more clear about your own allegiance at the outset. There's no shame in having a competing website or group, but hiding the fact that you are a competitor looks pretty shady.

So the question here isn't having a site that goes against your own trademark? Is that the message?

Did you miss my first sentence in your rush to get defensive?

[pikes]

Pikes, no one is arguing that it's totally ok for a group to use Kodi in their domain. The only question I had was why you personally seemed to care so much. Now I guess I know why. I wish you'd have been a bit more clear about your own allegiance at the outset. There's no shame in having a competing website or group, but hiding the fact that you are a competitor looks pretty shady.

So the question here isn't having a site that goes against your own trademark? Is that the message?

Did you miss my first sentence in your rush to get defensive?

Not defensive, only didn't like you to say that is some kind of shady, when the community requested that this kind of sites to be reported, no? And the site in question isn't very correct.
It's ok to speak in their domain if registered domain doesn't uses kodi word, right?

[Ned Scott]

It helps us understand the situation better when we know the full story. I can give you an example of why this is important:

When a KP giveaway was first brought to my attention, after a report about a WeTek advertising banner also on the KP site, I noticed that there were also forum reports about the same thing from different people. Since I don't speak Portuguese, I relied the people reporting the issue to understand if there was actually any confusion about WeTek. (The confusion regarding Kodi was already clear, as they are using Kodi in the domain name and are using a similar logo.) Since it seemed odd that so many people were having an issue specifically about this situation, it made it seem like something else was going on. That made me question how reliable the reports were. My first thought was that these reports might be coming from a WeTek competitor, trying to make WeTek look bad.

Thankfully, it didn't matter and everything is now being handled (at least regarding KP causing confusion about WeTek), but it could have easily been delayed if I were busy and had I thought the reports were questionable.

So again, I still thank you for bringing this to our attention. You are correct and you do seem to be doing the right thing. All is well, and hopefully the remaining Kodi issues related to KP will also be resolved.

[natethomas]

Since it seemed odd that so many people were having an issue specifically about this situation, it made it seem like something else was going on. That made me question how reliable the reports were. My first thought was that these reports might be coming from a WeTek competitor, trying to make WeTek look bad.

This sums it up in a nutshell. Team Kodi is dealing with dozens of trademark issues. The fact that you are pushing just this one so hard makes it feel like you are asking us to fight some kind of unrelated battle for you. The same thing happened when TVAddons people came on and asked us to stomp out their competitors. We want to protect our trademark, but we don't want to be dragged around by the nose by organizations that are pushing their own self-interests.

[pikes]

Ned and Nate, only 2 users reported some problem with KP (at least with different posts), not many people, and if more people reported some problem probably they have other motives.
And the "battle" should only be because trademark issues.

All other questions of self-interests only are in question, when the trademark isn't a problem. That would be to report a site that doesn't goes against your trademark policy and try to get them in trouble because they spoke about KODI. I think that is a very different question.

If a site doesn't play by the rules you have to bring attention to the person that control the rules, no?

Any site that uses kodi domain is off-course making disloyal "competition" to any other site that did choose to not use your trademark because it's yours (or is the point different?, if not, everyone will create kodi domains sites to speak about kodi and get better results on searchs, and in that point owning the trademark doesn't mean nothing).

So rogue sites should be considerate as competition? Or a issue to maintain KODI free of direct piracy association?

But beside that and more important is that competition is with your own organization, as some can choose to confuse users as it seems the case, with image, name and content, and was because of that, that was reported.

But if problem is addressed I think you will see how is the better way to proceed.
And I believe independently of the country you will have this kind of trademark infringement on many places.

In last case no problem on any brand or so, only the confusion caused for association.

Thanks for all time granted and sorry for any problem caused.

[helta]

ok buddy, you keep telling yourself that.

[Ned Scott]

Like I said, I don't think you've done anything wrong, and I thank you for bringing this to our attention. If anything, the real issue might be that I've become slightly paranoid, after seeing how far some sites go to "get ahead". Whatever the motivation, at the very least I do believe you are trying to do the right thing, and that's something to encourage and not discourage :)