Thread: Is it legal to rebuild an expired domain from Archive.org

I'm not sure of the correct forum parent for this, so I apologize in advance.

I recently purchased an expired domain name that I would like to rebuild.

Here are my concerns:
The original site owner gave up on the site in 2008. He removed the site from the web after being hacked, and since then the URL pointed at a parked page at his registrar. Last week, the domain went up for auction, and I won it.

I would like to grab the content from the "internet wayback machine" on archive.org and rebuild the site to its former state.

A - Is this legal in the United States?
B - some of the early pages do not include a copyright tag.
C - Later pages (which I do not want) include the words "Copyright 2008" to a false company. There are no records of this "Incorporation".

I know that my best course of action would to see real legal advice in my state - but when you lawyer charges $400/hr I figured it couldn't hurt to ask here first

Thanks for the help

Well if the material is copyrighted or written by someone else you'll need their permission to use the content. It is better to pay $400 now for a lawyer than the millions in copyright infringement.

Well it depends if the original owners want to exercise their copyright, but if you had the domain name too, I wouldn't see why not

Originally Posted by LiquidSquelch

A - Is this legal in the United States?
B - some of the early pages do not include a copyright tag.
C - Later pages (which I do not want) include the words "Copyright 2008" to a false company. There are no records of this "Incorporation".

A Legal to buy domains..rewrite the content.
B Add you own copyright tag (I believe there should be one on each page)
C delete these pages and add your own

Now I am assuming that the domain name is not a Trademark or Copyrighted.

I think it sounds a bit dodgy but I'm not sure. Why not chat to a lawyer?