The End Of This Young House
Yup, you read the title right. This Young House is going the way of the dodo and the dinosaur. And although it certainly wasn’t our idea (let’s just say lawyers were involved) it sure has added some excitement to our little blogging lives.
The good news is that we’re already whipping up lemonade from the sour lemons hurled in our general direction. We’ve got a brand-spanking-new name and URL, but the site remains exactly the same otherwise. Unless you count all the fun new features, tutorials and before & afters that we’ll be adding in the coming weeks. So remember to visit younghouselove.com from this day forth (and to update you reader, bookmarks and even your blogroll if you link out to us) to make it easy to keep up with our adventures- and misadventures- in home improvement.
Ok, so here’s the full scoop. On July 7th, as many of you know, we were busy celebrating our two year wedding anniversary. But on July 8th we got a nice little present in the form of a cease and desist letter from a prominent home improvement magazine/TV show which bears a few similarities to our old site’s name (you guys can figure it out, right?). Don’t they know the two year anniversary present is cotton, not paper? Anyway, they basically ordered that we immediately surrender the use of our old name and URL because they believed consumers were getting confused and may think that Young House Love was in some way related to their brand. Picture us scratching our heads. In almost two years of blogging under that moniker not one person has ever asked if we were related to that company.
That started a rollercoaster ride of emotions. First came fear and sadness – were we really going to get sued or be forced to hand over nearly two years of hard work? Then came confusion and anger – why was the same pub that contacted us last year to compliment our work and offer us a free magazine subscription suddenly sending lawyers after us? Not to mention the fact that our site and our logo looked nothing like theirs, our names were essentially opposites, our projects are on a completely different scale, and we’re clearly just two young people with a personal blog (not a corporation with deep pockets and an army of lifelong experts). But we eventually unclenched our fists and faced reality. Even though we completely disagreed with every single point they made, what two-person blog wants to go up against such a wealthy industry powerhouse? Can you just imagine that? In this corner we have a million dollar company. And in this corner… John, Sherry and a feisty chihuahua. No thanks.
So after many hours spent huddling with our attorney we decided the best way to move forward (and spare ourselves a potentially long and expensive legal battle) would be to turn the other cheek and change our name and URL. After all, just as the-magazine-that-shall-not-be-named doesn’t want to be accidentally associated with us, we certainly share that sentiment. Now more than ever.
And a funny thing happened after we made the decision to move on to bigger and better things. We got fired up. Not throw-something-I’m-mad fired up, but this-could-be-an-amazing-opportunity fired up. Our excitement grew as we chatted breathlessly until two in the morning about what a great thing this seemingly stressful anniversary incident could become. We felt almost like we did when we moved into our house in the very beginning. There was raw potential for miles and we couldn’t wait to forge ahead with our paint brushes in our pockets and smiles on our faces.
Then came the search for the perfect new name. We tossed out a few odd but applicable ones first (involving our infamous love of white paint, ceramic animals and charming chihuahuas) but we still felt like Youngsters at heart. So we decided to bridge the gap between our old name and the thing that our last URL had always been missing: the can’t-deny-it crush we have on our humble home. We secured our new website addy on Bluehost for $4 with a coupon (you know we like to sniff out a good deal) and our new blog baby: Young House Love was born. It instantly felt like a place we could call home, and we really like referencing the idea of falling in “house love” (that unmistakable type of youthful puppy love that we all feel for the casa we’re tenderly fixing up). After all, we’re just two young people falling in love with our first house.
And here we are less than a week later, welcoming you to our new virtual abode. We’re still unpacking a bit, so bear with us as we transition everything and add bigger and better features as we go. We know it may take some time for you guys to get comfortable with our new name and URL, but just as our old blog was once our baby, this one is our “youngest child” which means we’re gonna coddle it and spoil our lovely readers even more than we did before. Weekly giveaways (starting back up tomorrow!), before & after eye candy, step by step tutorials- we’ll serve it all up on a white lacquered platter.
In the order of housekeeping, we would also love to remind you to change your bookmarks, Google Reader (click that link or add “www.younghouselove.com/feed” to find the right feed), and even your blogroll and the outgoing links (old and new) on your blog if you’ve linked over to us (links to specific posts can easily be redirected to the right place by replacing “thisyounghouse” with “younghouselove” in the URL and leaving the rest of the address as-is). Now that we’re legally bound to go by Young House Love from this day forward, replacing those old links and switching any old copy that says “This Young House” to “Young House Love” will really help our new blog grow and prosper (and make our day to boot).
Plus, if you’ve been following us on Twitter or Facebook (btw, we had lots of fun reading everyone’s guesses about our big news all weekend) please take a moment to switch over to our new Young House Love Twitter and Young House Love Facebook pages. They’re a little bare at the moment, but rest assured they’ll be the only place for bonus content, breaking sale news, and what-we’re-doing details from this point forward. Our old accounts will just turn into periodic annoying reminders to make the move so it’s best to abandon ship and jump aboard our new ones asap (note: please unfollow or unfan the old YHL pages after your switch to help us clean ‘em out).
Oh and of course, we’d be forever grateful it you’d tell your friends / family / blog readers / coworkers / dog / gourd lamp about our new address. We would hate to lose a single one of you in the switch. We even made a handy little 120 x 120 button for any fellow bloggers out there who wouldn’t mind adding it to their sidebar with a link back to younghouselove.com (click HERE to grab it), which will really make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks so much for your support. You guys put the love in Young House Love, so smooches all around.
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Comments
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When you post comments in your own blog, your name and Gravatar image still link back to thisyounghouse.com instead of to the new site!
I changed my blogroll. What a pain in the neck this must be, but way to take the high road. Good luck in the transition.
Good for you on your positive attitude. I had actually been thinking of this issue for several months, while gardening or checking the mail (strange how the brain works), wondering why or how TOH (I can mention the big company’s name,right?! ;)) had not raised stink yet. As an attorney who used to dabble in some IP law, it really surprised me that they hadn’t–but also pleased me (because clearly your site was completely unrelated). Not anymore! You want to know why I think they are raising the stink now? B/c you’re getting bigger and better. Let’s just put it this way: it’s aggravating, it’s a pain, and it’s not particularly fair (and I wonder if you couldn’t prevail in court, but that would cost waaaay too much to bother with), but maybe it’s a backhanded compliment?
You guys are great, keep up the good work, love the new name.
Wow, TOH didn’t think this through…Alienating DIY-er’s doesn’t seem like a good plan for a company that focuses on home remodeling. That really stinks. Bookmarks have been updated – way to go with the coupon!
I don’t have time to read through the 350+ comments to assure I’m not repeating something that’s already been said, so I’ll just say it anyway.
I’m am optimist and somehow I think this will turn out to be a good thing. Maybe you can get some local press out of this without even mentioning the not-to-be-named company.
And I also have to add that when I first read this post yesterday, it never even dawned on me who you were talking about? Surely it can’t be them, I thought, as there couldn’t possibly be any confusion between the two. Then, I thought there must be a magazine and some other HGTV/DSC-type show called TYH that I hadn’t heard of. Silly me…and shame on you TOH.
I can’t believe this happened! So lame:0(
But I’ve changed all my stuff around so that I can find you, and anyone who clicks on my links can find you, too!
Thanks, guys!
As my students say, “If you ain’t got hattas, you ain’t doin it right.” Congrats on “doin it right”.
Wow! I go away on vacation and come back to all these changes! :)
I think you were right not to try and push back on this. Ultimately, even if you won, you’d have spent a ton of money in legal fees and would probably not have much to show for it. I suspect the growing success y’all have been enjoying had a little something to do with the letter. Ah well, way to rebound guys!
As everyone else has said, I’d love you guys no matter what your site was named! Keep up the great work…looking forward to all that is to come at younghouselove.com!
From the first photo I thought you were leaving! Sorry for the problems, but happy you aren’t going anywhere. Updated my link and can’t wait to see all the new stuff to come!
GGGGGgggrrrrr is right!!!!! What a bunch of over-stuffed shirts!! Here’s wishing you all the best….You will go far I am sure. :)
I will update asap!
What a shame. That’s definitely turned me off of the “This Old House” brand.
Hilarious that it’s already a part of their wiki entry. Are you allowed to update your own FAQ, or do their lawyer sharks expect you to pretend that the last two years never happened?
Good luck to you both! This has absolutely turned me off EVER wanting to watch TOH or have anything to do with that company.
Wow…I seriously can’t believe this… So sorry you had to contend with all that craziness. I will totally think twice now before turning to “the other” company.
But… I’m looking forward to your new place of residence on the worldwide web.
This jerks!! I’m with burger- Grrrr. So silly! Glad that you’ll still be blogging though, that’s the good news! :) Happy to go to a different site if it means that I can still read what you guys have to share! :)
Words to TOH: “Jealousy is worse than hate.” Looks like the big guys were a bit envious of your youth-driven, very cool and successful site. Get a life, TOH, and pick much bigger battles. I will never buy your magazine!
But on the plus side Sherry, you must be so pleased to have been able to put your naming experience to use for yourself?
This won’t make a jot of a difference, you still rock…
You are an amazingly talented & remarkable couple who provide a lot of inspiration to your ever growing legion of readers. You took the high ~ & smart ~ road &, although this has been a royal pain-in-the-you know-what over the past week or so, it will benefit you greatly in the long term.
The best things happen when people work with each other & not against each other. Big corporations sometimes forget that.
Sour grapes, I say….. >:-(
I’ll never understand to what benefit TOH felt that inconveniencing you would somehow lead to any gain on their behalf; Some people just can’t stand for others to have any success of their own. I’ve never bought a copy of TOH, and now that I’ve seen what they’re really made of (corporate greed), I never will. I guess if there is any silver lining to this, perhaps they perceived your blog as a gaining threat?
(Or, perhaps Burger had them shaking in their boots….. GRRrrrr……. )
I first discovered y’all about a year ago on Flikr, and loved your style…. didn’t even know you had a blog, until I saw your DIY mag features! It’s great that you’ve been able to carve a niche of your own in the “blog-o-sphere”, shakin’ what you’ve got…… is there, possibly, a book in the future? Better yet, a show? I’d TIVO you every day. :-)
I was lucky (I guess), and found my way to your blog right as this URL transition occurred. I am sorry for your inconvenience, and hope that you see this experience for what it really is; none of this would have ever happened if TOH didn’t know that you were on to something. I see a grand future for your enterprise.
Sick Burger on ‘em. ;-)
Boooooooo on you know who! How sad I don’t even want to say their name, they may sick the dogs on me for mentioning it.
Boo! Well, I love the new name even more!!! And I’m loving Burger’s ‘grrr’ sign! Haha! Ya’ll are too cute!
I know remixing your brand can definitely be a downer – especially after all the time you’ve invested in it. You guys have a great, informative and well-designed site that has plenty of engaged readers… this event is only a catalyst for bigger things to come. Keep up the good work (and thanks for your great ideas!).
FYI – to make sure that you keep any SEO benefit from your old site – make sure that if you are redirecting any pages from the old site to do an SEO Friendly “301″ redirect from your old pages to your new pages. It tells Google that you have “permanently moved”. Good luck with the new address!
Thanks for writing to me today to tell me about this post and your news – wow – I had no idea. Yes, I’ll change the links in the various places where I’m mentioned you guys — of course.
Honestly, I see this as a great move for you. It’s important to no be associated with another company when you’re clearly not and I guess I can understand where they are coming from as I always thought This Young House was a spin off of This Old House and that you both worked for them or something. Then as I got to know you better I figured out you had nothing to do with them. But you are better off this way and everything happens for a reason so remember that.
I see this as a very positive thing for you and your future. Plus you are earning an income from this blog and your decorating services so it’s important that you in no way sound or look like someone else. You are going to do better I think with the new name.
I never liked the old name (sorry) because I always thought about that tv show, but the new one works – fresh, young and fun which is what you’re going for. :) Knock ‘em dead you two!!!
xo
Holly
Think your new name fits you guys perfectly…and lawsuits are not fun or cheap. My husband and his brother went through a similar experience with his company, they were sued by a bigger corp, faced with an injuction right before they opened their restaurant…they other guy said they had issues with trademark infringements…my husband wasn’t going to back down and change the name of his restaurant
(he also has a background in law), so they went to court and after several rounds and loads of cash, my husband and his brother actually won. The name remains 17 years later with 4 more restaurants being opened.
I had a similar problem when I owned the domain name IngridBergman.com for 10 years. I asked her “official” site to partner with me and then the next week I had a lawyer calling me. Her son was nice and offered my $500 for the site design though, which they never used. Oh, well. Glad it is working out for you.
A copy of the email I sent to TOH. I’m still your fan!
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing to let you know that your recent actions against John and Sherry Petersik of http://www.thisyounghouse.com have severely altered my respect for your company. Their name is in fact, the very opposite of your company’s, and their small but wonderful family blog and DIY efforts are in no way affiliated with your company. They do not claim to be affiliated with your company in any way. It is even more shocking and outrageous that you would take action against all of their hard work (2 YEARS AFTER they started the blog!) after offering them compliments for their blog and a free subscription! If that is not hypocritical and short sighted, then I am not sure what is (not to mention belated!). My husband and I are avid DIY’s and my husband currently receives a (gift) subscription of your magazine. You may be sure we will not be renewing it. This disgusting display on your part has convinced me that there are far better choices out there for our home improvement needs than your company. Perhaps you should think about that while there is still time to make reparations.
Disappointed in Cincinnati,
Sarah —–
It’s just the case of TOH protecting their brand. They had no problem with it when you were a smaller blog but if it turns into a job and a sales page then they’re going to have to take action. I didn’t expect the name to last as long as it did.
And oh look!
http://www.amazon.com/This-Old-House-1-year/dp/B00005R8BL?tag=slickdeals
I have to say, I felt EXACTLY the same as Sarah mentioned above. I also wrote a very similar note to TOH and have since cancelled the FREE subscription that comes into my home. Yes, I said that right…I even cancelled a subscription I was not paying for! But I digress… I think you name is actually more fabulous that the one before it! What a wonderful feeling to know they feel so threatened by you! ;o) TOH is past its 1980s prime, but YHL is just getting started, can’t wait to see what you have in store for our little blog world!
You guys are awesome and I’m totally addicted to your blog. I would take it all as a huge compliment.
You have done an amazing job on your first home. I was wondering if this would happen. We bought a new house in California (moved from the East Coast) and it was riddled with mold. I’ll have to send you some remodel pics, but you guys are amazing! I love that there are other couples out there doing it on their own with great results. To heck with the old name. It’s a testament to what you’ve created. You have a lot to be proud of! If they were smart at TOH – they would have scooped you up and put you guys on the payroll for all the people like you. They’re missing out on a huge demographic!
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How ridiculous of TOH! Congrats on having such a positive attitude about it. I laughed at the $4 coupon bit :P