| True story. | | | | has done that to your domain, read about the |
| The Internet was still young. I was looking for the | | | | "UDRP" on ICANN's website. |
| website of a particular non-profit organization. I typed | | | | Another true story: |
| in the Organization'sName.com, and it came up with a | | | | A proprietor that I know had a company name very |
| page asking for financial help to create this website. | | | | similar to a huge corporation's. His website contained |
| Being a charitable soul, I sent an email offering to | | | | the huge corporation's name plus a suffix. He was |
| help build the site for free. It turns out this guy did | | | | not wanting to get any money from them. It was all |
| not want to develop a website, he wanted money. | | | | perfectly innocent, but I wondered how he was |
| He had no affiliation with the organization at all. He | | | | getting away with it. |
| was definitely what is now called a cybersquatter. | | | | He didn't. A few months later, he was contacted by |
| Sometimes, especially years ago when not many | | | | an attorney. No, the big company did not want his |
| businesses had a website, people buy a domain name | | | | domain name for their use. They wanted him to |
| containing (or very similar to) some trademark and | | | | change the name of his site. He later even had to |
| hope to sell it to the company for a huge profit. | | | | change the name of his company. |
| This doesn't happen as much anymore. It was | | | | If you are looking for a domain name, be careful to |
| slowed down by a law in the U.S. that protects | | | | choose one that is not going to infringe on anyone's |
| trademark name owners from such activity. | | | | intellectual property, trademark or trade name or |
| Domain Speculation: | | | | copyright. Don't try to register even if your name |
| There is still a certain amount of domain speculation | | | | happens to be McDonald. It is just not worth it. |
| that is legal. For instance, a person could register | | | | Final Note: |
| hoping a caterer in their town wants that domain | | | | If someone is squatting on your trademark name, |
| name very badly and will pay handsomely for it. But | | | | your first line of action would probably be to contact |
| profitability has dwindled down to almost nothing the | | | | the registrar where the domain is registered to see |
| past few years. There just isn't much money in it | | | | what they suggest. You can find out where the |
| anymore. | | | | domain is registered by searching the "WHOIS" a |
| Country Code TLDs: | | | | popular WHOIS search tool can be found at |
| Lately, I noticed emails coming around, people would | | | | If you do not get any satisfaction, you may try to |
| register your domain name with a country code TLD | | | | escalate the issue to ICANN or the domain name |
| for instance, yourdomainname.asia, then try to sell it | | | | authority for your country. For example, Nominet in |
| to you (for a profit of course). Be very careful of | | | | the U.K., and CIRA in Canada. ICANN's website is |
| such things. Even if you send money to a party who | | | | loaded with information about such disputes. |
| would do something like that, would you be confident | | | | Last and certainly least (unless you have an attorney |
| they will turn the domain over to you? If someone | | | | on retainer) you may need to hire some legal help. |