Reserve, Register Domain Name - Web Hosting Registration

How to avoid copyright infringment in your domain name

One of the most important aspects of choosing a domain name is that it should be non-infringing. This is not an easy task since most unique names have already been registered. The number of useful domain names from the marketing point of view have become extremely limited. Several companies now register variations of their trademark names as a preventive measure against infringement. For example, check www.coke.com, www.coca-cola.com, and www.coca-cola.com, or try www.3m.com and www.mmm.com.

All these factors have led to a crisis of domain names and given rise to increasing cases of infringement of domain names. A number of companies have taken legal action against other companies or individuals over alleged copyright violation on the domain names.

There are some fundamental guidelines and cross-checks for selection of a domain name.

You must carefully select some names that are relevant to your business model. You must be able to justify your reason for using the name. Your domain name should principally consist of a name you are using as a trade name, trademark or corporate name.

It is better to select more than one name since you are not sure about the availability of the required domain name.

Now, search the website of one of the prominent domain name registrars to check if the required name is available. If the name has already been registered by someone else, the search result will provide you with optional names that are similar to your requirements. For example, for the name "ford", the search result may give you similar names like "aboutford.com" and "fordbusiness.com".

If the domain name that you are looking has already been registered but there is no content being displayed at the domain, try to find out the details of the owner of the domain. It is possible that he/she may be genuine and have yet not published any content.

It is also possible that the owner does not plan to create a web site and is willing to give you the domain at the original price. You must confirm that the seller has ownership rights for that particular domain name.

Choosing a domain name that is same as or quite similar to another well-known trademark, may lead to legal action. The regulations governing these issues are dealt by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

It is very likely that you would lose right of your domain name if you have intentionally chosen a name similar to another domain name so as to confuse potential visitors to the site. For example, if your site deals in consumer electronics goods made by a Samsung competitor, do not choose the name "samsungbusiness.com" since a court is most likely to pass a verdict that you selected this name to divert attention of Samsung customers.

There could be others reasons of losing a domain name. It may be found that you have never carried out any business under that name or there is no person in your company similar to that name. Another reason could be that you intend to sell that domain name to your competitor for financial gain.

If your domain name is same as your name then you may be allowed to continue to use it, inspite of the fact that it is similar to someone else's domain name. But the usage of such a name is governed by certain conditions set by court. For example, Mr. Suki Nokia, who runs a cosmetics business, may be allowed to use the domain name "nokia.kr" but he would be barred from using his site to demonstrate any electronics-related information or advertising.

It is also possible for you to use a domain name that is similar to another's trademark if your objective is not to criticize the other person's business.

In the non-cyberworid, two companies may have the same name if they do not conduct a similar business or do not have similar product lines. Roxy Electrical and Roxy Laundry can coexist comfortably. However, in the web world, both Roxies cannot own the "roxy.com" domain name. The laundry Roxy could register under "roxy.laundry" and the electrician under "roxy.electrical."

A very useful tip is to buy all three of the top level domains - .com, .co.uk and .net. You should also buy all possible misspellings of your domain name before anybody else takes advantage of this fact.

You have put a lot of money and energy into building your business and if you are forced to give up the domain name, your business is likely to suffer due to it. So, you need to put your best efforts in choosing a domain name that is both distinctive and non-infringing.

Copyright © Active-Domain.com's domain registration service. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted freely provided the resource box, Web addresses and copyright information remain intact.

MORE ARTICLES:

DiscountASP.NET Named Best Hosting Service by asp.netPRO Readers for Third Consecutive Year
For the third consecutive year, ASP.NET hosting and SQL hosting leader, DiscountASP.NET announces receiving the "Best Hosting Service" title in asp.netPRO Magazine's 2007 Readers' Choice Award.

Website Hosting Provider Flux Services Premieres Hosting Affiliate Program Addition
Flux Services announces additional web hosting affiliate program with payouts as high as $118 per sale.

Web Hosting Service – What you Need to Know to Change Web Hosting Providers
When service at your web hosting company is lacking, or your web site grows in traffic so much that you outgrow your current account, you may find yourself needing to change hosting providers. It can be scary to think about everything you need to do.

Web Hosting And Domain Registration Basics
Web Hosting

The dos and don'ts of web hosting and domain names
When you make the decision to start a website for your business, it is a big step. Going from the world of offline business where clients are limited to geographical locations to online where the entire world is a potential client can be overwhelming.

Cheap Domain Names, Hosting & Registration is Easy to Find Now Days
So you have a dream for a web site, an exciting idea or something you want to accomplish on the web Well in order to get started on the exciting Internet you must first find a domain name and hosting provider

Website Domain Name Registration Services from Access IT Solutions
Before you start building a website, choosing the right domain name is an important thing to do. Website domain name registration is necessary to have a website. The names are important because they enable clients or potential customers to know about your business or organization.

Free Website Hosting Vs. Paid Website Hosting Basics
Web site hosting service companies on the Internet permit the user to make their web site accessible through the World Wide Web. There are huge numbers of companies that offer web space on their server for their customers and also offer Internet connectivity in general in a data center. There can be various types of web site hosting companies. The main classification is the free web site hosting and the paid web site hosting service companies.

Start Your Home Base Business With A Domain Name And Web Hosting
So you want to start an internet business where you can work at home and make tons of money The first part is easy to do

The Advantages Web Hosts Receive By Switching to ASP.NET Reseller Hosting
Many linux hosting resellers might find advantages of changing to a hosting service that sells Windows server hosting over Linux. While Linux is a very popular hosting solution, Windows offers multiple advantages that would benefit a number of customers. For this reason, it can be a very good product for hosts to resell.

Cheap Internet Hosting, Business Web Hosting - Choosing The Right Web Host Package
With literally hundreds of web hosting providers competing for your business, it may be confusing to find the one that's right for your web site. A few key considerations can help you narrow down your choices to the most affordable and best options to meet your personal, professional or business web page needs.

Website-Hosting-Offers.com Launches to Compare Leading Web Hosting Providers for Small Businesses
Website-Hosting-Offers.com announces the launch of a website featuring a select group of top web hosting providers, including reviews and side by side comparisons of all web hosting plans from these providers. Web hosting providers reviewed include Yahoo Web Hosting, 1&1 Web Hosting, iPowerWeb Hosting, and more. Site visitors can get informative web hosting reviews and articles that cater to everyone from beginning website builders to more experienced small business owners upgrading to a new web hosting plan.

Internet Domain Registration – Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions on Domain Name Registration
Here are the top ten most frequently asked questions regarding on Internet domain name registration:Q1. Which characters are allowed in Internet domain names?A: For normal ASCII domain names, the letters a-z, the numbers 0-9, and one special character, the hyphen or dash "-".

DiscountASP.NET Named Best Hosting Service by asp.netPRO Readers for Fourth Consecutive Year
ASP.NET hosting and SQL hosting leader, DiscountASP.NET announces receiving the "Best Hosting Service" award in asp.netPRO Magazine's 2008 Readers' Choice poll, making it the fourth consecutive year to win this prestigious title.

The 'Website' CHECKLIST : Domains, Hosting, Web Design
This article is meant to all who already have a website or who propose to buy it. Website – the term comprises three things : Domain, Hosting (Web space) & Web DesignThere are numerous company offering these services.