your logo, your brand
you are here:
What Are The Legal And Trademark Issues In Choosing A Domain Name?
Written by Sagar Jawale   
Saturday, 03 July 2010 07:35
Many webmasters erroneously imagine that just because their domain registrar says a particular domain name is 'available' that it actually is. This is not necessarily so. Even if a domain name is physically out there, it may not legally be open for use. Why? There would possibly a company that has the rights to the key words used within the domain name.
by SagarJawale


Many webmasters erroneously imagine that just because their domain registrar says a particular domain name is 'available' that it actually is. This is not necessarily so. Even if a domain name is physically out there, it may not legally be open for use. Why? There would possibly a company that has the rights to the key words used within the domain name.

If this occurs yet the webmaster claims the domain name anyway, they are at risk of loosing it by a website name arbitration proceeding. They may even be charged with trademark or copyright infringement if things get actually ugly. For this reason it is best to verify the key phrases utilized in a domain name are not protected for somebody else. This article will clarify how site owners could make such a determination.

First, webmasters need to check and see if their chosen domain name resembles any existing trademark that is on the books. They will want to do this before actually investing any money in the domain name. To search existing trademarks, webmasters can visit the website of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office which is USPTO.gov. From here they can search a database that contains current trademarks as well as those that are pending.

Of course, if a webmaster would prefer zero percent risk, they can simply try to think of another domain name. When they go about doing this, they need to be more generic and less creative in what they come up with. Using search engine keywords for a domain name is one such strategy. Webmasters can also look into using dictionary terms. If all else fails they can take a generic term and combine it with a term that is less likely to be taken, such as their first and last name.

In both methods, as soon as an appropriate domain name has been chosen, site owners ought to take into account getting it trademarked themselves, especially if they are utilizing it to help branding their business. With an official trademark, a webmaster has more authority if other company tries to take them to court. And since there is no scarcity of domain name bullies, a webmaster ought to use all authorized avenues accessible to guard the rights of their business.

In conclusion, by checking whether or not a website name has keywords which are part of a trademark, site owners lessen the danger that they will have legal problems in the future. If there are problems, and a website name arbitration continuing doesn't rule in a webmaster's favor, they will flip to The Domain Name Rights Coalition.

About the Author: