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Who owns the domain for your company website? Are competitors setting up websites similar (or identical!) to your company website using similar domains? Are you aware of any fraudulent emails being sent to potential employees under your domain?
If these issues sound terrifying, they should. All of them have come across my desk in the past year. Worse, these types of disputes are becoming more frequent.
Because of this, business owners need to be aware not only of their domain's value, but also any related email accounts.
First Things First: What Exactly Is a Domain Name?
The inexorable march of technology has forced all of us to become more tech-savvy, but that does not mean you know everything. Unsure what I mean when I talk about your company's “domain name”? Luckily, it is a pretty straightforward concept.
Quite simply, your domain name is what people type in to find your company's website. For example: www.yourbusiness.com. Your domain is incredibly valuable because it is how customers find you online and one way that they recognize your brand.
Important Things to Note About Your Company's Domain
Here are some domain name tips that all business owners should know:
Make Sure the Company Owns It
Hopefully this is obvious, but the domain for the company website needs to be owned by the company itself. Not an employee, not a partner, not a relative, and not a volunteer.
Why? Because if a dispute should develop over ownership of the domain, you are going to spend a lot of time and money to fix the problem. Registrars will not transfer domains to companies without the cooperation of the named registrant or a court order.
It Is Probably a Trademark – Or Should Be
The name that you have registered as a trademark for your company is often included in the domain for the company website. If you are using a domain that is not registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it probably should be in the event there is ever a dispute over the domain.
You Should Monitor Its Use
Your company should designate an employee to monitor the use of the domain on the internet. Competitors will often set up websites with similar domain names and route consumers away from your company website to the competitor's site. You can stop this activity by taking action to take down the competitor's domain and website.
I have assisted business owners with taking down fraudulent websites that have been registered by people in Cameroon, Thailand, the Isle of Gurnsey, Hong Kong, and more. You never know where the alleged competitor or scam artist trying to lure your customers away from you and take their money will be located.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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