About Domain Registry Rights

A domain name is the technical term for the name of a website. A lot goes into picking a domain name, and the domain name you want may not be available. Domain names are purchased from third-party hosting sites. Domains are not a permanent purchase, however. Each domain comes with an expiration date, and must be renewed by the owner, or else it becomes up for grabs.

From Quick Guide: Web Domains 101

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Picking a Domain

1. Picking a domain can be trickier than it seems. You may have the perfect domain name picked out for your site, but that means nothing if it isn't available. Domain names, once purchased, are off limits, until they expire. However, there are sometimes ways to get around this. There are different forms of domain names, ranging from .com, to .org, to .tv. If the .com form is taken, you may be able to get a .org, or a .net. This is ill-advised, however, because it causes confusion in users. It is also rare, because businesses usually buy up multiple domain forms for this very reason.

Reserving a Domain

2. You cannot reserve a domain name. There is no staking your claim on the domain you want. People often assume that they can reserve the domain name, and then officially purchase it when their website is ready to launch. This is a myth. Unless a domain has officially been purchased, and certified as such, it is up for grabs. Buy the domain you want, and hold on to it. This is why you often see websites with "Under Construction," and other similar messages as their pages. They bought the domain so they would have it, as they built their site.

Domains Don't Last Forever

3. Contrary to popular belief, you do not hold the rights to your domain forever. You only hold them as long as you pay for them. You can purchase large blocks of time for your domain to be yours, but eventually you will have to renew them. Many domain markets offer automatic renewal, where your domain is renewed for you, and your credit card billed. This is a smart move, if you plan on having your domain for a long time. Failure to renew a domain means you can lose that domain. Domain pirates are people who stake claim on countless domains, and buy them as soon as the contracts lapse. They hold domains for ransom, and often get paid large sums of money from the original owner wanting their domain back. To previous this from happening to you, keep tabs on your domain's renewal date, and don't miss it.

Domains Are Not Trademarks

4. Having a domain is not the same as having a trademark. In fact, domains may not be considered registered trademarks, if their sole reason for existing is as an Internet address. Meaning, if you don't have a company to back up your website, you can't trademark your domain. First, you trademark the company name, then you make the domain your company name. That is considered a trademark. Google is a prime example of this. Because the name Google is trademarked, the domain name for Google also becomes trademarked.

You Can Have Limitless Domains

5. Technically, you are allowed to hold the rights to as many domains as you are willing to pay for. All you have to do is fill out the application, and the domain is yours. In practical contexts, this is generally frowned upon, however. The Internet, as a community, does not like when people buy up all the domains they can. The only exception is purchase of the varying forms of your domain, such as buying both the .com and .org as a way of preventing confusion. You have the right to buy all the domains you want, but you should try to just stick to the one.