So I'm making a site, but I dont know if the name I've choosen is already taken by another site/company. Usually the easiest way to find that out is by just inserting the URL in a browser and see if it get something. But the problem is that even if theres nothing online with the same name that doesnt means is not registered at all. So, anyone here knows where I can check if a domain name is legally registered or not?
Easiest way, go to register.com (http://www.register.com/whois.rcmx direct link) and type your domain and see if someone owns it. Jeff.
Crap, some of the best names are already taken... Now, lets be honest: does changing some letters (and therefore making it sound different) save me from a lawsuit? what do you guys think? Thanks for the links BTW.
I would say if you try and get for example (I know this will never be), but lets say microsoft.com was available, they could come after you for getting that because it is the name of their business (there was some precedence to this, but only big companies will pursue that). If you got microdoft.com, so long as your not impersonating microsoft.com, you should be fine. It's tough to say what your exactly doing. Most cases, if you can get the domain its fine, but you may not be able to do business under that name as that could be taken, so you'd have to go to a different site to check registered businesses, etc... but then your talking about incorporating, LLC, etc. Jeff.
Usually your rights to domains with names that are direct spellings of registered trademarks or companies, registered after the trademark/company was registered can get revoked if the party interested will file a complaint in ICANN (I've seen it happen with microsoft.pl) Misspellings... that's a tough one. I've seen many intentional misleading misspellings like microsfot.com etc and never saw them deleted, so it might be that you will be safe, but personally I'd check the rules.
If you quickly reigster the name of a new famous entity for the purpose of reselling it to them at a higher price, then you'll lose the name. I think this came about from the mass registration of famous people's names. I also remember something about making a similar name for profit. It has something to do with profiting from another's reputation. I can't remember what the law was on that, tho. Is your name game related? I have about 30 or 40 video game names registered.
Yeah I know, but I'm not looking into that (like the iphone.com guy who some say got 7 million for that domain) but a completely original name. The problem is all those names that are taken yet nobody uses at all. Really? but why you have/need that many? OK, but whats the difference/benefit with just .com?
It might depend on the company. I've had 2 online game related domains (for the same game) which was only out in Japan back then. When the game was licensed for the European market the company that licensed it in Europe contacted me and offered to buy the domain. The same happend to a friend who owned big-brother.ch and was contacted by the tv station when big brother startet airing in switzerland. I guess if you decide not to sell, they might come along with the lawsuit In my case however it was some nice extra cash.
Well I have a name but some guy from canada already registered it, so I have 2 options: 1-change a letter in the name to make it slightly different 1-Make it .net instead of .com So what option you guys think may be better in case of a lawsuit? btw the owner seems to be a person, nor a company, so I doubt he/she has the bigass resources needed for a legal battle. BTW its me or .net makes it sound more "professional" than the ol' .com?
Does he use the domain or just parks it? If they do not run a commercial project on the site its very unlikely that they would do a lawsuit against you anyway. Personally I would go for the free .net domain, not changing letters. I don't think .net makes it more professional though, many people still have the whole "dot com effect" burned into their heads
I'll say hes parking it since while it doesnt give you a 403 it does redirect you to one of those generic "what're you looking for?" sites. You may be right about the .net, since most of my non-gamer/techie friends think nont-dot-com domains are mostly shaddy sites with badware, and that would drive people out of the site.
