What do you do if someone steals your domain name
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Immediate crucial steps you must take to recover a stolen domain name
It can feel difficult to recover a stolen domain name, so you should speak to a professional as early as possible. Each day that passes can be critical and can harm your reputation and your organisation. The process can take time, so the sooner you act, the sooner you can begin to repair the damage and protect your financial position.
What are the difficulties in recovering a stolen domain name
How to resolve domain name disputes
What are the difficulties in recovering a stolen domain name
Very few people understand how domain names are regulated or what to do when a domain name is stolen or misused. This lack of knowledge leaves many companies open to the risk that their website may shut down because of theft or simple mistakes. Someone could even redirect your visitors to a different website that has nothing to do with you. This makes it hard to keep a domain name safe at all times.
You can lose a domain name in many ways. The most common problems arise when you forget to renew it, when a business partner or co-director leaves and takes the domain with them, or when a website developer acts carelessly or on purpose.
Recovering a domain name does not always happen quickly. You may need to deal with different countries and legal systems, which can slow everything down and increase the cost. While you wait, your company can lose revenue, lose customers and suffer serious harm to its reputation.
How to resolve domain name disputes
Domain name disputes can be difficult to sort out. The other side may feel very strongly about their claim to your domain name, or they may simply be fraudsters based in another country. If this is your first time dealing with a domain name dispute, you should think about getting professional legal advice.
One fast way to resolve a dispute is to use the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy run by ICANN. This process is usually quicker and cheaper than going to court. If you can negotiate a transfer of the domain name back to you, this is often the best option because you may receive the domain name at once. In some situations you may need to show proof that you own the domain name.
Partnership disputes often create problems with domain ownership. You should remember this when you start a new business or join a new partnership. Even so, proving ownership can still be difficult. It is important to work out the right jurisdiction. For example, a dispute over a domain name ending in .co.uk must go before a court in the UK, while a dispute over a .com domain name must go before a court in the United States. The best way to avoid all this trouble is to secure your domain name from the start.
