Fans of TV’s The Apprentice know that it’s something of a tradition for candidates reaching the interview stage to face that stinging question – have you secured the domain name for your business? – from one of Lord Sugar’s trusted advisors.
Mike Soutar has become renowned not only for asking the question – but because viewers know that he inevitably knows the answer. He knows they haven’t, because he’s bought it himself, just to show them the error of their ways.
It’s a fundamental for those getting a new business off the ground – but domain protection can seem like a complicated proposal, and the technical side of it can be quite some task for those not familiar with the specifics.
However, the implications of not maintaining this protection can have hugely negative impacts on a business and result in damage to important parts of your web hosting infrastructure.
What is a domain name?
A domain name forms part of a web address, but for businesses it can mean a whole lot more. It forms the basis of an online presence, and provides the infrastructure required for things like email addresses. It is likely to be how customers will remember or find you. Every domain name is registered with a registrar, who in turn registers the domain with ICANN, the organisation that maintains and coordinates IP (internet protocol) and the DNS (domain name system). The DNS is like a big address book of the internet, which ensures that every domain has a unique identity. A top-level domain is the last part of any web address (.com, .co.uk etc.) and this defines which organisation is responsible for maintaining its DNS root-zone. Typically, domain names can be registered for anything between one and 10 years.
A domain name can also build creditability and make a new entity look more professional and is relatively inexpensive at roughly the same cost as a few cups of coffee from your favourite barista.
Th e .uk register currently holds over 11 million .uk domain names.
What is domain name protection?
Due to how infrastructural domain names are to online presence, it’s important for them to be protected legally. Domain names can undergo trademark registration, and therefore can be protected under intellectual property rights. Th is can help mitigate anyone else using similar domain names to a known business for nefarious purposes, such as scamming. This is called domain squatting and can be very frustrating for any domain owner.
Should I have domain name protection?
Prevention should form a key part of your strategy and registering it as trade marked intellectual property is an important part of this. As your domain name relates to an important part of your web hosting infrastructure and contains key technical contact information that allows emails to function, it is recommended to protect your domain name.
DFA Law’s corporate law team can help clients protect their domains and keep the important business infrastructure intact. Should a dispute arise about registrations of .uk domain names, there is a dispute resolution service provided by Nominet, which our team can also help with.
To find out more, call 01604 609560 or visit www.dfalaw.co.uk
Simmonds
Partner
DFA Law
