Aplus.net Blog

According to Verisign’s latest Domain Name Industry Brief, there are 177 million domain names across all top-level domains, an increase of 16% (24 million domain names) over a year ago. That’s a lot of .com’s, .net’s, .org’s, and .edu’s – and the numbers continue to grow worldwide.

But what if you lost your prime domain name – actually lost your online brand, your trademark, that unique address you’ve worked so hard to nurture all these years?

Sure, there’s always the risk your URL may be stolen by domain hijackers, porn pirates or cyber squatters. It may even be at risk of getting misplaced by your registrar. And it’s only going to get more complicated and more competitive in the years ahead. For example, the domain extension “.biz” may get a boost soon if ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) approves the use of one- and two-character domain names. That would lead to “i.biz”, “u.biz” and similar snappy new domains. As the blog Search-Matters reported recently, ICANN is opening up domains still further with approval of new geo-Top Level Domains for cities and countries (think .nyc or .peru), followed by the possibility of generic terms such as .news or .travel.

For now, though, the fundamentals for protecting your existing domain still hold true. Matt McGee advises “How to Protect Your Domain Name” in Search Engine Land: make sure you are listed as both the Registrant and the Administrative Contact on the domain record. It’s easier than you might think to actually lose a domain name. More than 100,000 expire every day, often because registrants are unaware the names were up for renewal.

One key is to be diligent in verifying registration and contact information. Start with a WHOIS service such as Aplus.net WhoisCheck to see that you or your representative is listed properly; if not, get it changed. Since the domain industry’s deregulation a few years back, multiple domain registrars can grant domain names; therefore, each keeps their own WHOIS database. So it’s important to check multiple sites for accurate domain reports. See this complete list of ICANN-accredited registrars.

Conflicts and disagreements over domain names will occur. If you’re concerned about copycats and ‘typo-squatters’, consider a service such as Domain Guard to protect your domain. If you suspect phishing scams, domain thiefs, or an unsolicited transfer or renewal offer by a reseller, contact your registrar immediately. For more information about filing a grievance and dispute resolution, see the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Guide.