Domain Name Ownership
Domain Name Ownership; Is It Really Yours?
One question that comes up fairly frequently in the web hosting world is “who really owns a domain name?” It’s important to remember when purchasing a domain, you don’t really own it. Instead, you’re simply leasing it from your registrar until the end of the agreed registration period. After that, you no longer have any rights to the domain.
Is It Still Yours?
If you happen to let a domain name expire, don’t panic. The domain name may not be “yours” anymore, but it’s not available to be purchased quite yet. Instead, it has entered a “grace period”, where you are free to pay the renewal fee and reclaim it. After that grace period ends, however, the domain is freely available to be purchased by anybody, so always be aware of your domain’s registration period to avoid potentially bad situations.
Check Your Email!
When registering a domain, always provide the registrar with an email address that is actively monitored. When a domain comes up for renewal, most registrars will alert their customers well in advance (usually 30-45 days). Always be sure to pay attention to these messages to avoid having your domain snatched out from under your nose.
What Can You Do If You Lose Your Domain?
If you let your domain name expire and fail to renew it within the grace period, you may find yourself in a bad situation. If somebody has already purchased your domain name, the options available to you are pretty limited:
• You could attempt to contact the new owner and purchase the domain back from him, but since the domain obviously has value to you, and you no longer have any real rights to the domain, the new owner will most likely increase the price to ridiculous levels.
• If you are fortunate enough to own a trademark or copyright to your domain name, you can threaten the new owner with legal action. This will usually result in the return of your domain name, but you could also end up wasting time and money in court.
Avoid The Headache And Fee!
Bottom line; don’t let your domains expire unless you no longer need them. You’ll save yourself a lot of money, not to mention headaches.
