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Information sheet:
Domain Names:
The very bedrock of
your internet business
Room101
Call Richard Fincher now 0845 0036 101 internet services
Would you build a new hotel on land registered to the correct legal entity (referred to as the
owned by someone else? Or open an “Registrant”) If you’re really “Example (UK) Ltd” and you put
art gallery where the landlord could down “Example Ltd” , your domain name could be cancelled.
kick you out in 30 days? Common Also, if you ask a disreputable web site company to register it for
sense says that your business has to be you, they’re quite likely to put themselves down as the owner
secure in terms of assets from the instead of you, which will invalidate the registration if they go
ground up, and that no-one should be bust, or make it impossible for you to change provider if you fall
able to pull the rug from under you. out with them.
Why make a fuss about domain name ownership? You’ve got to be joking?
Many new internet ventures take the view that the only thing After 11 years of advising people about their domain name
which matters about a domain name is that it sounds good. registration problems, we’ve seen everything. Domain names
However, they ignore the legal and IP (intellectual property) owned by “N/A”, owned by “10 King Street”, or even the domain
issues to do with domain names at their peril. name “example.com” owned by “example.com”. None of these
exist as legal entities.
What exactly does internet marketing achieve?
But I’ve been fine so far.
From first launch day, you will be driving people to your web
site. Maybe you’ll use search engine marketing. Perhaps you’d Domain name registries make spot checks
prefer magazine or tube adverts, radio jingles, or maybe you just on the accuracy of domain name
attend networking events and hand out lots of business cards. registrations, and those registered to an
Whichever of the above you do, you will be trying to increase inaccurate or nonsensical registrant may
recognition and awareness of your web site’s domain name. You be cancelled. These issues can also raise
may have paid less than £100 for your domain name to begin their heads when you want to change provider, when you wish
with, but how much more will the name be worth after a year’s to start accepting credit card payments, or crucially, when you
worth of marketing budget spent? Or 5 years? Now consider want to sell the business - any of which will cause complex
the implications of losing this entirely, immediately, with no headaches at some of the worst possible time.
warning and little or no prospect of getting it back.
If I lose my domain name, I can just re-register it.
My web site is mine - why be so melodramatic?
There is now a buzzing market in pre-owned domain names.
Many startup companies will, for lack of understanding, go to a Domain names which are cancelled are generally grabbed
cheap “self service” domain name selling web site. They will pick withing minutes or even seconds by domain name speculators.
the domain name registration company based on price, price Why would someone want yours? All your clients’ bookmarks,
and price. The trouble is, like all legal matters, they have to be your brochures, business cards and search engine listings will
handled properly. It’s like conveyancing on your house sale - in now point to their site instead of yours. This now happens many
theory you could do it yourself, but with £100,000+ at stake, you thousands of times a day. Domain names acquired in this way
pay a solicitor a small fee to have it done properly so that you are often sold at auction to companies who pay $5000+ for
can’t be evicted. them. Like your competitors might.
So where might I go wrong? Register with Room101 - protect your investment
Firstly, the fact that you’ve paid for it, in and of itself gives you no We’re not the most expensive way to register a domain name,
rights over the domain name. The domain name must be but we charge a realistic rate, and we get it right.
Room 101, Erico House, 93-99 Upper Richmond Road, Tel: 0845 0036 101 Fax: 0845 0037 101
Putney, London SW15 2TG email: info@room101.co.uk www.room101.co.uk