Domain Name Information

Domain Squatting Explained


The one thing that annoys me most about the topic of domain names is when trying to find a domain name for a new site only to find most of the names I come up with are already taken. Even more annoying is that these names are not being used for a site that relates to the domain name.

Domain squatting or cyber squatting is the term used for someone who registers a domain with no intention of using it, that would otherwise be used for a site relating to the domain name.

Let me give you an example, recently I came up with an idea for a site and there was a couple of domains that were ideal, keyword1keyword2.com and the plural version, so I checked to see if they were available. I found that both the names I thought would be perfect were taken. Both domain names were directed to a generic search page whose sole purpose is to make money off of direct type ins.

Now I haven't given the names as I don't want to give away my idea and I don't want to give the sites any free advertising. This is not a one off incidence but something that happens quite often, especially with domain names with good or popular keywords. This activity is not illegal unless you use a trademark name, but it is against the ethics of what the internet is about.

There is a difference between domain squatting and domain parking and that difference is intent. If you register the domain with the intent of using it in the future for a purpose relating to the domain name then you have just parked the domain. If you register a domain with the sole intention of making money from reselling it or getting revenue from people typing in the domain name then that is domain squatting.

As I have explained it is not illegal it is just unethical, it is a free market economy and people are motivated by profit. I do not agree with domain squatting as it forces webmasters like myself to use domain names that are far from perfect, take this site on domain names, this name was far from my first choice. It also misleads internet users as the expect a site to be related to the keywords in the domain name making the internet less user friendly.

Find out more about domain names and get some advice before registering your next domain.


MORE RESOURCES:

USA TODAY

Internet domain names changing
WRGB
".com", ".net" and ".edu" - those exchanges are part of the domain names we've typed in for years to get where we want to go on line but soon companies, organizations, schools, and other groups will be able to decide what word or letters they want on ...
Group looks for help in evaluating new domain namesThe Hill (blog)
Letters: Internet domain names can confuse consumersUSA TODAY
ICANN Opens Comment Period To Hear About Defensive New gTLD ExtensionsTheDomains.com
Lexology (registration) -BtoB Magazine -Pro Bono Australia
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Hawaii Reporter

One .XXX Registration May Lead Hawaii To Pass New Law On The “Fraudulent Use ...
TheDomains.com
Now “UH wants lawmakers to consider amending a bill on unauthorized computer use to include fraudulent use of Internet domain names.” “We believe that individuals who willfully and purposely attempt to profit through misleading the public by ...
Hawaii Could Make It a Felony to CybersquatXBIZ
University of Hawaii Wants Porn Website Shut DownHawaii Reporter
Officials want to stop X-rated Web site from tarnishing UH's imageHonolulu Star-Advertiser

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UC Berkeley buys XXX domain names
Bizjournals.com
The University of California, Berkeley, spent $1300 to buy domain names ending in .xxx which might be associated with the school. The University of California, Berkeley , spent $1300 to buy domain names ending in .xxx which might be associated with the ...
Berkeley gobbles up .xxx domainsSan Francisco Chronicle (blog)
UC Berkeley Purchases XXX DomainsNBC Bay Area
Live 12th ManTexas A&M The Battalion

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Apparently I'm Moses & All Of You Are Mindless Robots Following Me
TheDomains.com
by Michael H. Berkens A post about selling domain names on Noobworld.com, was brought to my attention today entitled “How to sell domain names to clueless end-users?” “The owner of the domain blog runs MostWantedDomains.com and WWMI.com.



U. buys .xxx domain names in preventative move
The Brown Daily Herald
By Meia Geddes The University bought two domain names to avoid association with adult content, but brownuniversity.xxx had already been purchased. Students surfing the Internet for adult content will not find it on brownu.xxx or brownuniv.xxx — the ...

and more »


Very Rare Portfolio Of Gaming Domain Names First Time Available At e21.com
PR Web (press release)
Gaming companies have a big challenge to find suitable available high quality dot com gaming domain names in an aftermarket saturated with low quality domain names. "In a competitive industry, companies need impressive domain names.



Businesses 'should aim for simple domain names'
Global Gold Internet Services
All domain names chosen for business websites should be simple to remember, spell and communicate, he added. "A complicated domain name with alternative spellings, for example cars4u, will make it harder for prospective customers to remember and find ...



You'd Be Better Off Igniting a Pile of Your Own Money (Just About)
DailyFinance
By Brian Richards, The Motley Fool Posted 10:54AM 02/10/12 Investing Up until last autumn, Toron (OTC: TRON) was in the business of "marketing, sales, and resales via the Internet of Web Domain Names or URL's and related services.

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Brazilian Government Ordering Web Hosting Firms To Kill Domain Names They Don ...
Techdirt
The Brazilian request was apparently a rather large request hitting on a bunch of different domain names, many of which were not .br domains, but some of which implied activity that was illegal -- and so Sedo had no problem taking those down.



Hawaii Reporter

University of Hawaii urges state lawmakers to deter fraudulent use of domain names
The Republic
Greenwood's written testimony asks the committee to consider amending the bill to include fraudulent use of Internet domain names. She explains that UH has been victimized by unknown attackers who have been maliciously using the domain name to ...
University of Hawaii Threatens Lawsuit Over .XXX Porn SiteAVN News (press release)

all 5 news articles »

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