Internet Domain Names

A domain name is a name by which a company or organization is known on the Internet . It usually incorporates the company name, or other identifier.

To register a domain name you must apply to an accredited Registrar .

A list of accredited and accreditation-qualified Registrars can be found on the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) web site.

Being the owner of a registered trade mark, does not automatically entitle you to use that mark as a domain name. The main reason being, that the same trade mark can be registered for different goods or services and by different proprietors. Also, someone may have already, and quite legitimately, registered the domain name, perhaps with its use being connected with unregistered goods or services.

The opposite also applies, if your domain name has been properly registered, it does not automatically follow that a similar trade mark will satisfy the requirements for trade mark registration, and/or it may be confusingly similar to someone else’s earlier trade mark.

If you feel that a domain name has been registered unlawfully or maliciously we suggest that you take appropriate legal advice. Alternatively, you can get advice from Nominet UK , who also offer a Dispute Resolution Service.

There are other dispute resolution procedures operated by, for example, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center .