Domain Names

A domain name is your own unique Internet address. Choosing the right name is crucial. For a starting point follow up Domain Name Resources in the excellent Web Marketing Today.

With the national & international scope of the Internet, there may be several similar businesses with the same name. All can’t claim the same domain names. Rights to a domain name may be governed by ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Policy UDNDP A list of ICANN resolved cases is available at http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/

You can research potential business names for possible conflicts with CheckDomain.com or search the Companies House Register or the Trademark Register online in the UK.

Purchase appropriate domain names even if your business doesn’t have a website yet, since suitable names may not be available later. Also consider whether one of the new .info or .biz domain names would satisfy your business needs.
A good range of information is available at the Legal Issues copyright and trademark section of the Web Marketing Info Center although much relates to the USA.

Domain names
Nominet UK is the Registry for UK Internet Domain Names.