![\"Cybersquatting\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Cybersquatting.png\")
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You\u2019ve come up with the perfect name for your new business. You\u2019ve done all the paperwork. You have the trademark. The launch date is approaching and you just need to get the website in order.<\/span><\/p>\n You realize, too late, that someone\u2019s already registered the domain name. <\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes, this can happen as an honest mistake. You and another business happened upon the same name.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes, it\u2019s cybersquatting<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cybersquatting<\/strong> is when a person buys a domain name that matches a name they know is trademarked or otherwise owned by someone else. In the early days of the Internet, before the majority of brands already had an established website, it was very common.<\/span><\/p>\n Now, it doesn\u2019t happen as frequently because most brands already own the best domain name<\/a> for their brand. Now and then, you\u2019ll still see famous cases in the news, particularly those related to celebrities and politicians.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you suspect your business may be the victim of cybersquatting, then it\u2019s worth figuring out if that\u2019s the case. You don\u2019t have much recourse against another businesses or individuals that registered the domain in good faith, but you do if they registered it with the goal of selling it back to you at a big profit. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re a brand new business that no one\u2019s heard of yet, then the person with the domain probably isn\u2019t a domain shark. They would have to know in advance that a business would want the domain for it to make sense for them to buy it with profit from you in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re new, but your PR was better and faster than your domain registering<\/a> skills, then there\u2019s a chance you might have a cybersquatter on your hands.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you named your company something that people commonly search for already, then the people who own the domain are called domain investors, rather than cybersquatters. If you decided to name your business something like Affordable Flights or Apple Computer Repair (not that these business names are necessarily available), then you\u2019ll likely need to either cough up some cash for the matching domains or get creative coming up with a domain that\u2019s similar.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably seen the kind of pages I mean anytime you\u2019ve mistyped a URL. Instead of a website devoted to a particular business or thing, the page will include a list of different domains you can buy (including the one you originally typed in).<\/span><\/p>\n This clue alone doesn\u2019t necessarily point to a domain shark, but if you\u2019re trying to decide between a cybersquatter versus a legitimate competitor for the name, it increases the likelihood that it\u2019s the former. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you have a well-known brand name associated with a certain type of product and you find someone sitting on your domain name (or a similar one) acting like they\u2019re you, then you probably have a cybersquatter. Using a similar domain to benefit from another company\u2019s brand reputation definitely falls into this murky area. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Similar to number four, <\/b>but more brash, <\/b>some cybersquatters will snatch up domains with the intention of making the rightful owner of the trademark look bad. This type of thing has happened more often with politicians<\/span><\/a> than with business brands though, so you\u2019re unlikely to encounter it. <\/p>\n If someone gets in touch with you about selling a domain before you ever look into buying it yourself, then the chances are good that they bought the domain with the intention of making money by selling it to you, especially if they do #7. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhat is Cybersquatting?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Domain](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Domain-Name-1.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow to Tell If the Owner is a Domain Shark<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Your brand name was already out there. <\/span><\/h3>\n
2. Your brand name isn\u2019t a common keyword.<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Your desired URL goes to a page of domains for sale, rather than a unique website.<\/span><\/h3>\n
4. It takes you to a page selling products related to yours.<\/span><\/h3>\n
5. It takes you to a page that criticizes your brand. <\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n6. They proactively contact you to offer to sell the site.<\/span><\/h3>\n
7. They try to charge you a lot of money.<\/span><\/h3>\n