8 June 2010
.com, .co.uk, .net, .org.. which one? which two? how many?

Generally, a new web site owner will only register a single domain name, and if they are UK based it is normally a .co.uk or a .com - personally we believe in 'flag waving' and if only a single name is being registered we would advise the .co.uk

Many domain extensions have specific rules relating to the registration of them - for example you have to be resident or have an operating office or department in the country that manages that domain i.e .fr for France, .au for Australia and so so, or your status must be confirmed i.e. .sch for schools and .gov for government offices.

However, there are many domains that do not have region or status specific restrictions and this means that ANYONE can register them.. and the main ones people go for are .co.uk and .com

So what happens if Freds Buckets Limited registers only the .co.uk and not the .com..? Anyone else could register the .com and that could then lead to major issues in the future.

For example, and these are real world examples..

1. The .com could be offered back to Freds Buckets Limited for a much higher sum than they would have paid if they had registered then name themselves - it is not un-common for this to be in the £100's or even the £1,000's depending on the success of Freds Buckets Limited.

2. A competitor might purchase the domain and use it to direct traffic to their site. Yes, this could be seen as 'passing off' or mis-leading which is illegal in the UK, but the costs associated with pursuing this thought the courts might be more that Fred can afford. And what if the other company is not UK based?

3. A third and more extreme, but still used ploy, is to point the additional domain to an offending site such as a porn site. Yes, you could take action and (eventually) get the domain turned off, but the damage may have already been done by that time.

Our advice - always speak to a proper domain registration agent , not a reseller if possible, and discuss the option of registering multiple domains to protect your brand and name on the web. You can register as many domains as you wish (or your budget allows) - you are not limited to just one name or extension.

Did you know that companies like the BBC, Microsoft, IBM and so on have registered over 100 veriations and brand name versions of the main name.