How to prevent a company from taking my domain name?

Domain investor here. Some, but not all of the advice here is absolutely dreadful and is an example of why you should not take advice from random strangers on the internet.

Some basic rules if you wish to keep the domain:

* Don't offer to sell the domain. If you are contacted by a prospective buyer, just decline, saying that the domain is not for sale. Don't counter-offer or enter into discussions or negotiations.

* Don't put ads or links to third-party commercial entities on your website. If you're going to use it for business purposes, make sure that it's just for your business, which incorprates your family name, eg FamilyName IT Services Ltd.

* Make sure your website has an "About Me/Us" page, which briefly outlines who you are, ensuring that you mention that your Family Name is the same as the domain name.

* The advice in this thread regarding use of 2FA on everything is sound. I've a high value domain portfolio and receive password reset requests every week, triggered by bad actors trying to access anything that they can think of that might give them access to accounts.

* Don't use GoDaddy or any or their network.

* Read up on UDRP (dispute resolution) and Reverse Name Hijacking if you want to get up to speed on the legal and procedural issues that might affect you.

* Domain disputes are a specialised field and you would need the advice of a specialised lawyer if you find yourself the recipient of a UDRP complaint. John Berryhill (I've no connection) is well regarded in this area, and I'm sure that there are others. He would be my first port of call.

Funny story.

I have three domains (.com, .org, and .net) of my [first initial][last name][.tld]. Have had them for a long time.

A defense law firm in Australia, set up a domain, with [first initial][last name].com.au

I used to get regular emails, with terrifyingly personal stuff in them. Many of these emails came from Australian government/court orgs. They probably could have been sued into the mantle for some of the stuff (like juvenile criminal proceedings), that got sent to some random Yank in New York.

I was always careful to forward everything I got to the lawyers, along with contacting the courts, and letting them know their mistake.

In a couple of instances, I was thanked. In most, I was ignored.

No one ever tried the barratry route with me. I actually probably would have sold them my domains at cost, if they had asked, but they never did.

I haven't gotten one of those emails in years. I have no idea why.

See also https://gail.com/

The domain is yours for now and that cannot be changed easily.

By far the most likely outcome is that a company that is interested in your domain will offer to buy it from you for a nice sum. You are free to reject their offer.

They may decide to sue you but you have a good standing because it is your last name. Relax.

To prevent domain hijacking:

Tip 1: Pick an enterprise-class domain name registry.

Tip 2: Set up 2FA that isn't phone-based.

Tip 3: Request DNSSEC from your registrar.

You have a legitimate use case and are using it in good faith. I can't imagine any scenario where someone would have any success in taking it away from you against your will unless you made a mistake in letting the registration lapse or something. Make sure you've got auto renewal set up, with a reputable registrar.

You should be fine. See nissan.com as an example. You aren't a domain squatter and even they barely have issues.

The stories I hear are when the domain name owners ask how much, and then reject the amount.

Do not enterain any offers. If they reach out, it is best to completly ignore and do not respond. Failing that, tell them it is your name, and your name is not for sale at any price.

If they ever try to take you to court, point the judge to nissan.com which is owned by someone with the name Nissan, and even the large car manufacturer did not have the right to take it.

I'm not an expert, this is not expert advice.

AFAIK Trademarks are not automatically an international thing. A business would need to make an effort to register in multiple countries. Trademarks are also not all industries, all at once. McDonald's wouldn't like it, but if my last name was McDonald, and I wanted to setup a lawnmowing business called McDonald's Lawnmowing, they cannot stop me (although you can bet they'd try to scare me off).

I am not sure of your financial position, but it might be economical to register a business name, and even a trademark in your country. This will will give you one more level of protection. They would need to challenge your trademark first. Now, protecting a trademark is not necessarily cheap. It could be a matter of sending a few "piss off" letters in response to their inflated threats, but it could escalate. That said, the same escalation could happen regardless of you having a trademark. Depending on your country, people can (and do) sue other people with no legal standing, and use costs of defending oneself as a cudgel to get what they want.

It's your last name, they cannot force it off you. I'm not a lawyer, but worked for a company which tried.

Best thing you can do is this:

- ask your registrar to do the 'registry lock' on your domain. Not registrar lock but 'registry lock' specifically. Most will do this. If they won't, then transfer to another registrar.

- register the domain for at least 5 years. 10 years if you can.

- use the 2FA at your domain registrar. There are some registrars that offer a "pass code" or other task to be performed before the domain can be transferred. At one registrar, I have the requirement that they need to call me on my cell phone and I must mention a code word to them.

- If you're using Google or a Google Account (not recommended but in some cases it's necessary), then absolutely sign up for Google Advanced Protection. I cannot tell you how many domains have been stolen and lost because they were using a google account (gmail).

- Remove privacy whois on your domain. Use a business address, email (not gmail) and a real phone number on the whois of your domain. If the domain is stolen, then the whois history will show who owns it... if it goes to privacy then the thief/hacker most likely wants to hide themselves. If you get spam email/calls from that public whois data, then change registrars. It's certain registrars that are giving out or allowing scraping of their whois data.

- If you don't already own a trademark on the word in the domain, then don't think that that getting a tm will protect your domain name. If you registered the domain before someone files for the trademark, then you have the rights to it. Don't let anyone else tell you that you don't, especially if you are using it for a website.

I have `.nu` as one of my domains, some company that resides on the same postal address as the owners of `.se` reached out to buy the domain from me for I think it was €1000. I just told them no, I've had that name for 15 years, I've used it for my personal website ever since and have email and such set up.

I don't care if they printed out my domain on a car print or a card or something that they give out. That's not my problem.

The thing is, companies can (at least under some TLD's) claim domain names. But this claim has to be tested. And the test that I'm aware that exists is kinda if you have some kind of claim to it as well. It may that you own a business with that name, but it's also claim enough that you have that name as your name. Then your claim is valid and you had it first.

I'm not sure how it works with .com, but I wouldn't think they are very different.

In whois records I've seen something called registry lock, may be worth for you to look into that: https://internetstiftelsen.se/en/domains/tech-tools/registry...

Look into the trademarks for the same name. (for example here: https://branddb.wipo.int/en/quicksearch)

You can't use the domain name for the same activity (the same Nice class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_(Nice)_Classific...) as the company with the same name that has a trademark for the same activity class.

If you follow this rule no company will be able to contest your domain name.

In general if you're using it for legit purposes it's hard to take a domain taken even for big brands. You have it first, and unless you're using it for a competitor or to defame them it's hard to claim malice. They should have checked the name was able for them to use before using it.

But do make sure you have auto-renew setup etc. If you lose it, they can nab it fast and it'd be hard to get it back.

I don’t understand, what’s the emotional attachment? Put the domain up for sale and hire a broker, the money could be life changing for you.

Also worth a read about an upstart computer company being sued.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps

I always wondered how Apple Computer Inc. were allowed to enter the iPod business without being sued again.

You might want to consider registering a trademark on that name if at all possible. Even if you can't register the 5 letter name itself, register something else like "iname widget". it should bolster your defence if it ever came to it.

There is case law with WIPO on this issue which is in your favor, see https://swanturton.com/armani-v-ar-mani/

I would like to ask the inverse of this question; a company is squatting the domain that is the same as mylastname.com. They just redirect to their main site when you visit this address.

How can I get a hold of this domain?

Trademark sounds like a good route to be safe, but you will most likely win all UDRP cases regardless.

Which mail client do you use? Is it free?

u can't. just hire a good attorney if it does happen, because you better believe they will have several.

idk / imho ...

in case: be open selling your domain? just as one possibility to avoid lengthy legal disputes / costly interactions with lawyers!?

you mentioned above, you are "from a poor country" ... several k or even some 2 digit k of us$ / euro - depending on the actual name - might be a decent pain-compensation for "loosing" your domain and carry you further in your country than a stupid personal domain with nice email-addresses attached to it ;))

> I already know of two companies in different countries which have the very same name as I occasionally receive emails written to them on my catch-all email address

If they ever decide to do business in your country, expect them to want their name. They will probably take you and your registrar to court, but in the end, they will have to pay you for the name.

Domains don't cost a lot, but I would just take what they offer you, don't try to fleece them because you got there first.

I would look at another domain name as a fallback should any of this happen, but just keep in mind that it's a possibility.