Your domain name is more than just an address and a means of directing your online consumers to your products and services. Rather, it is arguably a major part of your brand’s identity and overall intellectual property portfolio. This is to say you must think legally, strategically, and practically when choosing the right online domain name for your business. And so, please read on to discover what considerations to make before setting up an online domain name and how a seasoned New Jersey domain name dispute lawyer at The Ingber Law Firm can help you monitor yours in the time that follows.
As a business owner, what should I consider before setting up an online domain name?
Simply put, choosing the wrong online domain name can expose you to potential trademark disputes and cybersquatting claims. So, first things first, you must execute your due diligence in researching your intended domain name and ensuring it is not the same or closely similar to an existing one with legal protection. Rest assured, your lawyer may help you confirm this, along with assisting you through the entire formal trademark registration process for yours.
But before registering your online domain name, you should reflect on whether it truly matches your already-registered trademarks and your signature products and services. Doubling down on your business’s identity with this legal protection may better prevent your brand from being diluted and your consumers from being misled by competitors and impersonators.
Also, before filing for registration, you should consider registering for variations and misspellings of your online domain name. This is smart because impersonators may deliberately register for these variations and misspellings to exploit your business and confuse your prospective online consumers. This is legally referred to as typosquatting.
Lastly, you should understand that your legal business name does not automatically give you rights to a matching online domain name. One step further, legally acquiring a .com domain does not automatically mean you are registered for .net, .org, or .us. Therefore, registering multiple related domains is in your best interest to strengthen your online presence and deter copycats.
How can I watch out for the use of my domain name in the long term?
Even though you may have pulled out all the stops, so to speak, to register your online domain name legally, it is not guaranteed that you will not run into issues with it in the future. In other words, infringers and impersonators may always be lurking. For this reason, you may look into employing domain monitoring services or tools that notify you when similar or infringing domains are registered. Also, you may want to set up personal reminders and alerts when the time comes close to renewing your domain name, so there is no lapse in your legal ownership.
While we understand that you may not want to deal with any of this right now, it must be addressed for your sake and your business’s well-being. So please allow a competent Essex County, New Jersey intellectual property lawyer from The Ingber Law Firm to make this legal process less burdensome for you overall. We will be happy to help and give you much-needed relief.