Let us consider the following situation for better understanding of the problems.
You’ve spent years and a lot of money building your business’s brand. But what if I told you that someone could erase a lot of that progress by buying a $10 domain that looks similar to yours? And to make matters worse, what if they threaten to ruin your brand name if you don’t agree to buy the imposter domain from them? This scenario describes a tactic known as cybersquatting.
But what is cybersquatting and how can you protect your organization from it? In this article, we’ll cover:
What cybersquatting is,
What the different types of cybersquatting are, and
How to prevent cybersquatting.
Let's first discuss the definition part.
Cybersquatting, also known as domain squatting, is the practice of registering a domain name that resembles a well-known organization or person without their authorization. Domain registrant buys the domain in bad faith, typically with the goal of making a profit from the person or organization’s goodwill or causing reputational harm to them.
There are three main components of cybersquatting definition.
1. The Domain Name Is Identical or Confusingly Similar to A Registered Trademark
2. The Domain Is Obtained in Bad Faith
3. The Registrant Has No Apparent or Legitimate Interest in the Domain Name
Now that we know what cybersquatting is in a general sense, let’s explore the eight different types of cyberquatting.
1. Typosquatting
2. TLDs Exploitation Cybersquatting
3. Gripe Sites Cybersquatting
4. Look-Alike Domain Cybersquatting
5. Misleading Subdomain Cybersquatting
6. Celebrity Name Cybersquatting
7. Expiration Date Exploitation Cybersquatting
8. Homograph Attacks
We discuss each one in a separate article on the following weeks. Now we will move on to the prevention steps.
1 Register Your Business’s Trademark as Soon as Possible
2 Make a Small Investment By Buying Your Domain with Other Prominent TLDs
3 Communicate with the Cybersquatting Domain Owner
The above mentioned steps are only for the domain owner but how the user will recognize these type of malicious activities. The following steps are helps the user to recognize those Cybersquatting sites.
1. Double-Check the Spelling of the Website to Avoid Typosquatting
2. Keep an Eye on the Website’s Appearance
3. Look For the Padlock Sign
Before deciding a business/brand name, most entrepreneurs check whether the domain name of their desired brand is available in the market. They also check whether any domain names are already registered that match their proposed business name.
However, for an existing business, it’s not easy or feasible to simply start fresh with a new brand name. If you find any domain that appears to be infringing your copyright or trademark, and if the domain registrar’s intentions seem fishy, you might be a victim of cybersquatting. You’ll want to speak to a legal professional to find out what your options are in this situation.
Thank you for Reading!!!!!