Domain Name Ownership Rights
Domain names can be registered with the US Domain Registry. This is overseen by the nonprofit entity, "The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers."
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Identification
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Websites are found by their domain names. First-level domains designate the type of entity to be found at that address. For example, ".com" is descriptive of a commercial enterprise while ".org" signifies a nonprofit organization.
History
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Network Solutions Inc., was in charge of assigning second-level domain names until 1999. After 1999, the US Domain Registry provided the same service.
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Considerations
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In 1999 Congress passed the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, which attempts to prevent people from maliciously buying and holding domain names that would obviously belong to someone else.
Warning
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Because domain name registry is done on a first-come, first-serve basis, the website BitLaw cautions that disputes--often due to trademark rights--are common.
Fun Fact
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As detailed on the BitLaw website, when the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) went to register with their acronym, they discovered that it was already owned by a group called "People Eating Tasty Animals."
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit adress bar image by Wiktor Osiecki from Fotolia.com
