Who Owns Your Domain Name?

Who owns your domain name?

The answer to this question should be simple: you. But unfortunately the obvious answer is not always the correct answer.

If you personally went online to Network Solutions, GoDaddy or some other registrar, and followed the steps to secure your domain name, you can stop reading now. But if your web developer or even one of your company's employees obtained your domain name for you, or you got your domain name too many years ago to remember, then you might want to verify that you own the name.*

Unfortunately, ignorant or unscrupulous developers can and do register domain names in their own names, rather than their clients' names. At the very least, if something happens and the developer goes out of business, it can be difficult to gain control of your name. At worst, if you decide to part ways with the developer and the parting is not amicable, they might hold your domain name ransom. When you have built your brand around your website, either scenario is a nightmare. Be especially wary when it comes to "free" domain names, which are often registered in the name of the person creating the site.

So how to check? There are a number of domain name registries - "whois servers" - that you can access online. Try who.is, or Network Solutions, to see the contents of your domain name record. The domain record will list the Registrant - which should be you. Verify that the address, phone number and email address shown for the Registrant are also yours.

You will also see the Administrative, Technical and Billing Contacts. Those named as contacts should be trusted individuals as well, since they have the ability to make changes to the record. The entity named as Billing Contact has the responsibility to ensure that your domain name renewal fee is paid on time, or you can lose your domain name regardless of who is on record as the Registrant. If your web developer is handling your domain name for you, it makes sense for her name to be listed as Contacts.

If you find that anyone other than you owns your domain name, now is not too soon to contact them and request that the situation be resolved. If you do run into a problem getting control of your domain name, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN.org) has a number of dispute resolution policies that can help.

* (Actually you are only licensing the name, but that's a topic for another article!)