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Part 1  Introduction

Domain name registration

Most companies own several domains, for different product lines or countries or for specific 

marketing campaigns. Domain name disputes can arise when an individual or company has 

registered

 a domain name which another company claims they have the right to. This is 

sometimes referred to as ‘cybersquatting’.

Managers or agencies responsible for websites need to check that domain names are 

automatically renewed by the hosting company (as most are today). For example, the .co.uk 

domain must be renewed every two years. Companies that don’t manage this process poten-

tially risk losing their domain name since another company could potentially register it if the 

domain name lapsed.

Mini case study 3.3 shows one example of the value of domains and the need to protect 

them (which we examine in more detail in Chapter 4).