What to Do If the Domain Name You Want Is Taken
You may find that someone else has snapped up the domain name of your dreams. Here are your options.
So you have a great idea for a domain name. It will make you millions and be the beacon by which an unprecedented amount of Internet commerce flows your way. You're excited. You go to a domain name registrar to perform a domain name search and, you guessed it, the name you want is already taken. What now? Don't worry, you have choices.
1. Use .net, .org, .biz, .info
If you're like most businesses, you want .com at the end of your domain name. But as you may have surmised by now, many .com names are unavailable. However, the same choices may be available with another suffix. Some domain name registrars will even prompt you with the .net, .biz, .info or .org choices after they tell you that your .com choice is unavailable. However, read the caution note below to learn about the dangers of using a different suffix with a name that is already a .com name.
2. Change the Name Slightly
A domain name is reported as not available only if the exact name is already taken. For instance, if an availability search tells you that madprophet.com is already taken, you may find that "mad-prophet.com" or "madprophets.com" is available. If you are not wed to the exact form of your first proposed domain name, you can experiment with minor variations until you find an acceptable name that is available. But read the warning just below for reasons to use caution when taking this approach.
| Slight Changes to a Name Can Spell Trouble |
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The fact that a slightly different name is available, or that a name is not available as .com, but is available as .net, .biz, .info or .org, doesn't necessarily mean that you can or should use it. Using a domain name very similar to an existing one may result in trademark infringement -- the violation of someone's trademark rights. If you infringe someone's trademark, a court might order you to stop using the name and pay money damages to the other domain name owner. For more, see Avoid Trademark Infringement When You Choose a Domain Name.
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