# What's the deal with domain names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703 "2010-10-19T21:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703/21 "2010-10-20T21:16:01Z")
One of my clients had a squatter register its company name as a domain name. The squatter overplayed his hand by also posting the company logo on the site. That gave the company lawyers enough ammunition for a trademark infringement lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703/22 "2010-10-20T22:30:34Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:17, topic:557703”] There are, unfortunately, a lot of profiteers doing this. I slipped up and failed to re-register one of my domain names by the deadline, and somebody like you snatched it up the day it expired and I had to buy it back from him for $500. I was thoroughly pissed off, but even though the domain name is [businessIown].com, it would have cost me more to buy a lawyer and sue the sonofabitch than it would have to just pay him off. I wouldn’t have been so angry if it was somebody with a similarly-named business in another state or country, or somebody that had an actual use for the site, but he was just in it to turn a few quick bucks every time somebody made a late payment. [/QUOTE] Well, if it is any consolation, I am not one of those people that were snatching up expired domains to make a quick buck. I was/am actually building a network of sites with a similar theme and was only grabbing names that would fit into my food-themed business model. As no one has requested to re-purchase anything I have grabbed, I don’t feel bad. However, a very good friend of mine – a well-known author – lost her _first-and-last-name_.com because she was traveling and didn’t see the renewal emails and the guy who grabbed it wants $10k for it. I feel very badly for the snatchers who do things like this. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703/23 "2010-10-20T22:57:18Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > I feel very badly for the snatchers who do things like this. Is this the way you meant to phrase it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703/24 "2010-10-20T23:10:53Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Is this the way you meant to phrase it? 😉 Ooops! No… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703/25 "2010-10-20T23:27:34Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > My name is relatively rare also. There are around 300 or 400 total in the U.S. If I had been named Smith I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to get it when I did. I’d be surprised if there were more than 40 with my last name in the world. All of them are in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703/26 "2010-10-20T23:49:30Z")
I own a four letter dot com that I’ve had for like ten years now. I registered it for a business idea that didn’t pan out but I like the name and still use it for email. I might take another shot at the same business before I croak. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-domain-names/557703.md?page=1)