With clever (and even not-so-clever) names for websites disappearing faster than you can say "Internet Start-Up," e-entrepreneurs need to know that their choice won't be whisked out from under their ISPs.
This book explains in plain English how to choose, register and protect a domain name that works. Written both for those shepherding an existing business onto the Web and those launching an e-commerce start-up, it explains how to:
* check on the availability of a domain name and register it * check the trademark status of a domain name * register a domain name electronically with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office * determine your rights as the owner of a domain name * proceed if a desirable domain name has already been snagged
Bursting with up-to-date information, including the latest on federal anti-cybersquatting legislation, Domain Names includes a sample dispute notification letter and a sample domain-name sales agreement. Be king of your domain name with this user-friendly guide!
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Valuable Book Comment: Some inventors and entrepreneurs may have become gun-shy about utilizing the Internet to promote their products after the collapse of more than 100 dot-coms and the disappearance of 40,000 dot-com jobs in 2000. However, the fact remains that the Internet has become a powerful business tool not only for "new economy" companies but also for "old economy" companies. This book provides the basis for making informed decisions for selecting, maintaining, and using domain names to promote your product or service.
The authors immediately make the point that "Choosing a name, or more than one, for your web site is no trivial matter -- your decisions can make or break your business". They offer as proof as to the value of a good domain name the fact that one such name, just the name itself, sold for $7.5 million!
The book details how and where to register your domain names. Network Solutions Inc. (NSI), is the current dominant register, but others are listed and their web addresses given. It is vital to be the "senior user", i.e., the first to actually use the name. This applies to any domain name and in particular to when your name is also a trademark. It is also vital that your name be distinctive and that it avoids confusing customers by its spelling or by the sound of the name. The authors quote George Eastman's famous advise about name selection -- "Be short, be vigorous, be easily spelled, and mean nothing". They note U.S. trademark laws specify six types of names that cannot be used. One such category consists of names that "contain immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter".
If you wish to sell or buy a domain name, the book provides a domain name transfer agreement form. A chart is given that lists the various factors to be considered if you discover someone is using your name or an excessively similar name.
You must be alert to "cybersquatting". That is others using your trademark as a domain name. In 1999, Congress passed a law against such bad-faith use of names.
In about l5 minutes, you can now search the U.S. Patent and Trademark database for registered or pending trademarks. The book gives directions and screen images of this site. A great deal of time, money, and grief may be avoided by making this simple trademark search. The book also lists other sites, such as www.thomasregister.com, for currently used commercial names.
Always remember that the "likelihood of confusion" is often the key ingredient in trademark hassles. Many court decisions have been made in this area, but it is still a gray area in some cases. The authors devote a full chapter as to how to register your domain name as a trademark in the U.S. Patent Office. Having a registered trademark is a powerful position to be in if a legal dispute arises.
Another chapter, "Help Beyond This Boo"," provides information as to where to go to do legal research regarding federal laws. It also provides advice for finding a lawyer who is competent with regard to trademarks and who is respectful, honest, and conscientious. Uncontrolled "billable hours" can ruin you financially. Read this section well.
The book's appendix contains a complete listing and explanation of the 42 classes into which trademarks are divided. Also, several pages detail how recorded computer software now is assigned to various classes.
In common with other Nolo publications, this book does a superb job of explaining, in plain English, the practical and legal aspects of the subject. This book will not make you into a domain name lawyer, it does not claim to, but reading it may save you a lot of grief down the road.
Customer Rating: Summary: Very Useful Book that Saves $$$ Comment: I think this book is worth every penny. It helped me to find best sites and deals on domain names. It also taught me how to protect my trademark and keep all my whois info private. I've learned so much about domain registrars. Choose the registrar which is right for you! I would like you not to make my mistakes.I had a pretty bad experience with GoDaddy. Yes, they seem to be cheap but then u discover hidden hooks and fees and need to pay extra $$$ :(((( I just transferred my domain to http://mapname.com for $6.85..And for this price I've got Free URL forwarding, Free Unlimited private emails, Free Private POP3 email box, Free Dynamic IP support, Free Spam protection.... They have private registration for free..I wonder why I've paid extra $9 to Godaddy ? Anyways, be sure to read tips and hints in this book(they are marked) Good luck with your domains! Customer Rating: Summary: OK for Small Businesses Comment: A better title for this book would be "How to Choose an OK Name for a Small Business."
As another reviewer noted, this book was written by lawyers, who seem to know more about law than marketing. Consequently, the marketing advice is rather basic, but correct in my opinion. This is exceptional considering all the bad advice out there on domain names.
But if you are a small business, you don't need a great domain name, and it's not cost effective for you to spend thousands of dollars or many hours choosing a great name. An OK name with no trademark problems will do for most basement, small and garage businesses.
Written by lawyers, this book has good trademark advice. If you are looking for marketing advice for a larger business, look at "The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding" by marketing expert Al Ries, "How to Select & Buy an Elite Domain Name" or other books on branding.
Customer Rating: Summary: Worth the $20 Comment: This was the second book (there are only two in print) I bought in my quest to understand the domain name business. It does provide some useful information on coming up with your own domain name and it does provide lots of info on trademark considerations in choosing a domain name. It is primarily for the trademark considerations that I give it the three star rating. While the Ronan's book on Domain Names (The Domain Name Handbook; High Stakes and Strategies in Cyberspace by Ellen Rony, Peter R. Rony) does a nice job on covering trademark history, this book does a better job from a "How-to" point of view, which is not surprising since it is published by an interesting publishing house, Nolo, which puts out lots of how-to law books. I expect to order more of these.
By my read, about 55 pages of the book are clearly related to domain names. The rest of the book is more related to trademark considerations. It's almost as if they took a book on trademarks and modified it and added the pages on domain names.
Since, if you screw up on a trademark factor with even a single domain name registration, it could cost you at least the $16 or less cost of a name registration, this book's $20 cost is well worth the investment and time persuing its detailed trademark coverage, to prevent running into trademark problems.
Rob Kall, author, domainnamereport
Customer Rating: Summary: TERRIBLE , inaccurate, and misguided. Comment: This book was written by a couple bored lawyers, who know as much about domain names as I know about law. Funny, but you don't see me writing a book on law. Everyone thinks they are an expert, but these two will have a hard time convincing you of that if you waste your money to read their almost amusingly misleading advice.
