DOMAIN NAMES

• What is a domain name?
• Why do I need to register a domain name?
• How will I be able to tell if my desired domain
  name is already taken?
• What if my desired name is the same as a trademarked name?
• Where can I learn more about trademark issues?
• How do I choose a good domain name?
• What are the valid characters for a domain name?
• Why are some domain names "On Hold"?
• Why can't I register for a domain that has already expired?
  

DNS AND DOMAIN PARKING

• What is DNS?
• What is domain parking?
  

POST REGISTRATION

• I have registered a domain name, now what?
• Once I have a domain name secured, for how long may I keep it?
• Why doesn't my domain show up in a WHOIS search? 
• I already have a web site at http://www.yourispcompany.com/~youruserid
  Can I point my domain to it?
  

DOMAIN RESTRICTIONS

• What are the restrictions for registering domain names?
  
  

A domain name can serve many purposes on the Internet, but generally it allows people to find your homepage on the Internet and to send you email. Each domain name is assigned to a numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address by a hosting provider. Since most people tend to remember names better than numbers, the Internet (through the use of DNS servers) translates the domain name into its corresponding IP address.

Why do I need to register a domain name?

Most Internet providers offer you a directory for a web page, and usually an email address under their domain name. Most of the time, they look like this: 

sean@yourisp.net, and...

http://www.yourispcompany.net/~sean

In addition to having to explain the little squiggle mark (~ which is actually called a tilde) and explaining this long address to your less net-savvy customers, it can be very hard to fit an address like this on a business card. Plus it is less professional than having your own domain name, and not brandable at all. Registering a domain name for your business or organization is essential to your marketing efforts. A domain name gives your business a unique identity on the Internet.

How will I be able to tell if my desired domain name is already taken?

Before registering a domain name, you will have to perform an availability search to see if your desired domain name is in fact available. If the domain search request returns without a match, you will be able to register that domain name.

What if my desired name is the same as a trademarked name?

Generally, if you've registered the name in good faith, it's not a name belonging to an internationally known company, and you can show that you have a legitimate reason to use that name, you will likely be able to keep that name. That may not be the case if it can be shown that you purchased the name for the express purpose of re-selling it to a company with a legitimate claim to the name.

Where can I learn more about trademark issues?

Here is a list of web sites that will be able to help you learn more about trademark and copyright issues:

Copyright Act (Canada)
US Patent And Trademark Office
Copyright Act (US)

How do I choose a good domain name?

Choose a name that reflects the intent and purpose of your web site or business. Try to keep it short and snappy, and say it out loud, as if you were telling someone at a party to visit your web page. Some domain names may look good on paper, but are confusing when you try to direct someone to it over the phone. Keep in mind the image that it conjures. Your domain name will be one of the ways people recognize or evaluate their choices of sites for their interests when they are searching via Yahoo or other search engines. When facing a large number of choices, the snappiest domain sometimes grabs the most attention.

What are the valid characters for a domain name?

The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and a hyphen "-". Other special characters like the underscore "_" or an exclamation mark "!" are NOT permitted.

Example: your name.com (incorrect - no spaces allowed)
Example: your-name.com (is correct)

A domain name can be up to 67 characters long -- including the 4 characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.NET, .COM, .ORG, or .EDU). 

Why are some domain names "On Hold"?

When searching the WHOIS database, a domain name may sometimes show a status of "On Hold" if a.) payment for the domain is not current, b.) the domain name is involved in a trademark dispute, or c.) the domain is pending server activation.