Cybersquatting is registering a domain with someone else's brand name to sell it, commit fraud, or hijack traffic.
Domain Protection Strategy
- Register key zones: .com, .net, .org plus country TLDs
- Register common misspellings of your brand
- Register a trademark — essential for UDRP disputes
UDRP Procedure
UDRP is ICANN's domain dispute resolution policy. To win, you must prove:
- The domain is identical or confusingly similar to your trademark
- The registrant has no legitimate rights to the domain
- The domain was registered and is being used in bad faith
💡 Rule of thumb: Registering 10 defensive domains (~$100/year) always costs less than a UDRP procedure ($1,000–1,500).