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Legally, do you really own your domain name? Or does it belong to the host? I ‘ve recently created a website and I have struggle finding the answer to this, because I want my domain to be mine not to belong to third parties. How can I know who owns it?

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3 Answers

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You own the domain name as long as you continue to pay your registration fees (often yearly), you will continue to own it.

However, if you have someone else--such as a web developer or hosting provider--register it for you, things can get a bit murkier. What is your contract with the provider? Even if they register it on your behalf, I have heard a few horror stories about people who have had trouble getting the host to transfer the domain to a new host, or to the guy paying their bills.

If someone registered the domain name before you, then you don't own it at all; they do. If you think they are infringing on your legal rights to that name, you can file a claim against them, but you'll need a lawyer to do so.

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Who.is will let you know who knows your domain, when it was registered, and when the ownership expires.

Type the url who.is and check your site's status.

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Well, I guess this will help.

Do you have a website? And does it have its own web address (something like "www.YourCompany.com")? If you didn't personally register that web address, you should check to make sure you're really the legal owner of it.

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