HOLDING A DOMAIN NAME DOES NOT AFFORD LEGAL PROTECTION OR TRADEMARK RIGHTS

Your online “store” is an extension of your brand and a source for purchasing your products and services. The location of your online business is your domain name or web address. Domain name registration is administered by a variety of private online companies. However, domain names differ from trademarks. Registering a domain name provides a business no legal protection nor with the exclusive right to use the name. In fact, using a domain name that is the same as or confusingly similar to a registered trademark constitutes trademark infringement. It is the trademark registration that provides the rights in the business name or brand, not the registration of its website address.