A large number of people wonder whether a domain name is owned by the registrant, administrator or the registrar. It is natural for any internet user or ecommerce player to ask such questions, it’s only the domain name that protects your business’s interests on the internet. Loss of the domain, for example, can be a big blow to any organization that depends on its online presence. Read on to learn some of the most important facts about domain ownership.
A domain name is registered with one of the many domain registrars on the internet. These private organizations are authorized to register domains of millions of individuals and organizations from around the globe. After you register the domain, it becomes to you until the date of expiry. In other words, you are the temporary owner of the domain until you continue to register it.
You own the domain name as long as it is registered.
At the time of registering a new domain, you are asked to provide the names of registrant and administrator. It is the registrant who has the full authority over a domain name. An administrator is the person or authority that can make required chances to domain settings and nothing more. Full rights of the domain are with the registrant. Just make sure that you re-register the domain name before its expiry date. You will receive a number of reminders on your email id about the expiry date of your domain name.
Domain registrar does not own your domain name.
If you are dissatisfied with your domain registrar company for one reason or the other, you can just transfer your domain to someone else. It does not take a very long time to do so unless you have just registered a new domain. In that case you may need to wait well over 8 weeks to transfer a registered domain name to a new registrar. Most domain registrar companies charge a fee (usually less that the cost of registering a new domain name) from the domain registrant for transferring a domain name. Since a domain registrar has no right to keep a domain registered with itself if a domain registrant thinks otherwise, it is easy to understand that it’s only the domain registrant who has the full authority in such cases.
It is always a good idea to go through the Domain Registration Agreement. This agreement is usually present in the terms of service. A domain name is crucial for any online enterprise and there is no reason why you should have any doubts about its real ownership. Carefully go through the Domain Registration Agreement and find out if any clauses restrict your rights over the domain name. It is always a good idea to register domains with popular domain registrars. These companies have built a reputation for themselves by offering commendable services year after year. The best way to avoid any domain related issues is to associate to a reliable company.