Anyone Dealt With Cybersquatters? Domain taken

[JeffTD]

So basically, the URL that would make most sense for my band to use would be http://www.thegoodage.com - it's already taken by GoDaddy, though. A whois search provided this info:

Domain Name: THEGOODAGE.COM
Registrar: GODADDY.COM, INC.
Whois Server: whois.godaddy.com
Referral URL: http://registrar.godaddy.com
Name Server: NS03.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server: NS04.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Status: clientRenewProhibited
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Updated Date: 31-may-2010
Creation Date: 30-may-2009
Expiration Date: 30-may-2011


The creation date is right around when our MySpace/Facebook started getting more activity, so I'm pretty positive it's a cybersquatter type case with them having purposefully bought the domain with the intent to charge us a shit ton for it after we decide we want it.


I've done a bit of searching online and have found some things about laws regarding cybersquatting, trademarking a name and getting a site back through those channels, and just buying it outright from GoDaddy, but everything seems to take legal fees/lawsuit filings or paying out the ass for the domain.

Has anyone dealt with this sort of thing, successfully or not? Really curious to see just how much work/money it would take to get that domain registered to us.

 

[006]

Kazrog I believe made somewhat of a living squatting on some domains, at least this was the case a year or two ago. He may have some insight on how to get around this.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

It's amazing how much some of them want for the domain name you want.

 

[Russtopher]

Given that it was registered via a proxy company to hide the personal data, you may be right on it being a squatter.

I've had clients attempt to purchase/take over names that were registered by suspected squatters, in the long run they almost always just ended up either buying the domains outright to avoid a lengthy fight, or picking another name. Unless you have a clear cut copyright to the name, it can be a real PITA to deal with trying to get a domain you feel should be rightfully yours.

If it were a case where you originally had the name, then it was swiped, you'd have a much easier chance of getting it back. Unfortunately in a case like this, if you really want that name, you may have to resort to making a bid on it via GoDaddy since you won't be able to track down who actually registered it.

Good luck!

 

[arv_foh]

you could always go with something like thegoodagemusic.com or thegoodageband.com if you can't find any way to get around the squatter

 

[JeffTD]

^^Thought about that, not sure if "thegoodageband.com" or just "thegoodage.net" would be a better choice. Paramore's is a .net because the .com is taken, at least it pops up on Google searches easily.

 

[Zack Uidl]

the .net is definitely a better choice

 

[AudioPhile777]

OR...

Take a song name, popular (or your favorite) lyric/theme from a song or overall concept that your band uses and run with that in dot com format.

When anyone searches for you, regardless of having the domain, it comes down to your SEO techniques to make it appear high in a search. You can have www.blahblahblahstupidnameftw.com and when someone searches The Good Age, that will be the #1 ranking... if you do it right...

Really it doesn't matter... appeal to who your fans are, or will be, and just run with something... have fun with it.