Take this advice before it’s too late.
Businesses routinely hire web developers, design agencies, or IT firms to build and manage their websites. But too often the domain name—one of the most valuable digital assets a company owns—is registered in the contractor’s name or held under the contractor’s control. When those relationships end, the results can be disruptive, expensive, and legally messy.
A recent lawsuit involving women’s fashion label Bronx and Banco illustrates the problem. The company alleges that after it decided to move to a new development partner, the prior web developer cut off access to the brand’s primary domains, email, and back-office systems. Bronx and Banco claims the developer retained control of BronxandBanco.com and the .com.au version of the name, making critical services inaccessible to the business during a transition.
To make matters worse, one of the domains is reportedly being offered for sale on a marketplace for a multimillion-dollar price. The lawsuit further suggests confusion about who actually owned the domain outright, with the developer purportedly telling the company the domain had been part of a lease-to-own arrangement through a broker rather than being registered directly to the business.
Some specifics of the dispute remain unclear from the plaintiff’s initial filings, and every situation is unique. But the core lesson is straightforward and broadly applicable: register and control your domain names and related accounts in the name of your company from the start. That simple step prevents a contractor from leveraging essential online assets if the business relationship sours or the vendor disappears.
Here are practical steps to protect your domain and digital operations:
- Register domains in the business name. Use an email address controlled by the company, not an individual contractor’s account.
- Keep administrative contact information up to date. Maintain access to the domain registrar account or use a central corporate account managed by internal staff or a trusted third party under a written agreement.
- Maintain records. Save registration receipts, invoices, and transfer authorization emails so you can prove ownership and the history of account administration if questions arise.
- Use business payment methods. Pay registration and renewal fees with a company credit card or corporate account to create an audit trail tied to the business.
- Separate hosting, email, and back-office logins. Ensure your company controls hosting, DNS, email systems, and any backend tools independently of the developer’s personal accounts.
- Document roles in writing. Put responsibilities, access, and transfer procedures into your contract with developers, including specific provisions for domain ownership and how transfers will be handled at project completion or termination.
- Prepare a transfer plan. Keep authorization codes and know the registrar’s transfer process so you can move domains quickly if needed.
Losing access to a domain can have serious consequences: interruption of email and customer communications, damage to search engine rankings, loss of sales, and brand confusion. The Bronx and Banco case demonstrates how a dispute over digital property can escalate into litigation and public dispute—costs that can often be avoided with a few preventive steps during onboarding.
If you already suspect a problem—such as not having control of your registrar account or seeing your primary domain listed for sale—take action quickly. Start by gathering documentation proving your business’s interest in the name (trademarks, business registrations, invoices, and correspondence). Contact the registrar with your ownership evidence and consult legal counsel experienced in intellectual property and domain disputes to explore remedies, which can include transfer requests, registrar disputes, or litigation in more extreme cases.
Ultimately, treating domain names and digital accounts as corporate assets and handling them through formalized processes protects your business continuity and reputation. Make domain ownership an explicit part of your onboarding checklist for any digital vendor: it’s a small administrative step that can prevent large headaches later.