Never let an employee register your firm domain name in their own name

Make sure your firm is the named registrant of your firm’s domain names.

This is just a friendly public service notice to all modest business owners out there.

I just finished reading a domain dispute regarding the domain name TexasCash.com.

The complainant, TCR Business Systems, alleged that the respondent registered the domain on its behalf when he was employed by TCR. The respondent disagrees with TCR’s allegations.

Regardless of who’s telling the truth here, I frequently see examples of:

1. An disgruntled ex-employee of a firm holding a domain hostage

2. A web design firm holding a domain hostage that it registered on behalf of a client

So here’s the message: don’t take any chances. If you own a modest business, register your key domain names yourself. Don’t let an employee do it, since they might register it in their own name — which gives them control of the domain. And please, please, don’t let your web design register a domain for you.