Taking Domains Offshore is a False Hope: Panel
Legal panel at DOMAINfest Global states think twice ahead of moving your domain names or forming your business offshore.
Derek Newman
Tuesday afternoon at DOMAINfest Global in Los Angeles, a panel of lawyers suggested that moving domain names to offshore registrars or forming your domain firm offshore may not be the panacea it seems. In fact, Derek Newman of Newman & Newman stated you may actually be hurting yourself by setting up an offshore corporation to hold your domain names.
Newman stated that firms — and often times judges — assume that you’re trying to hide something if you set your domain names up in an offshore firm. This may also apply to moving your domains to an offshore domain registrar.
Other lawyers on the panel generally agreed. They stated that just since your domain names are in an offshore firm or at an offshore domain name registrar doesn’t mean you are outside of United States’ jurisdiction.
Here are some things to think regarding:
1. Is your web host or server based in the United States?
2. Does your domain name parking firm have a presence in the U.S.?
3. If your domain parking firm is outside the U.S., does it use a U.S.-based ad feed such as Google or Yahoo?
