Domains - Who Owns What?

It's a popular question, and it has an uncomplicated answer.

Specifically referring to Net Visuals customers, as I can't speak for other businesses and their practice, we adopt industry standard registration.

Registration Of New Domains
When you ask us to register and manage a domain name for you, we register the domain to your personal care or to your business as required. The domain name registered, on completion of payment, becomes your registered property for the duration you register it, such as 2 years which is normal and up to 10 years in some cases.

Regardless of location, or detail stored in the domain name registration records the domain name that you have registered and paid for is your property until expiry.

Exceptions
There are only two exceptions to this registration ruling. If you have registered a domain name and not paid for it, the ownership falls into the hands of the business who has paid for it, so until full payment is received from the date of renewal the domain name belongs to your registrar. Net Visuals, or any business, subject to terms and conditions and continued non-receipt of payment can take ownership of the domain and even sell it, although this is unlikely to happen within a 6 month period with Net Visuals, other businesses may not be so lenient.

The second exception, when you have registered a domain name which is someone elses brand, business or trade mark you may be liable to a dispute from the respective brand or business owner and lose the domain name without compensation. In real terms you cannot register a business name that already exists, the same applies to online registered companies and trade marks, its one and the same.

Domain Name Transfers
Just as we can transfer your domain names to other providers at any time, and normally without charge, you can also transfer domain names into us to manage for you. We encourage our customers to register and manage domains through us, so that they are automatically renewed on expiry, but also to keep everything in one place, its much more efficient to remember one number and one password, rather than half a dozen services by different providers.

In conclusion then, all domain names registered by Net Visuals on behalf of you or your business belongs to you or your business, and while they are paid for and do not constitute a copyright or trademark infringement, then it remains your property for as long as you renew it.

This is a legally binding statement and can be referred to with regard to your domain names.