The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) has claimed that cybercriminals will go to any lengths to divert Web traffic to their sites, adding that cybersquatting is one of their most commonly-used tactics.
According to the ICA, in many cases, particularly when generic domain names are concerned, cybersquatters can be difficult to take to task.
However, Inc.com said there a number of things that website owners can do to reduce their risk of becoming a victim of cybersquatting.
At the top of Inc.com’s protective strategy list to trademark your business name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
San Francisco attorney Richard Stim told the news provider: “There are two ways you can have a trademark: it can be registered or unregistered. Having it listed in the government registry is the right way to go.”
However, he noted that the number of successful domain name trademark disputes is relatively small when compared to the size of the domain name market.
Recently, a Pennsylvania plumber became embroiled in a cybersquatting case after registering domain names containing the names of rival firms.