In this article · 6 sections
Cybersquatting means registering a domain name that matches someone else's brand in bad faith: to sell it back at a high price, divert traffic to a competitor, show ads, or impersonate the business. Indian courts have recognised domain names as business identifiers protected under trademark and passing off principles.
Signs of cybersquatting
- A domain using your exact brand name or an obvious typo of it
- Registered soon after your launch, campaign or news coverage
- A parking page with ads, or redirection to a competitor
- An offer to sell you the domain at an inflated price
- A copy of your site used to collect payments. See fake website of my business
Step 1: Gather evidence
WHOIS record, screenshots, sale offers, your trademark registration or proof of earlier use. See evidence of online infringement and WHOIS lookup.
Step 2: Choose a route
| Route | Best for |
|---|---|
| Negotiation / purchase | Low-value cases, when cost and speed matter more than principle |
| INDRP (NIXI) | .in domains. See .in domain dispute |
| UDRP (e.g. WIPO) | .com and other gTLDs. See UDRP guide |
| Court action | Serious misuse, damages, urgent injunctions |
| Registrar / host complaints | Fraud, phishing, impersonation. See report phishing |
Step 3: Act quickly if customers are at risk
If the domain is used for fraud, report it to the host and registrar immediately, warn customers on your official channels, and report to cybercrime.gov.in.
Prevent it next time
- Register your main domain and key variations (.com, .in, hyphenated)
- Register your trademark. See trademark registration
- Keep domains on auto-renew; expired domains are often grabbed
FAQs
Is buying the domain from the squatter a bad idea?
Not always. It can be cheaper than a dispute, but it may encourage repeat behaviour.
What if they registered it before my business existed?
That usually isn't bad faith. Disputes may fail; consider negotiation or a different domain.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
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