Please need some advice

[SimpleDomaining]

hello. i will try to explain this as short as possible. i have never done this before, but i need to.
here is a situation. we have a registered in USA company, which will extremly grow/become famouse within next 3-4 months. and there is a same (company) name .com domain registered in canada and parked. that name is not a dictionary word and not common (there is only 800 links in google search using this exact name). name is not trademarked, but that company name was used since 1994. i think the reason why .com is parked is confusingly similar keywords with another .com domain which is 800,000 links and up in variations in google.
now the question is, if our company have a chanse or eligible to obtain this domain, if we own .us version of it?and if yes, what is the best way do this and how much it will cost? and when is better to try to do it, now or after company will grow?
p.s. same company name com.mx is some mexican company doing almost same job and .net is used in europe (other company).
whould appretiate any advice.
thanks.

 

[Ronald Regging]

Yes you have a chance of obtaining it, by offering to buy it from the owner... Other than that, you probably have no rights to it.

 

[RegisterRants]

I say that you should offer the domain to them as a goodfaith gesture. If you are lucky they will tell you that you can keep it. If not...well...at least you aren't in a lawsuit.

Just my two cents.

 

[Ronald Regging]

I think he's asking how he can obtain the .com, because he operates a site with the .us extension and wants the .com.

 

[SimpleDomaining]

yes, i need/have to/must get that .com.

 

[RegisterRants]

Unless you have a trademark, you have to buy it from the owner. They will probably inflate the price by at least 5000%.

 

[SimpleDomaining]

Unless you have a trademark, you have to buy it from the owner. They will probably inflate the price by at least 5000%.

that is why i was asking should i do it now, or after every american will know about this company.
thanks for answer.

 

[Ronald Regging]

Do you really even need to ask that?

I'd just send them an email saying that you are looking at a few possible domains for a project you're working on and were wondering if the domain was for sale and how much they'd want for it. Maybe you can get a decent deal.

Or maybe it's not for sale. You never know. If they don't seem interested in selling, you may be better off just acquiring another .com domain to start your site under, because a .us will not be great.

 

[Dave_Z]

Just try to buy it. You never know.

However, don't expect you'll be able to get that domain name just like that.
You do have other options.

I know of one internet marketer who paid a fortune to get a one-word domain
name from its registrant that time. And he aims to make up for it for his biz.

 

[SimpleDomaining]

Do you really even need to ask that?

yes i need to ask. because i believe that big and credible and over 10 years old company, who does business and needs that domain would look better in judges eyes than a company, who just makes money on parking it to get a revenue because of typein traffic from another .com.

 

[zenlogo]

acquiring extensions

Yes Gugush, do a 'who is' search of the name:
http://www.allwhois.com
The administrator's e-mail will be listed. Send a polite offer to purchase... you might start with a proposed offer of $500. If you really feel your company is going to be famous in 3 mos., then definately try to acquire the major extensions now.
good luck, zen

 

[Ronald Regging]

yes i need to ask. because i believe that big and credible and over 10 years old company, who does business and needs that domain would look better in judges eyes than a company, who just makes money on parking it to get a revenue because of typein traffic from another .com.

To be honest it doesnt really matter how old and credible your company is... If the owner of the .com owned the domain before you, and before you established a TM for that name, he has every right to it as long as he isn't infringing on your mark. You can't come along after the fact, create a site on a .us after all the other extensions are taken and then try to essentially steal the .com based on your perceived "need" for the .com. It just doesn't work that way, it's considered reverse-hijacking. Unless you have an old and credible TM, you have no legal rights to the domain.

So you can offer to buy it now when the owner doesnt know about your supposed "extremely popular upcoming site", or you can wait until your site is successful and then probably pay 100X the price. Or like I mentioned before, find a new .com.

 

[VirtualT]

Unless you have an old and credible TM, you have no legal rights to the domain.

even then, if the domain is developed and you can't prove bad faith, your chances are probably not good of reverse hijacking the name

 

[labrocca]

My advice...make a contact to see if you can buy it. Don't make ANY offer. Just ask if it's for sale. Also if you can't obtain the .com...get a different one you can afford. If you really want to launch a very successful site imho you need the .com.

Every day I am more and more convinced it's the holy grail of extensions. Yeah you can get by with less but to have .com is the ultimate. It may be worth it to search Sedo or Afternic looking for a desirable name. You can always redirect your .us domain.