Someone registered a domain like my brand name: what can I do?

First, check what the site is doing

Not every similar domain is a problem. Look at what's actually there: a parked page, a site for an unrelated business, a copy of your site, a fake login or checkout, or a page selling the domain. What it's used for decides your best route.

If it's phishing or impersonation: report abuse

• Find the registrar and host with a WHOIS or RDAP lookup.
• Send each one an abuse report with screenshots, the URL, and how the site impersonates you.
• If the site is behind a content delivery network, use that network's abuse form too; it forwards reports to the host.
• Report the page to Google Safe Browsing so browsers warn visitors.
• In the UK, report scam websites to the National Cyber Security Centre's suspicious website service.

To get the domain: UDRP or Nominet's DRS

For generic domains such as .com, .net and many newer endings, the UDRP lets you ask an approved provider to transfer or cancel the domain. You need to show the domain is identical or confusingly similar to a mark you have rights in, the holder has no legitimate interest in it, and it was registered and is being used in bad faith.

For .uk domains, Nominet runs its own Dispute Resolution Service. You need rights in a name that's identical or similar to the domain, and to show the domain is an abusive registration in the holder's hands. The process starts with a mediation stage; if that doesn't resolve it, you can pay for an independent expert decision. Check Nominet's site for current fees.

Both processes cost less and move faster than going to court, but neither awards damages.

Spot them early

Every website using HTTPS needs a certificate, and publicly trusted certificates are recorded in certificate transparency logs. That means new lookalike domains often show up within hours of going live, well before they rank anywhere or start sending emails. Watching those logs for your name is one of the cheapest early warnings you can set up.

Which route to use

• Phishing, fake checkouts or impersonation: report abuse to the registrar and host today, then think about the domain itself.
• A clone of your site under a new name: report copied content to the host, and consider UDRP or the DRS to take the domain.
• A parked domain or one listed for sale: watch it, and use UDRP or the DRS if there's evidence of bad faith, such as offering it to you at a high price.
• A legitimate business with a similar name in another market: usually leave it, unless it starts targeting your customers.

How Infringement Ninja helps

Infringement Ninja checks certificate transparency logs for new domains that resemble your brand, opens each one to see whether it's parked, phishing or a clone of your site, and drafts the abuse report for the registrar and host.