When the Starker-Bucknell family created their personal news site, Starbuck Times, they had no idea their choice of domain, starbucks.co.uk, would spark a legal battle with the world’s biggest coffee chain. But after Starbucks discovered the site was posting negative content about it, a complaint was quickly filed. The domain was ruled to be an abuse of the Starbucks trademark and was promptly transferred to the corporation. This is just one of many cases that reveal how aggressively companies pursue valuable domain names.
In today’s digital economy, a domain name is often the first point of contact between a consumer and brand. A well chosen domain not only helps capture attention online, but also shapes perceptions and builds brand credibility. In this sense, a domain functions much like intellectual property. Premium domains attract organic traffic thanks to innate characteristics like age, character length, and extension type (.com,.net,.ai., etc) Their value is evident in what companies are willing to pay for them: Voice.com sold $30 million, 360.com for $17 million, and Hotels.com for $11 million. These prices underscore the critical role domain names play in a company’s long-term business strategy.
Although domain competition is often quiet, it can be fierce. In 2016, when Jeb Bush’s team failed to renew jebbush.com, Donald Trump’s team quickly took control and redirected it to Trump’s official website. The move not only diverted web traffic, but also damaged Bush’s credibility, making him appear careless and unprepared.
In the corporate world, domain manipulation has become a common tactic for exploiting established brands reputations. In Vietnam, domain names like bmw.com.vn, bmwmotorrad.vn, and bmw-motorrad.vn were secured by ‘cyber-squaters’ before BMW had a chance to claim them. While these registrants likely anticipated a cash offer, BMW pursued legal action. The company argued that the domains were registered in bad faith and infringed on its well known trademark. The defendant claimed ignorance of the brand’s global prestige and insisted that ‘BMW’ stood for ‘Be My Wife’. Ultimately, the courts ruled the domains were an act of unfair competition and transferred them to BMW.
Beyond domestic courts, domain name dispute resolution also takes place at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). There, the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) arbitrates conflict between trademark owners and domain name registrants. In 2024 alone, the WIPO handled 6,168 UDRP cases, including prominent complainants from companies like Lego, Carrefour, and Meta Platforms.
But domain names are not only a source of conflict. They are also strategic assets for forward looking companies looking to stand out in a crowded online space.
A recent example comes from Vietnam, where media startup GoVIP purchased the Go.vip domain for $14 million. The acquisition places it among the top 20 most valuable domains globally, a category typically dominated by major tech giants. As a young brand, GoVIP is leveraging its premium domain as the foundation of its digital strategy, with plans to turn it into a central online entertainment hub. Analysts see the purchase as a bold market entry and a clear signal of the company’s broader ambitions in the digital entertainment space.
The examples above show that domain names are far more than web addresses. They are legal battlegrounds, brand assets, and business investments. In a world where online presence drives success, owning the right domain is no longer optional. For any ambitious brand, managing domain strategy proactively is not just a detail, but the cornerstone of long-term prosperity.
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