Intellectual Property Law · European Union
Take Your Name Back From Cybersquatters
Someone has registered a domain using your brand, your name or a close misspelling — to sell it back to you, divert your customers or damage your reputation. We match you, free of charge, with a vetted intellectual property lawyer who recovers domains from bad-faith registrants.
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Who this is for
Cybersquatting is not a nuisance — it is a deliberate attempt to profit from your name
Cybersquatting is the bad-faith registration of a domain name that is identical or confusingly similar to a trade mark, business name or personal name belonging to someone else, typically with the intention of selling the domain back at an inflated price, diverting traffic or blocking the legitimate owner from using it. It often takes subtle forms: a near-misspelling of your brand, a domain registered the moment your company name was announced, or a string of variations bought to hold your online presence hostage. Because domain registration is cheap, fast and global, squatters can act on a scale and at a speed that legitimate businesses rarely anticipate. Recovery usually proceeds through a UDRP-style administrative complaint or, in some cases, court proceedings under trade mark or unfair competition law, and the key to success is proving bad faith — evidence that is time-sensitive and best preserved by a lawyer who acts quickly.
Why squatters keep the upper hand
They registered in minutes.
Recovering the name takes a proper case.
Cybersquatters count on you not knowing the right procedure, not having the right evidence, or simply giving up and paying.
Paying the ransom feels like the only option
Confronted with a demand for a large sum to release the domain, many owners pay up simply because they do not know a faster, cheaper administrative route exists — a decision the squatter is counting on.
Bad faith is hard to prove alone
The claim depends on showing the registrant registered and used the domain in bad faith, and the evidence — offers to sell, patterns of abusive registration, traffic diversion — is easy to miss or lose if not gathered promptly and correctly.
Variations keep appearing
Even after one domain is recovered, squatters may register misspellings and alternative extensions of your name, turning a one-off dispute into an ongoing game of whack-a-mole that needs a repeatable strategy.
What you get
A cybersquatting lawyer who turns the tables
We only match you with intellectual property lawyers who handle UDRP complaints and bad-faith domain recovery regularly.
Rapid rights assessment
Your lawyer quickly confirms the strength of your trade mark or name rights and whether the facts support a bad-faith claim, so you know whether an administrative complaint is likely to succeed before you spend time or money.
Evidence preservation
Get immediate help capturing the evidence that matters — registration records, ransom demands, screenshots and usage history — before the squatter changes the registration or the site content.
UDRP complaint handling
Your lawyer prepares and files a persuasive complaint that frames your rights and the squatter’s bad faith to the exact requirements of the process, maximising your chance of a transfer or cancellation.
Ongoing protection strategy
Beyond recovering a single domain, you get advice on securing related names, registering key variations and monitoring for new abusive registrations so the same problem does not simply recur under another spelling.
Coverage
Cybersquatting lawyers across Europe
Domain policies operate through the global registry system, while court-based claims rely on national trade mark and unfair competition law, so the right lawyer works across both the procedure and your local rights. We match cases across the following countries and beyond:
Frequently asked
Cybersquatting — common questions
What exactly is cybersquatting?
Cybersquatting is the bad-faith registration of a domain name that is identical or confusingly similar to someone else’s trade mark or name, typically with the aim of selling it back at an inflated price, diverting traffic or blocking the legitimate owner from using it.
Should I just pay the squatter to get my domain back?
Usually not as a first step. In many cases a UDRP-style administrative complaint can recover the domain at a fraction of the ransom being demanded, and paying can encourage further demands. A lawyer can quickly tell you whether a strong claim exists before you consider negotiating.
What do I need to prove in a cybersquatting claim?
Generally three things: that you hold rights in the relevant name — commonly a registered trade mark — that the registrant has no legitimate interest in the domain, and that the domain was registered and used in bad faith. Evidence of bad faith is often the decisive element.
What is bad faith in this context?
Indicators can include an offer to sell the domain at a price clearly exceeding the registrant’s costs, a pattern of registering names to prevent the owner from doing so, or use intended to divert customers or tarnish a brand. The specific facts matter, which is why evidence should be preserved early.
How long does recovering a domain take?
A UDRP-style administrative proceeding is typically concluded within a few months, while court action generally takes longer and varies by country. The timeline also depends on whether the squatter responds or transfers the domain during the dispute.
Can I protect against future cybersquatting?
Yes, to a degree. Registering your key names and common variations across relevant extensions, securing your trade mark rights, and monitoring for new abusive registrations all reduce exposure — though no measure eliminates the risk entirely, and a lawyer can advise on a practical protection plan.
Free case review
Stop the squatter profiting from your name
Tell us the domain and your rights in it, and we’ll connect you with an intellectual property lawyer who handles cybersquatting claims — free of charge, with no obligation to hire.