Get Domain Name Appraised It’s A Valuable Piece Of Cyber Real Estate

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Cyber Real Estate As Valuable As Your Home!

In a landmark case, the 9th US Circuit of Appeals has stated that a domain name should be treated exactly as a “plot of land,

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This is a huge victory for all domain name registrants, not just for Gary Kremen who had a lawsuit against Network Solutions (NSI) allowing the theft of his Sex.com domain name.

NSI had argued that domain names are intangible property and therefore they could not be held liable for damages (Kremen vs Cohen Case #01-15899).

This ruling means that traditional property protections can now be legally applied to domain names.

Further, the ruling firmly establishes that domain names (cyber Real Estate) are valuable properties and shows that old-fashioned property laws also apply to the registration of web addresses.

While this ruling may also aid victims of electronic fraud and identity theft, this article focuses on the impact of domain rights.

Since domain names are now officially looked upon as cyber Real Estate, domain holders should be aware of their rights, and take steps to protect them.

For instance, a domain name can be extremely valuable on its own as examples Business.com sold for $7,500,000 and Loans.com sold for $3,000,000.

Domain names can also have a “value in use.”

An example of this might be Google.com, which doesn’t have a defined meaning and probably wouldn’t be worth very much on its own.

However, it provides a valuable service and is ranked #1 in traffic on the Internet and as such has a very high value in use.

Just as your home or other property is considered to be an investment, so are your rights to a domain name.

In the event of your death, your domain rights will become part of your estate.

If you were to get a divorce, it may be left up to the courts to decide who gets to keep the domain name, and whether one party will need to pay the other party for half of the value of the name.

Since your domain name is your piece of cyber Real Estate, it should be valued in the same fashion as your home or other property would, using the same tried and true principles.

Additionally, you should take any necessary steps to protect your domain as you would your other properties, such as including your wishes regarding your domain name in your will.

Although registrars are now legally responsible for safeguarding the rights of domain name holders, domain registrants should also take all available steps to protect themselves.

Authors Info:
Tonza Borden is a 20-year finance and digital marketing expert with a passion for coaching and training. Visit her website at RuralMoney.com for exclusive rural resources and strategies for your financial future.