Worse than fighting to hold onto your domain

[holgate]

issue resolved....

issue resolved....:-D

 

[rob]

Depends on the domain, but I would say there is a fair case for abusive use at the point of registration and the like there to get the name back.

Really does depend on the nitty gritty, but from the outline above I cannot see why going down the normal channels would not work.

 

[accelerator]

I am assuming it's a .co.uk.

Do you have a UK registered trademark which relates to the domain he registered? If so, this would increase your chances of getting the domain back through the Nominet Dispute Resolution Procedure.

If not, it will be more difficult to claim intellectual property rights on a very recently started company, and you would probably have to hire a lawyer and attempt to sue along the lines of breach of contract / industrial espionage.

 

[Jeewhizz]

What does your contract of employment with him say? Anything decent will have something in about this and you will have him over a barrel

 

[WaftyCrank]

He's purchased the domain as a result of working for you. He wouldn't have known about the product had he not done some S/E work for your company. I say send him a threatening legal letter from a solicitor which may just do the trick and he may hand it over.

If not then go down the DRS route with Icann.

 

[amilo]

The way most legal firms work in the uk is to take a past case judgement as an example.

If a case has ever come to court where a person has registered a domain name after doing work for someone that has registered a uk or .com you will have a good case to get it off him...

p.s try and speak with one of the uk web specialist lawyers.

 

[mojoco]

I would try hitting him with a very strongly worded solicitors letter. Threatening him with legal action, a claim for damages, advising him of the costs he will have to pay to defend himself. He might just cave in.

 

[accelerator]

Note that I wouldn't mention the domain in question here if you are thinking of taking legal action.

Also, if the domain in question is just a generic term, then it will be very difficult if not impossible to argue that it is rightfully yours, so consider this carefully before attempting to play hardball, and maybe the softly softly "here's a nice offer" approach will work better.

If it's a unique brand term related to your business only then things will be a lot easier and the reg dates could be used to argue an abusive registration by them.