Domain Name

[kussy]

Hey all,
Just a small question. I registered a domain name, which is my surname, a few days back from one of the drop lists. And today i get an email from the previous owner asking me to give it back to him since its his 'family name'.
I really don't want to give up this domain name. Am i doing something wrong by not handing it over?

 

[Ceres]

If someone inadvertently lets their domain name drop, then unfortunately that's their mistake and not yours. Obviously, I'm talking about non-trademark domains.

In my opinion, registering a surname would only be risky if you have no legitimate connection to that name. In your case, it's your surname and you therefore have a bona fide reason for registering this domain.

You still need to be careful about how you use a surname domain. For example, let's say your name is Kapoor. If you have ads related to Anil Kapoor, I think there would be a risk that you'd lose the domain as you'd be trading off the goodwill of this well-known actor/producer.

I'd be interested to hear what other people think about kussy's situation.