Look-alike domains · Other endings

Can someone register my name with another ending, like .com instead of .ca?

Yes.

Last read from the sources at the foot of this page.

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01

What is the ending of a domain?

Adversaries may choose domains that are similar to legitimate domains, including through use of homoglyphs or use of a different top-level domain (TLD).

RFC 1034 says the labels of a domain name are read left to right, from the most specific to the least specific, so the ending is the top of the name.

Your name under .ca and the same name under .com or .co are two different domains, registered and owned separately.

02

Why does a different ending matter?

By convention, the labels that compose a domain name are printed or read left to right, from the most specific (lowest, farthest from the root) to the least specific (highest, closest to the root).

A client who remembers your name but not your ending may guess. An email from your name under a different ending carries your name exactly, with nothing misspelled to notice.

The .co ending is one letter short of .com, so it works as a typo of the ending as well.

03

What can I do about other endings?

  1. List the endings a client might guess for your firm, such as .com, .ca and .co.
  2. Check which of those are already registered, and when.
  3. Register the likely ones yourself and redirect them to your main site.
  4. Publish records on each spare domain saying it sends no mail.
Sources

Where does this come from?

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