Previous Owner Claiming the Domain

I bought an expiring domain from GoDaddy auction. The domain name is the artist name (FirstnameLastname.com).

And after a week I got an email from the previous owner. He calls me demanding the domain back. I asked him to pay least the amount I paid in the auction; he is refusing to pay.

Hi there. I'm xxxx comic artist and former owner of xxxx.com. I had been using the domain for almost a decade and had lost it because I had fallen on hard times and was not aware that the domain expired until suddenly could no longer access it nor recieve any emails at my [email protected] email address. To say the least, losing it has caused me a lot of trouble personally and financially. GoDaddy claims they contacted you about it but to no avail. I'm reaching out to you to find out what you were going to be using the URL for, since xxxxx is not exactly a common name and it's my trademark, and maybe see if some arrangement can be made that I can get the URL back. I'm a starving artist, so I'm not sure what I can provide as compensation, but perhaps we can to at least get a dialogue going. If you're using it for something important to you, then I can accept that as a gentleman and walk away, as it was my own carelessness that has put me in this position. I just wanted to try to reach out man-to-man first. Thank you for you time and I look forward to hearing from you.

After that I emailed him that the name is being used for an Alcohol Drug addiction information. But he refused and demanding the domain back.

I'm not sure whether the domain name is trademarked or not. I've searched every trademark database on the web, but couldn't find the "artist name". But he mentioned it's his trademark.

What should I do on this case? By law, do I have to give the domain name back?

Damn all the artists I come across these days are starving...

May be ask for the price you paid to buy domain and give up on it. Because you can buy a new domain for alcohol drug information but he might be at a loss without a website on his name.

As you registered and paid for it so you own it now and your property.

For even trademark thing he can do what he want but you will must get your money back even any law agency do anything to get back.

The best and feasible option is to negotiate and get your money back and any ROI if you wish to with discussion that is better.


Recently couple months ago Google domain was purchased by Google domain registrar you believe it? What happens after some hours the guy registered got money back

So no worries just chill and relax and proceed.

Hope it helps

Just say fuck off to him. You're the owner to that domain unless it was trademarked in your country he had no right on that domain

The Profit Bird said:

May be ask for the price you paid to buy domain and give up on it. Because you can buy a new domain for alcohol drug information but he might be at a loss without a website on his name.

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He is not willing to pay the price i paid to GD auction.

Call his bluff and say no, it's expired so it's back on the open market

K114a said:

He is not willing to pay price i paid to GD auction.

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Then enjoy your new website

iamsolo said:

Just say fuck off to him. You're the owner to that domain unless it was trademarked in your country he had no right on that domain

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Any suggestion to find whether its been trademarked? I searched his name on uspto . gov but no results.

Something similar happened to me years ago. I let the guy have the domain, since I was not doing anything really big with it.

But then something really fucked my nerves: couple years later I checked and the motherfucker had let it expire and now it's a landing page on SEDO.

So my charity went to shit.

I bet you'll give this domain back, this guy will let it expire again and lose it to someone who won't even receive his emails.

99,9% it's not trademarked.

Do not just hand the Domain over. If he is a starving artist then fuck him, it means his work doesn't sell which is no concern of yours.
If he really wants it back then he will come up with the money, if you think his work might become valuable in future then ask him to send you some to the value of the domain.
Don't fall for any sob stories. He chose to be an artist. You are the legal owner of the domain, if you want to be a philanthropist then feel free to give it to him but personally I would tell him I was going to use the domain for a Gay porn site and if he wants it he should pay the GD price + 200% expenses.

bartosimpsonio said:

Something similar happened to me years ago. I let the guy have the domain, since I was not doing anything really big with it.

But then something really fucked my nerves: couple years later I checked and the motherfucker had let it expire and now it's a landing page on SEDO.

So my charity went to shit.

I bet you'll give this domain back, this guy will let it expire again and lose it to someone who won't even receive his emails.

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Yes, It's his carelessness for not renewing the domain. Godaddy gives 42 extended days to renew, but that dude didn't renew. Now he is demanding the domain. -_-

You could always rent it back to him

blogzandstuff said:

You could always rent it back to him

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Buddy, He is not willing to pay anything. :/

K114a said:

Buddy, He is not willing to pay anything. :/

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Well I was joking

K114a said:

Buddy, He is not willing to pay anything. :/

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Then he gets nothing.

Godaddy sends you 400 emails to remind you to renew... maybe 500.

He could have sold some blood to get the 10 bucks to renew while all those annoying emails were coming in.

You sound like a good guy; in this instance the domain is yours and you have no worries as a starving artist doesn't spend the money for a trademark.

K114a said:

Buddy, He is not willing to pay anything. :/

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Every indication you've given is that this guy basically just wants it back, but doesn't want to pay for it. That's not how things work on the world wide web. Tell him you legally own it and are planning to do what you well please with it, and that if he wants it back he's going to have to shell over some cash / art for it. I would not be generous in this situation. In a few days he will say that he is willing to pay what you paid at the auction... don't take it. Tell him you're going to need way more than that for all the hassle. You have all the leverage here he really has none.

BassTrackerBoats said:

Then he gets nothing.

Godaddy sends you 400 emails to remind you to renew... maybe 500.

He could have sold some blood to get the 10 bucks to renew while all those annoying emails were coming in.

You sound like a good guy; in this instance the domain is yours and you have no worries as a starving artist doesn't spend the money for a trademark.

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Sometimes it takes a bankruptcy for the artist to finally see he should be in a different business.

Personally, I'd do the right thing and allow him to have it back, as long as he paid the fee that you paid for the domain.

If he's not willing to pay for it back, then fuck him. It's your domain. You bought it after it expired. You were decent enough to offer it back to him for the auction price.

If he can't afford $5 for a domain, he can't afford a registered trademark or legal aid to get it back anyway. So enjoy your domain!