Reestablish Control of Your Corporation's Domain Name
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Disclaimer: The information provided by IONOS Ltd on this website is offered only as a general information service to the public. Because each issue or situation is different and unique, each person should seek their own legal advice for that particular situation from competent legal counsel.
Examples of a dispute over a corporate domain name include:
- An employee who maintained the website is fired
- A new officer is named for the corporation
- The business is sold
- A partner leaves/is kicked out of the business
- Spouses or boyfriend/girlfriend both claiming rights to the website
Please note: When registering a domain/account for a corporation or business, please remember to include the business name as part of the account registration information as this will help if a transfer needs to be made in the future.
If the account is in a corporate name and the complainant can provide clear evidence of ownership by and authority to act on behalf of the corporation, IONOS can often make the transfer without the consent of the customer. IONOS will request documents showing that (1) the individual contacting IONOS is empowered to act on behalf of the corporation, and (2) the corporation is the owner of the account or domain name.
Documentation required may include:
- Minutes of the board meeting or operating agreement showing that the person is an officer
- A letter from an officer of the corporation authorising a third party to act on behalf of the corporation (for webmasters or other third parties)
- A letter from an attorney for the corporation stating the individual is an officer or is otherwise authorised to act on behalf of the corporation
- Records showing that the corporation registered or paid for the domain name or is otherwise legally entitled to the name
If the account is in a personal name, the customer must consent to the transfer or the dispute must be resolved by the parties themselves. If there indications that the site is being misused (e.g., corporate site converted to a gripe site about the corporation), then IONOS reserves the right to shut the site down pending resolution of the dispute between the parties.