Can a company in China use your domain name with .cn tacked on?

[T.M.]

Assume here that my domain is mydomain.com . I've owned it for 30 years. A company in China just informed me that they're purchasing it with .cn tacked on - in other words mydomain.com.cn Is this legitimate or legal (granted China tends to ignore Western copyrights, trademarks etc). I've had several million visitors to my domain and don't like the idea that their company would turn up in searches by people looking for my company. (I know nothing legalities regarding domains and only just found this forum..... T.M.

 

[nicenicnicenic is verified member.]

Hello, according to international domain name rules and Chinese law, the company's registration of mydomain.com.cn is not directly illegal, because .com.cn is China's country code top-level domain name (ccTLD), which belongs to a different system from your .com domain name, unless your brand has been registered as a trademark in China and the other party has maliciously registered it (such as deliberately confusing users and damaging your business interests).

However, you mentioned that the other party's registration of the domain name may have an impact on your business, which does need attention. If the other party's behavior causes user confusion, or there are malicious registrations, unfair competition using your brand awareness, etc., then you can protect your rights and interests in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. You can consult a professional intellectual property lawyer to understand the specific situation and formulate corresponding response strategies.

 

[yphanh2002]

From what i understand they have a right to register country level domain and there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[DediRock]

Yes, they can register the .cn version, but unless you have a global trademark, there's not much you can do legally.

 

[jberryhilljberryhill is verified member.]

A company in China just informed me that they're purchasing it with .cn tacked on

The email you received is a scam.

There is no one seeking to register your name as a .cn domain. If you want to register it, go ahead, but do not use the services of whomever sent you the email.

Please read this:

China Domain Name Scams - Harris Sliwoski LLP

Beware of China domain name scams! Learn how these common ploys work, why they're fake, and what to do if your company receives one. Protect your brand.

harris-sliwoski.com

Again, it's a scam. Do not engage with it.

 

[hacxx]

Yes, a company in China can register your domain name with a .cn extension if it’s available, even if you own the .com version. Domain registrations are managed separately by country and don’t automatically grant you rights over similar extensions. While this is legal, it can cause brand confusion. To protect your brand, consider registering the .cn domain yourself or consult a trademark lawyer. Also, monitoring and addressing any trademark infringement or cybersquatting through legal channels in China might help, though enforcement can be challenging.

 

[Cs1mwa]

The email you received is a scam.

There is no one seeking to register your name as a .cn domain. If you want to register it, go ahead, but do not use the services of whomever sent you the email.

Please read this:

China Domain Name Scams - Harris Sliwoski LLP

Beware of China domain name scams! Learn how these common ploys work, why they're fake, and what to do if your company receives one. Protect your brand.

harris-sliwoski.com

Again, it's a scam. Do not engage with it.

Great I found this thread as I have just been approached by two corroborating parties trying this same tactic. I was initially confused by the reason for contacting me given I do not want the .cn versions of domains I own. I have not engaged thanks to this thread

 

[HariSeldon]

I have just been approached by two corroborating parties trying this same tactic. I have not engaged thanks to this thread

You did the right thing.

This scam is as old as the hills, I've been receiving these "we found the name were similar to your company's so we need to check with you whether your company has authorized that company to register these names" for at least 20 years!

Just ignore unless you have have time on your hands and want to string them along so that they waste their time on you rather than some unsuspecting victim.