A domain name is a hierarchically structured character string that serves as an Internet address. Internet users rely on domain names, which take the form of memorable and sometimes catchy words, to stand in their place. The uniqueness creates an exclusivity that has important economic consequences no two users can use the exact same character string as a domain name. Section 84 of the Trade Mark Ordinance, in practical terms, defines domain names to be a name which is a user friendly substitute for an Internet address. This definition is in consistence with the globally accepted definition of this term.
Domain names are interesting and controversial because they are meaningful.
The semantic dimension allows domain names to act not only as unique address, but also as slogans, billboards, or brand names. The character strings used for domain names sometimes correspond to the character strings of trademarks. Often this occurs accidentally. Sometimes the correspondence is a deliberate result of name speculators. It is fairly inexpensive to reserve a name, and many character strings may be perceived as more valuable than the going price.