Today, even modest-sized businesses must consider taking name protection steps that used to be the sole concern of larger, more expansive enterprises. For example, you might think you have no problem if you're choosing a name for a shoe store in a small town. If you happen to pick a name that's similar to a shoe store that sells on the Internet, you are very likely to be accused of trademark infringement and probably forced to change your business name, even though the online store is located 2500 miles away. Like many other small business owners, you may decide to operate a Web site. If so, you'll need to select a domain namea unique address that computers understand.
Some legal issues concerning domain names are quite straightforward.
If you're in the process of choosing a name for your business, you'll need to determine if the name is available as a domain name on the Web or has already been taken by another business. Then enter the domain name you wish to use and press enter, to do a search on who may be using the name. You'll see who is currently using those addresses. You might have to try a more unique name to find a name that is not already in use. If you don't yet have Internet access, ask an Internet provider for help.