Here's how domain names work in general: registries manage particular domain endings (.net, .fr, .com, .org, etc.) and sell domain names with the domain endings they manage. Registrars like Gandi are accredited by each of these registries so that they can sell domain names to end-users (private individuals, small- and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, non-profits, etc.) with any of the available domain endings their customers may want. Once registered, a domain name is associated to an Owner contact, who becomes the "holder" of the domain name in question for a particular length of time. If a domain name shows as unavailable in the results of a search, that means someone else has already registered it. You can check who owns it using our whois service or you can search for alternatives using our suggestion tool.