Website TIP: Who [REALLY] owns your website?

[Frank Gomez]

As a web designer I often have a reason transfer a URL (website address) to my account or to an account set up in the client's name. Sometimes (Far too often) we run into a problem. The client doesn't have the website in their name! Unfortunately if you didn't buy your URL yourself some webmasters will leave the URL in their name instead of in yours. So if you want to transfer the Domain they get all correspondence and if they don't respond to it you are stuck and don't really have control over your URL.

Check to see who the "REGISTRANT" is by doing a "who is" search.
There are many places to do this. You can do it here: Network Solutions

If you or your company isn't the REGISTRANT, ask your webmaster to change it to you and put your email in place of theirs. (NOTE this doesn't apply to admin contact or technical contact)

Once that is complete you have legal control over your own URL.