Check That Name, Quick! Before you register that name, make sure it doesn't belong to someone else.
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You're about to set up your Web site and you want a greatdomain name--that is, www.yourcompanyname.com, or something pithy,catchy and clever. If you haven't already reserved that perfectname, be prepared to find out it's already taken by someoneelse. I sometimes spend hours trying to see if domain names areavailable and then registering the ones I like on a registrationsite such as Register.com.The basic cost of reserving a domain name is $35 per year, but youhave to pay for the first two years at once ($70). Before you plunkdown your credit card, make sure your domain name isn'tinfringing on an existing trademark by visiting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Website to do a quick trademark search.
Aliza Sherman is an entrepreneur and author of Cybergrrl:A Woman's Guide to the World Wide Web (Ballantine Books).She is currently working on her next book and new company.
