It often happens that an employee registers a domain name for a company or organization and later leaves. The problem occurs when the domain name gets locked in an account that no one else can access, and also when the email address associated with this domain is no longer active. As a result, no one can receive renewal reminders or password reset requests to access the account where the domain is registered. Eventually, the domain reaches its expiration date, causing the website or other connected services to stop without anyone being notified.
In the worst-case scenario, the employee may have registered the domain only in their name, without mentioning the organization in the account’s contact details, payment information, or registration details. As a result, there is no tangible proof that the organization has rights to the domain, unless the domain name itself is an indication.
In such cases, we request authentication measures and substantial evidence before granting access to a domain. In most cases, we advise the concerned parties to consult a legal advisor and reach an arrangement, as we are unable to decide who has the right to a domain name.
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How to Register and Protect Your Domain Name?
To avoid such situations, here are some best practices to follow when someone is responsible for registering a domain name for your company, service, or specific project:
- Ensure that all organization details are added to the domain owner’s account profile.
- Use an email address that can be accessed by multiple people in the organization, to access the account, instead of a personal address that may only be accessible by one employee.
- Add additional contacts to the customer account. This way, if the employee leaves the company, other contacts in the customer account can access the account to gain control of the domain name.
Your Former Employee is Reachable and Agrees to Transfer the Domain Name?
If your former employee is reachable and agrees to transfer the domain name to you, the procedure will depend on the domain extension.
For gTLD Extensions
The former employee simply needs to log in to their client area on Cap Connect and update the domain contact information or explicitly request the domain transfer to your name by contacting our support via a ticket.
For ccTLD Extensions
For example, with .ma, please refer to the domain holder change procedure for .MA domains established by ANRT.
Your Former Employee is Unreachable or Refuses to Return the Domain
Here are some general steps that could be involved in recovering a domain name registered by your former employee, if they are no longer reachable:
Mediation
You can resort to mediation services to resolve disputes between the parties. You may consider submitting your dispute to a neutral third party in order to reach an agreement.
Arbitration
In some cases, you may be able to engage in arbitration to resolve the dispute. This generally involves a neutral arbitrator who examines the evidence from both parties and makes a binding decision.
Legal Actions
If amicable methods fail, you may consider pursuing legal actions based on jurisdiction and applicable laws. This could include complaints for trademark infringement, cybersquatting, or other intellectual property-related laws.
UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy)
For domain names registered under generic top-level domain extensions (such as .com, .net, .org), the UDRP procedure can be used to resolve disputes. This typically involves submitting a complaint to an ICANN-approved dispute resolution body. If your complaint is accepted, the domain name may be transferred under certain conditions.
National Legislation
Each country’s laws can also be used to resolve domain name disputes for domains registered under national domain extensions (e.g., .ma for Morocco, .fr for France, .uk for the United Kingdom, etc.).
For assistance in the process of recovering your domain name, please contact our support directly and explain your situation by providing all documents justifying your right to the domain. We will provide additional details based on your specific case.