Typosquatting

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Typosquatting, also known as “URL hijacking” is a specific type of cybersquatting where the typosquatter relies on typing mistakes, such as typos or misspellings, made by internet users when inputting a website address into a web browser to redirect web traffic to their site. Typosquatters specifically trade off of the goodwill that a website has built up with internet users and exploits that good will for their own commercial gain. Typosquatting on its face is considered evidence of a bad faith domain name registration. 

Typosquatting is a common type of cybersquatting and many well known brands have fallen victim to typosquatters. Among the most famous examples include Redbox (with the domain name <eedbox.com>), Google (with the domain name <goggle.com> among many others) and even The Dave Matthews Band (with the domain name <davemattews.com>). All of these brands have used the UDRP process to successfully stop typosquatters from operating under an infringing domain name.

Typosquatting can come in many different forms. Below is a description of a few of the most common types of typosquatting:

• Combosquatting. Combosquatting is a form of cybersquatting in which there is no misspelling, but the domain name registrant attaches an arbitrary word that appears legitimate, but that anyone could register. In recent years combosquatting has become one of the most common forms of cybersquatting. Example: example-shop.com, for web-based online store.

• Doppelganger Domain Names. A doppelganger domain is a domain spelled identical to a legitimately fully qualified domain name but missing the dot in the domain name, the missing dot domain name is intentionally registered for malicious purposes. One famous example of this was a cybersquatter who registered the domain name <wwwdior.com> in an attempt to trade off of the goodwill of the trademark Christian Dior. Any internet user who accidentally did not place a period after the “www” when trying to go to <www.dior.com> was taken to the cybersquatter’s website instead of the Christian Dior Website. For more information on this specific case, check out our list of notable UDRP cases.

• Using An Extra Period In A Domain Name. This is a very common form of typosquatting where the malicious domain name registrant registers a domain name with an extra period in the domain name. Since the period is so small, it gives the immediate impression that the domain name is the legitimate one that an internet user is trying to access. An example would be e.xample.com, at a quick glance the domain name appears to only be "example.com" Instead of the "e.xample.com." 

Typosquatting is among the most serious forms of cybersquatting because of the potential harms it can create. Typosquatting websites can place malware into computers or spam internet users with false advertising, pretending to be the actual website the internet user meant to visit. Oftentimes web users don't know they are on a typosquatter's website until it is too late. If someone is typosquatting off of your domain name Contact Us so that we can help you put a stop to it.