[noonespecial]

Here's some advice I learned the hard way.

Every time you register a dotcom you intend to use for business, register it as a trademark. Its cheap and easy. Just consider it part of the cost of domain registry.

This is helpful in two ways. First, it will prevent you from accidentally registering a domain that is too close to someone else's trademark (and losing your domain later in a nasty surprise kind of way). Second, it will give you a nearly bullet-proof automatic way to file a complaint with ICANN that will almost always result in you being given the offending domain.

In any case, head on over to http://www.icann.org/en/udrp to see what your options are. Just filing the complaint may be enough to cause your shadow to move on to less proactive victims.

[jason_slack]

isn't it like $325 to file a trademark?

[kaisdavis]

If you think 'this is a viable business, something that I want to spend my time working on to make something great' isn't $325 chump change?

[jason_slack]

True, in the grand scheme. You make a good point.

[jhubert]

Yeah, I started filing it this morning before writing this post. Trying to cover all of my bases. :)

[suyash]

trademark filing will only cover you in the US, you need to look at more options