tech-company, legal, business-registration, business-structure, domain-nameI currently have the domain name for a business that was started by a friend and myself in my personal registrar account. After I paid for the initial registration personally years ago, for the past several years the business has been paying for the renewal.
Who actually owns the domain? Because it’s sits in my account do I own it? Or does the business have a claim to have it transferred from my account?
If the business paid for the renewal - the business has a valid claim of ownership. Who really owns it will be decided by courts, if you two cannot agree, but I suspect the business will prevail.
I can see what you're thinkin' about this and my advice is "Don't go down the road with this one."
If you are thinking about who 'owns' the domain name that you are obviously unhappy with that business and are thinking of bailing and you are trying to find a way to cash out, e.i. holding the Domain name hostage to force a payout.
Otherwise the answer is simple - you own the domain name because you own the company and so does your friend because they own the company.
But trust me, if you want to still remain friends with that person, don't go down that road because if there was some contention in accordance with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers you would have to go through formal Proceeding and Court hearings in accordance with Paragraph 4 of Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy which would cost both of you thousands dollars no matter who wins. If you want you read more about it here on ICANN's Website. Trust me - No fun!
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