Disputes involving domain names happen everyday, including ones involving .vn domain names. The Vietnam Internet Centre (VNNIC) has received many petitions asking it to take back, lock or delete domain names registered at the centre.

Domain names are the names that are used to identify computers on the Internet and are registered by users to introduce their products, services, information, etc. For this purpose, domain names are often named after company names, brands of goods and services, copyrights, geographic locations, etc. Domain names must meet some requirements and the most important is exclusiveness.

Many disputes have broken out over .vn domain names of famous producers like Tiger Beer, Trung Nguyen and Heineken. The owners of these famous brands, for some reason, didn’t register domain names after their brands quickly enough and when they wanted to register, these names were held by others, who offered to sell the names to those companies. Previously, the domain names of some prestigious newspapers of Vietnam were registered by some individuals, who then offered them for sale on the Internet.

According to VNNIC, some people have taken advantage of the Ministry of Information and Communications’ regulations on equal registration of domain names, under which domain names will be granted to those who register early. Some people have registered domain names that are related to famous brands or easy-to-remember ones to sell in the future. This act is called domain name speculation.

Another way that can make disputes occur is appropriating domain names. A business registers a domain name after the name of its business rival. This is popular in the world and has happened in Vietnam recently.

According to the IT Law of Vietnam, domain names are natural resources so it is illegal to trade and transfer them. Disputes over domain names can be solved by conciliation, through a mediator or at court. However, it is very difficult to solve domain name disputes in Vietnam.
 
The number of petitions involving domain names submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Inspectorate is increasing and experts have warned Vietnamese companies to improve their awareness of domain names and quickly register domain names after their brands to avoid disputes.