Someone Registered Your Brand as a Domain: Options in Singapore

First check: is it really cybersquatting?

Before spending money, look at who holds the domain and what they do with it. A dispute process only helps against abusive registrations: someone who took the name to sell it to you, divert your customers, or pretend to be you. It does not help if another genuine business happens to share your name.

That last row is common. If a former web designer registered the domain in their own name, read our guide on getting website and domain access back from an agency before thinking about a formal dispute. If a fake site is already taking orders or payments in your name, treat it as a scam first: our guide on fake ads impersonating your business covers reporting.

.sg domains: how the SDRP works

Every .sg registrant agrees to the Singapore Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy as part of the registration agreement, so the holder has to take part if you file. People sometimes search for it as "SGDRP"; the official name is SDRP. According to SGNIC's dispute FAQ, the complaint goes to the SDRP Secretariat, which is managed by the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC).

What you must prove

• The domain is identical or confusingly similar to a name, trade mark or service mark in which you have rights.
• The registrant has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain.
• The domain has been registered or is being used in bad faith.

Note the "or" in the third point: under the SDRP, bad-faith registration or bad-faith use is enough. The panel may first offer mediation if both sides agree. If not, it decides. SGNIC then carries out the decision unless a party takes the dispute to court. SGNIC's FAQ also says you should not start court proceedings while an SDRP case is pending.

What you can get

The SDRP remedies are limited to cancelling the domain or transferring it to you. There is no compensation and no order for the other side to pay your costs.

.com and other generic domains: the UDRP

For .com, .net, .org and the newer generic endings, ICANN requires every accredited registrar to follow the UDRP. The three elements are the same idea as the SDRP, with one difference that matters: under the UDRP you need to show the domain was registered and is being used in bad faith.

You file with an approved provider. The best known is the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. Its step-by-step guide sets the pace: the holder has 20 days to respond (plus an automatic 4-day extension on request), the panel should decide within 14 days of appointment, and the registrar carries out a transfer 10 business days after the decision unless the holder shows it has gone to court.

Other country endings (.my, .com.au, .co.uk and so on) have their own rules and providers. SGNIC's FAQ confirms the SDRP covers .sg only.

What a domain dispute costs and how long it takes

These are provider fees only, approximate as of October 2026. Lawyers' fees, if you use one, are extra. Sources: SMC's SDRP fee schedule and WIPO's UDRP fees.

Compare those numbers with what the holder is asking. If a speculator wants a few hundred dollars for a name you need, buying it through an escrow service can be cheaper and faster than winning a case. If the holder is clearly impersonating you, paying them rewards the behaviour, and a complaint is the cleaner route.

Why a registered trade mark matters

Both processes ask whether you have rights in the name. A registered trade mark is the clearest evidence. IPOS states plainly that registering a business name with ACRA or a domain with SGNIC does not equal trade mark protection.

The SDRP wording also covers a "name" in which you have rights, so a well-known unregistered business name is not hopeless. You will need more evidence, though: years of use, sales, advertising and press that link the name to you.

• IPOS application fee: S$280 per class if you use only pre-approved descriptions of goods and services, or S$410 per class otherwise (IPOS forms and fees, as of October 2026).
• A registered mark lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed.
• If you do not use the mark for 5 years after registration, it can be revoked for non-use.

Steps to take when someone has your brand as a domain

Work through these in order. Most cases end at step 3 or 4.

1. 1

   Look up the holder and the registrar

   Use ICANN Lookup for generic domains and the registrar's WHOIS for .sg. Personal details are often hidden, but the registrar name and the creation date are usually shown.

2. 2

   Capture evidence before it changes

   Screenshot the site, any for-sale page, ads and emails, with dates. Save pages in a web archive. Bad faith is proved with this material.

3. 3

   Report impersonation or phishing straight away

   If the site copies you to take payments or logins, report it to the registrar's and host's abuse contacts and to the police. That is faster than any dispute.

4. 4

   Decide whether to negotiate

   If it is a parked name for sale, a polite enquiry through the registrar's broker or an escrow service may cost less than a complaint. Do not threaten; it can be used against you.

5. 5

   Prepare the complaint

   Match each of the three elements with evidence: trade mark certificate or proof of use, why the holder has no legitimate interest, and the bad-faith signs.

6. 6

   File with the right provider

   SDRP Secretariat at SMC for .sg. WIPO or another approved provider for UDRP domains. Pay the fee or the complaint is not processed.

Preventing it next time: defensive registrations

Cheap prevention beats an expensive case. You do not need every ending, only the ones customers would type or that a scammer would find useful.

Our comparison of the best domain registrars in Singapore covers which registrars offer .sg, auto-renew and registry lock.

Do it yourself or get help?

The lookup, evidence capture, abuse reports and defensive registrations are all things you can do yourself in an afternoon. The dispute filing itself is a legal document; for an important brand, an IP lawyer is worth the fee.

If you would rather have someone tidy up your domains, move them into a company-owned account, turn on auto-renew and lock, and set DNS correctly, our Domain & DNS Setup is S$99. We do not file legal complaints.