Zak Muscovitch Canadian Intellectual Property Lawyer Talking About Domain Industry

He flew a laptop from Canada to India for me, all thanks to a five-minute conversation a year earlier. 💻

At DomainX 2016, domain investor Aishwin Vikhona and I sat down with Toronto lawyer Zak Muscovitch, who specializes in domain names, intellectual property and trademarks. 🎙️

📊 In this episode, we unpacked:

• 🤝 The power of a relationship
• ⚖️ What UDRP is
• 🚫 What counts as cybersquatting
• 📄 How domain leasing works
• 🍛 Indian food and DomainX

🎥 Watch the full episode:

🤝 The Power of a Relationship

Zak had practiced law for 17 years, specializing in domain names, intellectual property and trademarks. This was his third summer in India and his second DomainX. 🤝

He brought me a Microsoft Surface from Canada. He says he’d normally refuse such a request, “but how could I say no to Jitendra?” We’d built that trust in five minutes at DomainX 2015. For that first meeting, read my 2015 interview with Zak. 🔗

⚖️ What UDRP Is

UDRP stands for the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, a private arbitration procedure that companies can bring against domain owners. You have to take part. ⚖️

A company with a trademark pays the arbitrators roughly $1,300–2,000 plus a lawyer, so it’s expensive. They file a complaint saying you copied their trademark; if you don’t respond satisfactorily, the domain is taken from your account. 📄

🚫 What Counts as Cybersquatting

Cybersquatting means registering a domain in bad faith to interfere with another company, such as registering cocacola.com or a typo of it. 🚫

That includes registering it to sell to the brand or its competitors, divert its traffic, or build a look-alike site. If you’re not a cybersquatter, you defend yourself. For more on domain law, read Rodney D. Ryder on cyber law. 🔗

📄 How Domain Leasing Works

Selling isn’t your only option; you can lease. Zak’s example: someone offers $10,000 for a domain you value at $100,000. 💡

Instead, they pay $10,000 now and around $2,500 a month for up to three years, with an option to buy later at a higher price, say $150,000–200,000. The buyer gets a premium name for little money down, and the owner gets cash flow and possibly a better price. For more on domain investing, read Deepak Ramani and Aishwin Vikhona on making money with domains. 🔗

🍛 Indian Food and DomainX

Zak’s “major problem” with Indian food: he can’t stop eating it. He makes chana masala and pani puri at home, and went vegetarian for eight months. 🍛

He was impressed that attendees stayed all day, and says the best learning at DomainX is seeing success stories from accomplished domainers like Aishwin. 🎤

📝 Key Takeaways From the Zak Muscovitch Interview

• 🤝 A five-minute connection can build lasting trust
• ⚖️ UDRP is a costly private process companies use against domain owners
• 🚫 Registering a domain in bad faith is cybersquatting
• 📄 Leasing can turn idle premium domains into cash flow
• 🎤 Events let you learn from real success stories

❓ FAQs About Zak Muscovitch

What is UDRP?

The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, a private arbitration process that trademark owners can use to try to take a domain from its owner.

What is cybersquatting?

Registering a domain in bad faith to interfere with another company, for example to sell it to them, divert their traffic or imitate their site.

How does domain leasing work?

The user pays an upfront amount plus monthly payments, often with an option to buy the domain later at a higher price.

🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love

• Domain Name Investing Tips By Domainer Manmeet Pal Singh
• Jon Yau Who Bought $250k Domain Against His Wife Consent
• Interview With Ron Jackson Owner of DNjournal.com at DomainX Bangalore 2015
• Monte Cahn Shares His Domaining Experience at Domainfest 2015

Would you lease or sell a premium domain? Share this with a domainer. 💬

🔔 Subscribe & Follow Jitendra Vaswani Everywhere

🎧 Subscribe to Inside A Hustler’s Brain on YouTube and Follow Jitendra Vaswani on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, everywhere. 🙌