Copyright Complaints

If you feel a domain violates any applicable copyright laws, providing a properly formatted Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or "DMCA", complaint to the hosting provider and/or registrant is the best way to proceed. You can find more information about the scope and application of DMCA complaints here .

Please note that unlike the hosting provider and registrant, the registrar of a domain does not have any control over the content that is displayed on a domain. Finding the hosting provider and registrant is a quick and easy process that will ensure your claim is addressed as quickly as possible.

Finding the registrant

To identify the registrant of a domain:

1. Perform a whois search on the domain. Many sites, like www.who.is , perform this type of service.
2. Identify the "Administrative Contact". This is a good address to send your copyright complaint to, as the administrator of a site has access to the domain's content.

Find the hosting provider

To identify the hosting provider of a domain, you will need to find the IP address of the domain.

To find the IP address and hosting provider using who.is :

1. After you have performed a whois search on the domain, click on the "DNS Record Button" located under the heading "Who.is Lookup."
2. Find the table closest to the bottom of the screen that is labelled "DNS RECORDS". Copy the IP address to the right of the "A" type records.
3. At the very top of the screen, there is a link that says "IP Index". Please click on this link.
4. Paste the IP address you have copied and click Who.is Search.
5. You will now see the hosting provider's information. Always make sure to check for an "Abuse Contact".