GoDaddy challenges Delhi High Court order on fake domain names

The details

• GoDaddy is challenging a Delhi High Court ruling from December 2025 that imposes stricter domain registration norms to curb brand impersonation.
• GoDaddy, along with Namecheap and Hosting Concepts, argues that the court’s order undermines user privacy and imposes impractical compliance obligations.
• GoDaddy claims that removing default privacy features will expose website owners to privacy and security risks like stalking and harassment.
• GoDaddy says it would be 'virtually impossible' to register a domain name containing an English word that does not overlap with a registered trademark.
• GoDaddy argues that the order forces it to regulate domains outside India and could lead to 'commercially destabilising' consequences.
• The court's order stems from a suit filed by over 20 companies, including Amazon, McDonald's, and Microsoft, against fraudulent websites impersonating their brands.
• The court introduced 14 measures to tighten domain registration norms in a bid to curb impersonations.
• The appeal is pending before a larger bench of the Delhi High Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on July 16.

The bigger picture

• The Delhi High Court's order aims to curb fake, brand-impersonating websites by tightening domain registration norms.
• The court's order requires domain registrars to remove default privacy features, potentially exposing website owners to privacy and security risks.
• The order could have global implications for domain name governance, as website domains are registered globally.
• The Centre has been expanding its oversight on digital media platforms, including tightening content takedown obligations for social media intermediaries.
• The IT Ministry is concerned about the 'issue of domain name abuse' and 'lack of stringent verification'.

About the business

• GoDaddy is a domain name registrar and web hosting provider, offering services for registering and managing domain names.
• The company operates globally, registering domains that may overlap with registered trademarks, which is a point of contention in the current legal challenge.
• GoDaddy's services are used by individuals and businesses to create and manage websites, which is why the Delhi High Court's order impacts its operations.
• The company argues that the court's order could force it to exit India due to impractical compliance requirements.
• GoDaddy's services are part of a larger industry that includes other domain registrars like Namecheap and Hosting Concepts.

What happens next

• The appeal is pending before a larger bench of the Delhi High Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on July 16.

The deal

Type

policy

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