Q & A on Buying and Selling Domain Names Q: I understand that organizations sometimes seek to obtain domain names, especially short ones, that belong to other organizations. I have been asked how the value of a desirable domain name is determined, but I haven't the slightest idea how much one organization will pay another to get a desirable URL. Has anyone researched this? A: Of course some companies have indeed paid for domain names. However... if the company owns a trademark, they can also sue someone who registers it merely to prevent them from using it or to extort money. So, there's a fine line between trying to get money for a name and facing a law suit.