February 20, 2006 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Domain name registrar NetNames (netnames.co.uk) announced this week that it has launched a new trademark search service that enables users to check the availability of domain names and trademarks simultaneously.

NetNames says the service combines the company's existing free domain availability search with the tools to run a simultaneous check for trademark availability.

The service, says the company, will enable users to check whether a domain name infringes on an existing trademark before registering it. According to World Intellectual Property Organization numbers, cybersquatting and domain-related trademark disputes grew by 20 percent in 2005.

The service checks domain name searches against pending and registered trademarks from the US federal trademark database and the European Community Trademark database for possible infringements.

NetNames says it will flag potential infringements at no charge. In the case of potential infringement, it will provide information about the trademark holder for a per-keyword fee.