Who Really Owns Your Website?
It’s not always as simple as it seems.
H.L. Mencken once said, “For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” That’s never been truer than in today’s digital world.
Your phone, your apps, and yes — your website — can seem simple on the surface. You open them, they work, and you move on. But behind that clean interface lies a web (pun intended) of complexity — and one of the most overlooked issues is ownership.
At Iron Edge Design, we often see businesses assume they “own” their entire website, only to discover later that key parts aren’t legally theirs. Let’s break it down:
Your Domain Name
You don’t actually own your domain — you lease it. Think of it like a phone number: you have exclusive rights to use it, but only if you renew it every year.
Tip: Always register domains in your name, keep login details safe, and make sure they don’t expire.
The Code & Platform
Most websites are built using frameworks like Bootstrap or WordPress. These are licensed to you — not owned by you. Unless you’ve had all code written from scratch by you or your employee, the rights remain with the creator.
The Hosting Server
Unless you’ve bought your own server and built a data center (spoiler: that’s overkill), you’re renting space from a hosting provider. It’s normal — but it means the server isn’t yours.
Your Website Content
This is where you should have ownership — your text, images, and design elements. But here’s the catch:
- If your designer created them under their own license (e.g., stock photos), they may own the rights.
- If you wrote it, photographed it, or paid for it with clear transfer of rights in your contract — it’s yours.
Avoiding “Hostage” Situations
The most common problem? A developer registers your domain in their own account. This gives them total control, and if things go sour, you could lose access to your website and email.
In one infamous case, a rogue “IT guy” locked a company out of their domain, demanded $10,000, and when refused, pointed their site to a porn site.
Our Advice at Iron Edge Design
- Always know what you own and have it in writing.
- Keep copies of credentials in a safe, accessible place.
- Partner with a reputable, transparent web company (like us).
Your website is an investment — protect it as you would any other business asset.
