# Can a foreign court seize my domain? > Can a foreign court seize my domain? Yes, through the registry or the host: how US courts reach .com via Verisign, and what a Panama registrar can do. - URL: https://panamaregistrar.com/guides/can-a-foreign-court-seize-my-domain/ - Last updated: 2026-10-19 - Publisher: PanamaRegistrar (https://panamaregistrar.com) Yes, and the company you register through is only one of the doors. This guide shows the other doors, the US laws used most often, and what a service in Panama can and cannot change. **Quick answer — Can a foreign court seize my domain?** Yes. As of October 2026, a foreign court can reach your domain through its registry, its registrar of record, its host or you, even with a service abroad. PanamaRegistrar acts only on Panamanian orders, but a US court can order Verisign, the .com registry in Reston, Virginia. 15 U.S.C. §1125(d)(2) even lets trademark owners sue the domain itself. ## The short version | Attribute | Value | | --- | --- | | Doors a court can use | 5: the registry, the registrar of record (our partner), PanamaRegistrar, the host, and you in person | | .com and .net registry | VeriSign Global Registry Services, Reston, Virginia, United States (IANA) | | US civil route | In rem action under 15 U.S.C. §1125(d)(2), filed where the registrar or registry sits | | US criminal route | Seizure orders or warrants issued by federal judges, then served on the registry | | What binds PanamaRegistrar | Panamanian courts; a foreign judgment only after exequatur (Law 61 of 2015) | | What we cannot stop | A registry, or our registrar partner, acting under the law of its own country | | Where to check each registry | [Registry jurisdiction index](https://panamaregistrar.com/registry-jurisdiction/) | ## Which doors can a court use to take a domain? A court can act through five different parties, and each answers to its own country's law. 1. **The registry.** It runs the extension and keeps the master record of every name in it. A registry can lock a domain, change its nameservers or transfer it, without the registrar's help. 2. **The registrar of record.** For our domains, it is our ICANN-accredited registrar partner, shown in the RDAP record. It keeps the registration record and its own legal duties, and a court of its own country can order it to suspend or transfer the domain. 3. **PanamaRegistrar.** We hold your account, your verified email and the DNS settings we manage, and we answer to Panamanian courts. 4. **The host.** It stores the website or mail. A court where the server sits can order the content removed, while the domain stays registered. 5. **You.** A court with power over you can order you to transfer or delete the domain yourself. Choosing a service in Panama changes door 3 only. That is still worth something: it decides who can obtain your account data from us and who must convince us before we act on your domain. But it leaves doors 1, 2, 4 and 5 as they are. For the roles in detail, see [registrar vs registry vs host](https://panamaregistrar.com/guides/registrar-vs-registry-vs-host/). ## How can a US court reach a .com or .net? Through Verisign, which manages both registries from Reston, Virginia, according to the IANA root zone database. A US court does not need the registrar's cooperation. It can address its order to the registry. US trademark law makes this explicit. Under 15 U.S.C. §1125(d)(2), the owner of a mark can file an **in rem** action against the domain name itself. The action is brought in the judicial district where the registrar, the registry or another domain name authority is located. For a .com, that includes the federal court whose district covers Reston. The statute sets two limits: - It applies when the mark owner cannot obtain personal jurisdiction over the registrant, or cannot find the registrant after due diligence. - The remedies are limited to a court order to forfeit or cancel the domain, or to transfer it to the mark owner. In practice, this means a .com held by a registrant anywhere in the world can be transferred by a US court order sent to Verisign. ## What is a domain seizure warrant? It is a criminal court order that lets US authorities take control of a domain. Seizure orders are issued by federal judges, often magistrate judges, on an application by prosecutors or investigators. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement described one large operation in a release dated 27 November 2011. It said 150 website domains selling counterfeit goods were seized, on orders obtained from federal magistrate judges. Visitors then saw a seizure banner, and the release stated that the domains were in the custody of the federal government. The order can be served on the registry. In 2018, a seizure warrant of the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (magistrate no. 18-665), published by the Justice Department, was addressed to "VeriSign, Inc., Reston, VA" as the registry and ordered it to seize the domain toknowall.com within 14 days. None of these steps goes through the country of the company you registered with. That is why we never describe a registration service as a shield against a registry's courts. ## What can PanamaRegistrar do, and not do? PanamaRegistrar controls its own records and its own actions, nothing more. **What PanamaRegistrar can do:** - Refuse to act on a foreign judgment until it is recognised in Panama. Under articles 155 to 157 of Law 61 of 2015, that recognition (exequatur) is decided by the Fourth Chamber of the Supreme Court. - Release the data it holds only when Panamanian law requires it (a Panamanian court or prosecutor's order), or in a UDRP case. - Tell you before any action on your domain, unless the law or the court order forbids it. - Count each foreign order, accepted or refused, in the [transparency report](https://panamaregistrar.com/transparency/). **What it cannot do:** - Stop a registry, or our registrar partner, from applying a court order of its own country. - Undo a registry lock, transfer or deletion. - Set aside ICANN duties. A UDRP case locks the domain within 2 business days of the provider's request. A URS case is locked at registry level within 24 hours. Our full rules for orders are on [court orders](https://panamaregistrar.com/court-orders/) and the [takedown procedure](https://panamaregistrar.com/takedown-procedure/). ## What happens when a foreign order reaches PanamaRegistrar The same sequence for every foreign court order sent to us. It does not apply to an order served on a registry, which we only learn about afterwards. 1. **Logged** — The order gets an automatic acknowledgement with a reference number and is logged with its date, sender and domain. 2. **Checked with the court** — In practice, we confirm every order with the court or prosecutor's office that issued it, through its official contact details, before acting. 3. **Exequatur or not** — A foreign judgment without recognition in Panama is refused, and the sender is told what Panamanian law requires. 4. **You are told** — We write to your verified email before any action on your domain, unless the law or the court order forbids it. 5. **Counted** — The order appears in the next transparency report, by country of origin and outcome. ## How do I choose an extension whose registry is outside a given country? Look up the registry's country before you register. The IANA root zone database names the organisation that manages each extension, with its address. Our [registry jurisdiction index](https://panamaregistrar.com/registry-jurisdiction/) shows it for every extension we sell. A few examples from the IANA database, checked on 19 October 2026: *Registry country from the IANA root zone database, checked 2026-10-19. Prices from our price list.* | Extension | Registry (IANA) | Registry country | Price here | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | .com | VeriSign Global Registry Services | United States (Reston, Virginia) | $11.99 | | .net | VeriSign Global Registry Services | United States (Reston, Virginia) | $12.99 | | .org | Public Interest Registry | United States (Reston, Virginia) | $12.99 | | .xyz | XYZ.COM LLC | United States (Las Vegas, Nevada) | $11.99 | | .de | DENIC eG | Germany (Frankfurt am Main) | $36.99 (with Domain protection) | | .ch | SWITCH | Switzerland (Zurich) | $41.49 (with Domain protection) | | .me | Government of Montenegro | Montenegro (Podgorica) | $18.49 | | .co | MinTIC (technical operator CentralNic, London) | Colombia | $31.99 | ## Is picking a foreign registry a way to escape justice? No, and it should not be used that way. Choosing a registry country is ordinary risk management, the same as choosing where to incorporate or where to host data. A European company may prefer that a dispute over its domain is heard in Europe. A publisher may want a takedown to pass through the courts of one known country. Three limits stay in place whatever you choose: - The courts of the registry's own country can still act on the domain. - A court with power over you can order you to hand over the domain. - Phishing, malware, botnets, child sexual abuse material and fraud that takes money from victims are suspended on a well-documented report at PanamaRegistrar, without waiting for any court. If you are already a party to a case, moving a domain will not end it. Ask a lawyer in the country concerned. Background on legality: [is offshore domain registration legal?](https://panamaregistrar.com/guides/is-offshore-domain-registration-legal/). > **This is not legal advice.** This guide describes public legal texts and official releases as of 19 October 2026. For a dispute about your own domain, consult a lawyer qualified in the country whose courts are involved. ## Questions about foreign courts and domains ### Can a US court take my .com if my registrar is in Panama? Yes. Verisign, the .com registry, is in Reston, Virginia, and a US court can order it to lock, transfer or cancel the domain. US trademark law even allows an in rem action against the domain itself where the registry sits. PanamaRegistrar cannot block an order served on Verisign. We can only tell you before any action on your domain, unless the law or the court order forbids it. ### What is an in rem action against a domain name? It is a lawsuit against the domain itself rather than its owner. Under 15 U.S.C. §1125(d)(2), a trademark owner can file one where the registrar or registry is located. This applies when the registrant cannot be sued in person or found. The court can only order the domain forfeited, cancelled or transferred to the mark owner. ### Does PanamaRegistrar obey foreign court orders? Not directly. A foreign judgment binds PanamaRegistrar only after the Fourth Chamber of Panama's Supreme Court recognises it by exequatur, under Law 61 of 2015. Foreign criminal requests go through Panamanian authorities, for example under the US–Panama legal assistance treaty in force since 6 September 1995. Our registrar partner answers to the courts of its own country. See [court orders](https://panamaregistrar.com/court-orders/). ### Can a court seize a .de or .ch domain? Yes, but through other countries' courts. DENIC, the .de registry, is in Frankfurt, Germany, and SWITCH, the .ch registry, is in Zurich, Switzerland. A US order would need to go through German or Swiss procedure to reach them. At PanamaRegistrar these two extensions are sold with Domain protection only; .de costs $36.99 a year. ### Will I be told if my domain is seized? If the order comes to us, yes. We write to your verified email before any action on your domain, unless the law or the court order forbids it. If the order is served on the registry, we may learn of it only when the domain status changes. US seizure warrants are sometimes sealed by the court, so neither you nor we may be told in advance. ### Can a foreign court get my personal data from PanamaRegistrar? Only through Panamanian law. We release the data we hold only when Panamanian law requires it (a Panamanian court or prosecutor's order), or in a UDRP case. Our registrar partner and, for thick extensions such as .org, the registry also hold registration records under their own law; the .com and .net registries hold no contact data. See [what we hold](https://panamaregistrar.com/what-we-hold/). ### Does a domain seizure take down my hosting too? Not necessarily. A domain seizure changes where the name points; your server and files stay with your host. Your host answers to the courts of its own country, which can order content removed separately. Keeping registrar, registry and host in different countries spreads those risks, but does not remove any of them. ## Sources 1. [15 U.S. Code §1125 (d)(2): in rem civil action against a domain name](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1125) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (checked 2026-10-19) 2. [Operation In Our Sites protects American online shoppers, cracks down on counterfeiters](https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/operation-our-sites-protects-american-online-shoppers-cracks-down-counterfeiters) — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2011-11-27, checked 2026-10-19) 3. [Seizure warrant for the domain toknowall.com, addressed to Verisign](https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1066036/download) — US Department of Justice (2018, checked 2026-10-19) 4. [Root Zone Database (.com, .net, .org, .xyz, .de, .ch, .me, .co)](https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/) — IANA (checked 2026-10-19) 5. [Ley 61 de 7 de octubre de 2015 (Código de Derecho Internacional Privado), arts. 155–157](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2010/2015/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_27885-A_2015_10_8_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_61.pdf) — Asamblea Nacional (Legispan) (2015-10-08, checked 2026-10-19) 6. [Ley 478 de 4 de agosto de 2025 (Código Procesal Penal art. 338-C)](https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/30337/GacetaNo_30337_20250805.pdf) — Gaceta Oficial No. 30337 (2025-08-05, checked 2026-10-19) 7. [Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties of the United States](https://www.justice.gov/criminal-oia/file/1498806/download) — US Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs (April 2022, checked 2026-10-19) 8. [UDRP Rules, paragraph 4 (lock within two business days)](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/udrp-rules-2015-03-11-en) — ICANN (effective 2015-07-31, checked 2026-10-19) 9. [Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS)](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/urs-2013-10-31-en) — ICANN (checked 2026-10-19) --- PanamaRegistrar: PanamaRegistrar is a domain registration service under Panamanian jurisdiction, paid in crypto with no ID upload: we act on Panamanian court orders, not on unverified complaints.