Blog
Tiago Ribeiro
Digital Marketing Specialist at .PT
14-11-2025
Did you forget to renew your domain registration?
A British Case, a Lesson for Everyone
In October 2025, the United Kingdom woke up to a disturbing piece of news. Puffin Books, one of the most renowned publishers in the world of children's literature, had asked British schools to remove the Spy Dog series from their shelves.
The reason? The website address printed on the final pages of the books—created years ago by the author, Andrew Cope—had since been registered by a third party and turned into a pornographic website.
Alarmed parents. Panicked schools. Publishers recalling books. And all of this because a domain was not renewed. Does it sound like an overreaction? It’s not. It’s a clear illustration of how online reputations can vanish with a single forgotten click.
Suddenly, a simple editorial detail—a small URL at the end of a children's book—became a security and reputational threat.
At first glance, it’s a British story. In reality, it’s a warning for all of us. Because what happened in the UK could have happened to any brand, company or author in Portugal.
A forgotten domain is a serious risk—just one moment of inattention is enough for a legitimate address to turn into a vehicle for fraud, disinformation or, in this case, inappropriate content.
Domains Are Not Just Addresses
Think of a domain as the name on the door of a house. It is the visible identity of a brand, author, or organisation. Whoever controls it, controls the access—and often, the trust that comes with it.
When the domain expires, the name becomes available. What was once yours is now up for grabs by whoever gets there first. In the case of Spy Dog, the address began leading to explicit content—a reputational disaster for both the author and the publisher.
All due to administrative oversight, lack of monitoring, or simply failing to treat the domain as what it really is: a strategic asset.
What This Story Teaches Us (And What You Should Do Now)
You don’t have to be a big company to face this problem.
All it takes is a personal website, a school project, an online store, or a forgotten campaign.
Here are the five key lessons from the Spy Dog case for anyone or any organisation with an online presence:
- Always renew on time: Enable auto-renewal and ensure the contact details associated with the domain are up to date. A simple email change can be the beginning of negligence.
- Centralise your domain management: Many companies have dozens of scattered sites and subdomains. It’s essential to maintain an organised register—an inventory with timelines, responsibilities, and access control.
- Protect variants and associated names: Register alternative versions of your domain (e.g., with and without hyphens, in singular and plural, product or campaign names). Prevention is cheaper than remediation.
- Choose a trustworthy TLD: The .pt domain ensures security, transparency, and local technical support. It also boosts credibility with your audience.
- Treat your domain as a brand asset, not a cost: It’s part of your digital identity—what people type in when they want to find what’s yours.
The Invisible Cost of Forgetting
The Spy Dog case made headlines because it involved children and a well-known brand, but every day domains change hands unnoticed.
An expired domain can be used to:
- Imitate your site and deceive customers;
- Collect personal data;
- Host inappropriate content;
- Divert traffic and reputation to competitors or hackers.
It’s a major silent threat—and it’s completely avoidable.
Protect Your Online Name
Use the WHOIS lookup to confirm that your domains are active and protected.
Please note: the articles on this blog may not convey the opinion of .PT, but of its author.
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