What are the risks of using a trademarked brand name in a domain name?

Having a trademark brand in your domain name is a risk. If the domain was registered before the trademark was, then your registrar may stand behind you and will not immediately transfer the domain to the company which is complaining about trademark infringement. In this case, you may ask for a monetary compensation before transferring domain ownership, though you should have a lawyer look at your case.

However, if your domain name was registered more recently than the trademark registration date, then the company holding the trademark may ask your domain registrar to transfer the domain ownership to them. The registrar will most likely comply, looking to avoid complications. In western countries, trademark infringement is a very serious legal violation.