I want to make sure that the address is not being used and if that is
the case I would like to register the name so that I own it.

Hi there Chrishat! An interesting question, and a problem I've been
through recently when acquiring a website address myself.

Let me give you a little bit of background - that is, things that I
discovered along the way.

The first thing you'll need to know, is that website addresses are
referred to as "Domain names". For instance, google.com is a domain
name. To check whether a domain name is being used, you need to use
something called a "WHOIS" service. The WHOIS database keeps track of
which person or company owns a particular domain name. Once you
register your domain there, you are guaranteed ownership of it (you
have legally secured the rights to that domain name, for the period of
time you register for - typically just one year). Please note that
you'll need to give your full name, address, and telephone number when
you do register.

The WHOIS service checks whether the domain name is being used
already. If it isn't, great, you can go ahead and register it for your
own use. If not, you'll need to think of a different one (for
instance, if google.com has gone, then you could try gewgol.com).

An excellent WHOIS service (there are many of them) is the one
provided by NetSol.com:

http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois

If you try the examples above, you can see that google.com is already
registered:

http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois?STRING=google.com&SearchType=do

But gewgol.com is available for anyone to register (at the time of
typing):

http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois?STRING=gewgol.com&SearchType=do

You can register your domain name through a large variety of different
companies. They each offer similar services, but at widely ranging
prices. The number of companies who do this is vast - have a look at
the following link, and click on a letter of the alphabet:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Domain_Names/

Typically, you'll pay between $10 and $50 to register your domain
name. Remember, that this gets you nothing except legal ownership of
the domain. You will most likely want to be able to receive email at
the address, and have visitors reach your website (for instance: You'd
want people to be able to type www.gewgol.com in their browser, and
see your page; and you'd want people to be able to send you email to
chris@gewgol.com). Some companies throw this in as an extra when you
register a domain name, but that's unusual, and you'll definitely want
to check that it's offered at a competitive price. This service is
normally called "web hosting" or just "hosting". A reasonable hosting
price starts at around $5 per month, and goes up depending on how many
visitors reach your website.

Let me show you an example, before all this gets too confusing! If you
used the website listed below, you could register gewgol.com for $9.79
for one year. Then, web hosting (being able to put webpages on the
site, and receive email there) would cost you $9.95 per month. That's
a total annual price of $129.19.

http://www.planetdomain.com/cheapdomaingroup/

Another example. If you used the website below, you could register
gewgol.com for $5 per year. You could then get web hosting for only
$3.99 per month. That's a total annual cost of $52.88. It's a lot
cheaper than the example above, but you may find that the company cuts
corners in other departments - for instance, their phone helpline
might only be open weekdays. Before you choose a company, it's
probably best to call or email them, ask them some questions, and
measure their turnaround time.

http://www.one2host.com/

I hope this has helped you get a good idea on what you need to do. As
with all things computer related, it's complicated! So let me
summarise:

* Use the WHOIS service to check whether the domain you want is
available.
* If it is, search for a company who register domain names AND provide
hosting at a reasonable price.
* Once you've found one, registration takes between 24 and 72 hours.
* After that, the whole world can see your domain name!

I hope that helps you out - if you need clarification on any of these
points, then don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck,

-- seizer-ga

PS - If you'd prefer a different WHOIS server, there are many of them
available here:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Domain_Names/Name_Search/

Searches uesd: "domain registration", "hosting", "WHOIS server"

The answer above is excellent information on the technical aspects of
getting a domain name, and I wouldn't want to detract from that. 
However, someone obtaining a domain name should be aware that
obtaining a domain doesn't automatically confer on you any rights to a
trademark.  For example, if for some reason ford.com were available
and I started using that domain to promote my automotive products, I
very well could find myself in a trademark dispute with the folks who
make Ford cars.  And even if I bought and used gewgol.com, it's
possible I could find my self in a dispute with the wonderful folks at
Google if I used my domain in such a way that it confused users with
the real Google.  If you want to fully protect a domain name, you need
to address trademark issues.

I would like to emphasize that not all registrars actually give you
title even to the URL, some retain ownership.

Check out buydomains.com for one of the low priced registrars which
offers a good value and inexpensive forwarding services.