taking over a domain..

[zimu]

just wondering what the legal issues of this are.

company A has registered a.com. They didn't pay their registrar, the domain is locked for 30 days until the company pays up.

now lets say I come along, and place a bid on the domain. the company doesn't pay after 30 days, the domain is unlocked, I win the bid and take over the domain.

legally how does this work? Can the company sue me or claim their site back or something?

 

[Zugzwang152]

Originally posted by: zimu
just wondering what the legal issues of this are.

company A has registered a.com. They didn't pay their registrar, the domain is locked for 30 days until the company pays up.

now lets say I come along, and place a bid on the domain. the company doesn't pay after 30 days, the domain is unlocked, I win the bid and take over the domain.

legally how does this work? Can the company sue me or claim their site back or something?

there's laws against cyber squatting now...

 

[zimu]

but this technically isn't cybersquatting- i'm not buying a domain in advance knowing that it'll become big.

it's more me taking over a domain of a company who didn't pay up, and had 30 days to pay up.

 

[zimu]

HOLY CRAP!! SOMEONE BAN THIS GUY!

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: wingsp

hi!!!!

free blackberry or sidekick II
at http://www.pdv001.com/index.php?id=o000038 - they
are
giving away a
free blackberry or sidekick II - for signing up - if its true - a
pretty
good deal




free baby phat i833 phone or motorola razr v3
http://www.pdv001.com/index.php?id=o000039 has a
promotion
for free baby phat i833 phone or motorola razr v3 - i signed up for it

LOL

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy

Originally posted by: wingsp

hi!!!!

free blackberry or sidekick II
at http://www.pdv001.com/index.php?id=o000038 - they
are
giving away a
free blackberry or sidekick II - for signing up - if its true - a
pretty
good deal




free baby phat i833 phone or motorola razr v3
http://www.pdv001.com/index.php?id=o000039 has a
promotion
for free baby phat i833 phone or motorola razr v3 - i signed up for it

LOL

WTF? not even in his own thread...weak.

 

[piroroadkill]

Originally posted by: wingsp

hi!!!!

free blackberry or sidekick II
at http://www.pdv001.com/index.php?id=o000038 - they
are
giving away a
free blackberry or sidekick II - for signing up - if its true - a
pretty
good deal




free baby phat i833 phone or motorola razr v3
http://www.pdv001.com/index.php?id=o000039 has a
promotion
for free baby phat i833 phone or motorola razr v3 - i signed up for it

Lock and Ban, and once again, my Sony Ericsson P900 is greater than all of those POSs.

 

[Ramma2]

I've wondered about this too. I work for a medical company in Minnesota, and come company in california has the same initials as us, and thus the .com address that would work for us. Since the initials one is taken, we spell out our name and that makes for a 20 letter domain name.

It would be nice to watch the other domain and try to snatch it.

 

[DeMeo]

I recall hearing something in the news a few years ago about some guy that got some microsoft website (not sure if it was microsft.com or what)
anyway,
He was an idiot. He couldn't get into his mail or something becaseu someone at microsoft had forgotten to renew the website. So this guy went and paid to get teh website. then he contacted microsoft and gave it to them. He could have made a fortune, but "he jsut wanted to get into his email".

 

[IamElectro]

Originally posted by: DeMeo
I recall hearing something in the news a few years ago about some guy that got some microsoft website (not sure if it was microsft.com or what)
anyway,
He was an idiot. He couldn't get into his mail or something becaseu someone at microsoft had forgotten to renew the website. So this guy went and paid to get teh website. then he contacted microsoft and gave it to them. He could have made a fortune, but "he jsut wanted to get into his email".

I remember reading about that somwwhere as well. I believe that microsoft reimbursted him the money plus 500 for his troubles.

 

[Jzero]

If you have a legitimate claim to the name, then you should be able to buy it up fair and square, although beware that if the other guy is a well-known ship, you may lose it anyway.

If you have no legitimate claim to the name, they'll grab it back from you lickety-split, no sh!t.

 

[AStar617]

I seem to remember this exact occurence (a failure to renew) happening a few years ago to the Washington Post perhaps? In any event their lawyers ran a Mack truck through the registration attempt, and got control back. It did make news though.

 

[hoyaguru]

So what's the url?

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

If you can show that you have some legitamate use for the domain name, business or personal, then you can defend it.

Example: I'm a little fuzzy on this one case from my business law class, but some guy had the domain name www.sting.com. The musician, Sting wanted that domain name. This guy was able to prove that he used it for legitimate reasons (His nickname was also sting, and he was able to prove it). So, since there was a legitimate claim, and Sting the musician couldnt just use some legal power to muscle in and take it.

 

[dandruff]

isnt there a redemption period of 90 days or something? after it expires the original owner can pay $$ ($80 in case of godaddy.com) within the redemption period and get it back ... but this lock / nonpayment case might be different ...

 

[rahvin]

If you are hoping to blackmail someone you are going to lose any dispute, if you try to register someone elses trademark you are going to lose any dispute.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: dandruff
isnt there a redemption period of 90 days or something? after it expires the original owner can pay $$ ($80 in case of godaddy.com) within the redemption period and get it back ... but this lock / nonpayment case might be different ...

I believe it's 45-60 days from the date of expiration.