Jack Killpatrick wrote:
>
> Andreas wrote:
> > I've read in one of the web trade magazines that the Internic is in such
> > chaos that something like 50% of the domain holders are NOT paying their
> > bills. I figure that most of these name squatters are not paying the fees.
> > The Internic can't figure out how to deal with several million people and
> > they don't dare cancel an account, for getting sued.
>
> Big ol giggle. A client asked me recently if I thought the NIC would cut off
> their domain because their payment was late. Heh. As you said, imagine the
> lawsuits! I had an experience with the InterNIC earlier this year where I
> cancelled a domain that I had not paid for. I cancelled it within 30 days of
> signing up for it....but I got bills for a good three months afterward.
> Cancelled the domain more than once during that period, too. It made me
> think "If it's been 3 months and they're still sending final notices (on a
> deleted domain, even), then when would they cancel a real domain".
I don't see the lawsuit issue at all. Maybe I'm missing something.
If you don't pay your phone bill, your phone is shut off. If you pay it
later, you can get it turned back on. If you ignore for six months,
you'll likely lose the number all together.
If you don't pay bill for PO box, you no longer get your mail put into
it. After about a month of no payment, the PO Box number goes to
someone else.
In both cases you have an investment similar to a domain--you've
advertised it, rely on it and people expect to find you there. If you
screw up and lose it, it's your own damn fault.
It would seem to me that if you ignore repeated billings and lose a
domain, and they make a reasonable effort (perhaps six months of trying)
before putting it back on the market, tough cookies to you. Even if you
own the trademark and it is resold, I see no reason InterNIC (as much as
I despise them myself) should be to blame. If you fail to use due
diligence to protect it *after* you got the domain name, I don't see why
a court should reward you for being sloppy and lazy by continuing to
protect it. Once you have it and lose it, it's lost (at least with
copyright and trademark it is).
As I'm paying my bills on time, I'd be all in favor of lowering fees for
people that pay on time, and charging a high "reinstatement" fee for
people that don't to have their domains turned back on *chuckle*
B
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