[WEB4LIB] Re: Domain Hijacking Tools (aka NetworkSolutions.Com)

[Johan Zeeman]

I'm curious to know what the perfectly legitimate business of reselling
domain names that former owners have let lapse (whether through choice or
carelessness) has to do with the fraudulent and almost certainly illegal
domain hijacking described in the article cited in the first post.  And what
that article has to do with the rest of that first message.

If Tourism Toronto wished to keep its domain name, they should have taken
the necessary steps to pay the $29 or whatever it might cost.  Certainly, in
my experience, they will have been given ample opportunity and lots of
reminders by the registrar to do so.

When you lease a domain name you agree to the terms and conditions.  One of
the primary ones is that your permission to use the name expires at the end
of the period you have paid for.  Whether this is the way we would have it
in an ideal world is irrelevant - that is whay you have agreed to.   What
SnapNames is doing is perfectly legal and I rather admire them for having
found a clever way to make a buck or two from the DNS.  Wish I'd thought of
it myself.

j.

playing devil's advocate


----- Original Message -----
From: "gprice" <gprice at gwu.edu>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: Friday, March 08, 2002 2:26 PM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: Domain Hijacking Tools (aka NetworkSolutions.Com)


> Thomas, an article in today's Financial Post discusses this topic.
>
> Title: "Smut peddlers quick to grab expired domain names to redirect
traffic"
>
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/story.html?f=/stories/20020308/272771.htm
l
>
>
>
> cheers,
> gary
>
>
>
> At 02:13 PM 3/8/02, Thomas Keays wrote:
> >During a discussion on this list last fall on the topic of domain
hijacking,
> >Lida Pinkham forwarded a link to a page describing how these things
happen
> >and pointing out the "flaws in InterNIC's domain name handling system".
> >
> >
>
><http://www.securiteam.com/securitynews/Domain_Hijacking__A_step-by-step_gu
ide.html>
> >
> >Things have changed for the worse.
> >
> >If you go to Network Solutions, InterNIC's primary domain registration
> >site for the US, and enter a search for a known domain, you will find,
> >along with the results for available, similarly named domains, a link
> >reading "Back-Order zzzzz.com NOW!" which takes you to an "affiliate"
> >company that, for $69, will monitor and secure that domain name for
> >you.
> >
> >   <http://www.netsol.com/>
> >   <http://www.snapnames.com/>
> >
> >In SnapNames own words:
> >
> >     Is the domain name you want already taken?  If so, like hundreds of
> >     thousands every month, it may soon expire and become available
again.
> >     You can now "back-order" your name with SnapBack.
> >
> >     When you Back-Order a name:
> >     - SnapBack will monitor the name around the clock, "24/7", so you
don't
> >       have to.
> >     - If it becomes available during the next year, SnapBack will
attempt to
> >       acquire the name for you the moment it becomes available.
> >
> >It goes on to describe the costs and what happens if you don't
successfully
> >hijack someone's domain.  Note the cost for stealing a domain is only
> >slightly higher than buying a new one.  I bet the cost of buying your
> >domain back from the hijacker will cost rather more.
> >
> >Be vigilant.  Domain theft is now sanctioned behavior and Network
Solutions
> >is giving you the tools to do it right.
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >Thomas Keays    Syracuse University Library    htkeays at syr.edu
> >Syracuse NY 13244-2010      315/443-9769      315/443-5549 fax
>
> Looking for More News, New Sites, Search Tips?
> Visit The Virtual Acquisition Shelf and News Desk
> http://resourceshelf.blogspot.com
>
>
> Gary D. Price, MLIS
> Librarian
> Gary Price Library Research and Internet Consulting
> gprice at gwu.edu
>