Busted: Someone is watching your domain availability searches

**alojah** · 07-20-2006, 01:03 PM

Ever wondered if someone was watching your domain availability searches? Have you ever checked a domain and it's available but when you go back the next day to register the name it's been mysteriously taken? This may be the culprit:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1991365,00.asp

**ColdGin** · 07-20-2006, 01:20 PM

It´s not the first time I see that kind of articles and not the first time I see the same company.

Take a look

A company steal my domains

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?p=1078817

**GT Web** · 07-20-2006, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by ColdGin

It´s not the first time I see that kind of articles and not the first time I see the same company.

Take a look

A company steal my domains

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?p=1078817

#1: that thread is stupid - the same guy also posted on NP
#2: no domains were "stolen", simply registered
#3: there is nothing illegal about what registrars are doing - immoral, but not illegal
#4: run your searches at safe registrars that you trust
#5: if you find a good name to register, don't wait a week, grab it right away

this whole thing has been blown out of proportion

**whitebark** · 07-20-2006, 02:12 PM

Think about it - they might be in business to take your money to register a new name and all that comes with that, but in the end they are your competition. I suspect most registrars log searches for their own benefit. It is so simple to do.

Find a name - register it right there and then. It's about the only true safe thing you can do if you really want that domain name. And I agree with GT - it's not outright theft, but certainly immoral. But since when has business been occupied by the moral high ground?

**Tia Wood** · 07-20-2006, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by GT Web

#2: no domains were "stolen", simply registered
#3: there is nothing illegal about what registrars are doing - immoral, but not illegal
#4: run your searches at safe registrars that you trust
#5: if you find a good name to register, don't wait a week, grab it right away

this whole thing has been blown out of proportion

I agree. There is only speculation at this point. Yes, it's immoral and shady but unfortunately not illegal. Hopefully ICANN will put a stop to it. GT Web's advice is good: register at places you trust and register them right away.

**Ian** · 07-20-2006, 03:07 PM

i agree that this immoral but not an illegal issue can only be put to stop by ICANN. But before a solution is found those unsuspecting newbie domainers will be driven out of business

.

**Domagon** · 07-26-2006, 05:15 PM

This is news?... registration of domains based on Whois requests at some whois lookup places goes back to the late 90s.

Among the most stealthy way to check domain availability is to query its associated TLD zone.

Ie. to check a domain in .com or .net, one would query a.gtld-servers.net ... if no name servers are returned for the query, then it's very likely (though not guranteed for various reasons) the desired domain is available.

Ron