Domain locked by registrar

[cshel]

I had a question about how one would go about finding out why a domain was locked by it's registrar?

The domains in question were registered by a jerk in my town who has been buying up variations of my domain name for years and I just haven't had the spare change to file a complaint about it.

I monitor changes to the domains regularly and recently I noticed that TUCOWS has locked most of the domains he's registered....yet I know I didn't file any disputes...

So I'm wondering if someone else filed a dispute (in which case I now have two people to worry about)...

Anyway, any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Carolyn

[Banned: timechange.com]

Probably credit card issues.

[cshel]

Okay, well here's a related question...

If I were to shell out for filing the complaint (which I'm positive I'll win) would I then have any recourse for recovering my expenses? Like could I take the decision and turn around and sue for expenses?

Thanks

Carolyn

[cshel]

Actually, I did some digging around at OpenSRS.org and I found this: http://resellers.tucows.com/opensrs/...ckingguide.pdf

Apparently, since this bozo is signed up as a reseller, he can lock the domains himself, ostensibily to prevent hijacking.

I assume this lock would be lifted in the event of a successful domain dispute?

Sorry I'm posting so much...
Carolyn

[GeorgeK]

Carolyn: assuming he didn't appeal a UDRP decision, then the domain would be transferred to you if you won (so the domain lock wouldn't matter).

Maybe PM someone the domain name? Unless those "similar" domains are getting traffic, you probably don't have too much to worry about. Check their rank in Alexa, for example, or try checking in Google to see if they are linked to by anyone....or use Overture's tool at

http://inventory.overture.com/

to see if folks type-in the other guy's variations. You might just be worried over nothing serious (i.e. he could be more of a pest, than a real threat to your business).

[cshel]

He doesn't have anything running at those domains (because, my attorney told me, I would then have a case for going after him on a state statute...which won't cost me as much to file, etc... and I know I could go for attorney's fees in a state case).

I suppose in theory as long as it's not being used, I haven't got anything to worry about... It would make my life easier for marketing purposes if I could use the non-hyphenated version of my domain, or the .info (either hyphenated or not... he got them both)

I think I'm especially agitated by the whole situation because the guy will periodically try to "anonymously" offer me an insulting sum of money for my domain name (because he doesn't need or want the "useless" content of the site).

Ultimately, it's the principle of the matter... he's being naughty and he knows it and I just wish there were a cheap way to make sure everyone else knows it, too.

[GeorgeK]

Not owning the non-hyphenated version of your domain would suck. :(

Have you invested a lot in that identity? Maybe come up with a fresh identity at some point, where you can control the relevant domain names up front?

[GeorgeK]

Are the domains lafayette-online.com and lafayetteonline.com ? (from your profile) I doubt there'd be any trademark protection at all for those (very generic), so unlikely to win a dispute for these domains, in any venue.

[cshel]

Yes they are pretty generic, but at the time (1994) it seemed like a good idea.

I always sort of suspected that I wouldn't be able to claim a common law trademark or even register a real trademark, but then a company which no longer appears to exist actually got a supplemental trademark registration (I looked it up at www.uspto.gov) on the words Lafayette and Online together....

I emailed back and forth with another lurker/attorney here and espite the fact that this other third party has the trademark, he said that "UDRP accepts domain name disputes based on common-law names, you have legitimate interests in your name and in-town guy is using the name(s) in bad faith."

P.S. The name lafayetteonline.com is actually owned by a defunct entity and I'm in the process of acquiring that... lafayetteonline.net and lafayetteonline.org AND lafayette-online.org and lafayette-online.info and .biz etc etc...are all registered by the in-town guy.

[GeorgeK]

I wouldn't worry too much about the other guy owning the .net/org/biz/info -- probably ZERO traffic for those. Getting the non-hyphenated version of the .com should be the top priority.