EXPERT.US --> Registered in Israel?

[Who-Wiz]

Ok, so when the .US's hit, Register.com failed me and said it was registering domains it actually wasn't, and in the end domains that were available when I registered, were not available when Register.com finally went to process the transaction. That's fine... I understand why... but one of the domains I was attempting to register, I was just checking and... wait a minute... I *thought* you needed to be a U.S. Citizen to register .us domains?

---------------------
Domain Name: EXPERT.US
Domain ID: D1769529-US
Sponsoring Registrar: GO DADDY SOFTWARE, INC.
Domain Status: ok
Registrant ID: GODA-01373497
Registrant Name: Eitan NAVEH
Registrant Organization: iou2
Registrant Address1: 84 A' Ashkenazi St.
Registrant City: Tel Aviv
Registrant Postal Code: 69869
Registrant Country: Israel
Registrant Country Code: IL
---------------------

Now, how's that happen?

And some other interesting info...

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Created by Registrar: BOOKMYNAME.COM
Last Updated by Registrar: GO DADDY SOFTWARE, INC.
Last Transferred Date: Sat Aug 17 16:06:20 GMT 2002
Domain Registration Date: Wed Apr 24 14:00:43 GMT 2002
Domain Expiration Date: Sat Apr 23 23:59:59 GMT 2005
Domain Last Updated Date: Fri Aug 30 23:28:24 GMT 2002
---------------------

"Last Transferred Date: Aug. 17".

Anyone have any information about this type of thing that might be useful. Should I submit a query to GoDaddy about this?

BookMyName.com's reg info hails for Paris, France. I realize that the guidelines on .US registrations aren't really being adhered to, but I'm feeling a little more cheated than I did in April in this particular instance.

~ W|Z

 

[mole]

Of course foreigners can register .us domains under Cat 3 of Nexus. Neustar themselves are promoting the line that you should register a .us if you want to sell to the US market.:dead:

 

[Who-Wiz]

I see. Misunderstanding then.

This confuses me...

Who can register a .US domain name?
http://www.us/faqs/index.html#who_can_register
Any U.S. citizen or resident, as well as any business or organization, including federal, state, and local government with a bona fide presence in the United States can register a .US domain name.

One of the following eligibility requirements must be met:

• A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions, or
• Any entity or organization that is incorporated within one of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions or territories or (ii) organized or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, or any of its possessions or territories, or
• An entity or organization (including federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona fide presence in the United States. See Section B.3.1 of the NeuStar proposal to the Department of Commerce for details concerning what constitutes a “bona fide presence.“

 

[pixelman]

This is not surprising.

There will be a lot of works if the registrars need to check whether the registrants are from US. They only concern about their fat wallets. But for .US, if a foreign companies owns a business in US, they are also eligible..

If you check the whois records of .NAME, you will see a lot of names registered by overseas people.

 

[Who-Wiz]

Originally posted by mole
Of course foreigners can register .us domains under Cat 3 of Nexus. Neustar themselves are promoting the line that you should register a .us if you want to sell to the US market.:dead:

Mole, I think Cat 3 is supposed to be more substantive than allowing for ANY foreign entities. In the record above, it appears to me to be an individual, and not an entity with substantive and lawful US connections. I view that as an allowance that doesn't just shut out everyone not US-based, no matter what (which would be too restrictive).

I'm still looking and I was just reading this:

http://www.us/policies/docs/nexus_dispute_policy.pdf

1. Page 1
   a.) Evidence of Noncompliance with US Nexus—For the purposes
   of Paragraph 3, the following circumstances, in particular but
   without limitation, if found by the Provider to be present, shall be
   evidence of noncompliance with the Nexus Requirements:
2. You are not (a) a United States citizen, (b) a permanent
   resident of the United States of America or any of its
   possessions or territories, or (c) primarily domiciled in the
   United States of America or any of its possessions; or
3. You are not a United States entity or organization that is (a)
   America’s Internet Address
   incorporated within one of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the
   District of Columbia, or any of the United States
   possessions or territories, or (b) organized or otherwise
   constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of
   America, the District of Columbia or any of its possessions
   or territories (including a federal, state, or local government
   of the United States or a political subdivision thereof, and
   non-commercial organizations based in the United States);
   or
4. You are not a foreign entity (including an individual) or
   organization that has a bona fide presence in the United
   States of America. In order to have a “bona fide
   presence”, you must have real and substantial lawful
   connections with, or lawful activities in, the United States of
   America.

Category 3 states:

3.A foreign entity or organization that has a bona fide presence in the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories [Nexus Category 3].
Prospective Registrants will certify that they have a “bona fide presence in the United States” on the basis of real and substantial lawful connections with, or lawful activities in, the United States of America. This requirement is intended to ensure that only those individuals or organizations that have a substantive lawful connection to the United States are permitted to register for usTLD domain names.
It shall be a continuing requirement that all usTLD domain name Registrants remain in compliance with Nexus. To implement the Nexus requirement, NeuStar will:
·Require that Registrars certify that they enforce the Nexus requirement upon their Registrants, and that Registrars require Registrants to certify tha t they meet the Nexus requirement.
·Conduct a scan of selected registration request information.
·Conduct “spot checks” on Registrant information.

Is the going feeling that any foreign entity can easily claim some connection to the US market and get by on that third category?

Based on the rules set forth, that sounds a bit flimsy...

~ W|Z

 

[mole]

Neustar will of course entertain any complaints that you may have regarding a .us unqualified registration if you bother to submit evidence that the bone fide presence was not adequately met. How you piece that together, is up to you. I doubt Neustar will bother doing the legwork for you.

I've been trying to shake the coconut tree on one prime .info name and have made numerous complaints about the fraudelent tm claim on this name to Afilias.

You never know, one day the coconuts may drop. Just make sure you are not directly under the tree

 

[Who-Wiz]

Originally posted by mole
You never know, one day the coconuts may drop. Just make sure you are not directly under the tree

:laugh: No doubt.

~ W|Z

 

[DotComster]

Despite haveing a lovely American wife - I will never register a dot US domain. Never registered my own country's TLDs either.

Dot Coms all the way

 

[pixelman]

I can get .com cheaper than my country's domain...

Many users are very poor in memorizing domain name. Dotcom without the country code is shorter and easier to recall.

 

[mole]

Originally posted by pixelman
Many users are very poor in memorizing domain name. Dotcom without the country code is shorter and easier to recall.

Same thing with .info 193,000 results on Google with search term:- site:info information

And .biz 79,600 results on Google with search term:- site:biz business

:swg:

 

[adoptabledomains]

I saw a generic .us domain being sold on ebay immediately when they started allowing transfers, registered by a german or austrian registrant with no apparent USA nexus. I reported it to the .us registry operator and was told that I could file a dispute ($$) if I wanted, but they would do nothing, not even investigate unless one was filed.

The wild wild west on the honor system.

 

[adoptabledomains]

Originally posted by pixelman
...
If you check the whois records of .NAME, you will see a lot of names registered by overseas people.

And what's the problem with this? Dot name, unlike the dot-us TLD is open worldwide.

 

[wordznpics]

I found an Australian registrar who had hundreds if not thousands of .US domains registered. When I was told after several attempts to contact the registrar that they wanted $1500, I complained to the authorities. Neustar pointed me toward the conflict resolution via arbitration at $1600, and Enom refused to even enforce their own policy, that requires the registrant to comply with the Nexus requirements and provide full contact information. The registrar's name is Jason Namours, and he changed everything over naming the guy who was originally only his US-based billing contact Brad Norrish. Interestingly, the administrative and technical contact e-mails are still [email protected]. I think it's clear that .US domains are designed for use by US-based individuals and companies, and by foreign based companies which have a substantial US presence. I don't think an Australian registrar with a US billing contact qualifies. But I'm not going to spend $1500-$1600 to get a .US domain: they're virtually worthless when compared to .com domains of the same name.

 

[buddy]

But I'm not going to spend $1500-$1600 to get a .US domain: they're virtually worthless when compared to .com domains of the same name.

I agree with you that some of the .us registrations should have been disqualified and withdrawn. But as you stated, nothing can be proven unless you are willing to pay the $1,600 it takes to resolve it via arbitration.

Of course the domain in question matters, but $1,500 - $1,600 in arbitration fees could be well spent money, considering your chances of winning. Also, I would not call premium .us domains worthless. The market and potential growth for the .us extension are definately there. All it will take is some time and patience.

Good luck!

 

[buddy]

By the way, thought of something. Even if you win the arbitration, it does not necessarily entitles you the domain in question. It will only be taken from the holder and made availbale to the public at a later stage to register. You won't have any special rights to the domain, unless you can prove it is a trademark violation, and that you hold that trademark.

 

[bunder]

don't forget that US citizens living abroad can also register, so this guy may be a US citizen living in Israel.

I'm a US citizen living in the UK and registering .us.

Leslie

 

[wordznpics]

That's very true.

If it were the case, don't you think they would have taken that position coming out of the box?

I would have unless, a) I was a moron, or b) I wasn't a U.S. citizen.

Wouldn't it be nice if the world were straight and tidy like that?