size.com, distribute.com, etc.

[GiantDomains]

delete

 

[elequa]

-------------

 

[jkirker]

elequa, I am working with all, an attorney ICANN and NSI to get distribute.com back. This domain was fraudulently transfered and we have proof that it was done so, as well as the method used to do it.

I would advise you to retain counsel to go after the person whom you purchased it from as you will have to fight with him to get your money back.

Here's an analogy:
A guy steals a car, he runs down to the corner and sells it to someone else. The rightfull owner will eventually take posession of the car and the person who bought it will have to return it.

Either way, we will get this domain back.

 

[NamePopper.com]

This is getting even more interesting - and more intense now.

jkirker - I don't think elequa is going to give that domain up without a fight.

 

[yesonline]

Originally posted by jkirker
elequa, I am working with all, an attorney ICANN and NSI to get distribute.com back. This domain was fraudulently transfered and we have proof that it was done so, as well as the method used to do it.

I would advise you to retain counsel to go after the person whom you purchased it from as you will have to fight with him to get your money back.

Here's an analogy:
A guy steals a car, he runs down to the corner and sells it to someone else. The rightfull owner will eventually take posession of the car and the person who bought it will have to return it.

Either way, we will get this domain back.

I don't understand the law of US, however, I know the law should protect the innocent party who bought the domain with good will, or we are all in some kind of risk while we make any transactions?
:cry:

 

[fizz]

This is an unfortunate situation that the alleged domain thief is creating.

I notice at alexa.com the following re distribute.com:
Kirker Weir & Associates
Online Since: 24-May-95

and the current whois shows the same creation date:
Created: Wed May 24 1995 00:00:00
Expires: Fri May 23 2008 00:00:00

 

[Brujah]

So am I to understand that no one on this forum seems to have a problem with this ? To those.. May your own domains be stolen someday, and you receive the same apathy you've given jkirker.

jkirker, keep working with NSI.. they'll eventually get it back to you even though it could take 6 months or more. If you need any numbers or contacts, just ask as I'm sure others have had problems with NSI before too. Give them as much information as you can about both the new owner, and the person that sold it to him. The domain is yours, and you will get it back if you keep on it. The good thing is that you know more about the current owner than the original guy that took it. Might be easier to get it back. Get the media involved, and some high profile domain attorneys.

 

[NamePopper.com]

Originally posted by Brujah
So am I to understand that no one on this forum seems to have a problem with this ? To those.. May your own domains be stolen someday, and you receive the same apathy you've given jkirker.

Brujah - I think most people have a problem with it - but we just don't have all the facts.

The other thing is - Elequa didn't do anything wrong either - and paid good money - in good faith.

You make a good point for jkirker - and I agree that somebody needs to be held accountable. I'm just wondering how far does this thing trickle down? How many times has the name(s) changed hands? Etc.

 

[Brujah]

Latest auction shanghai.net by same guy, in case anyone's bidding on it.

Doug Runyan, [email protected]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11155&item=2083506963

Alexa says
Pacific Micro
103 Hammond Ave
Fremont, CA 94539 US
Tel: 650-9486200

 

[options]

Originally posted by NamePopper
Brujah - I think most people have a problem with it...

You are very right Popper.
The right question should be: what can we do about it.
Can we come to a solution/standard if not now then for future?
How to make system better?

Of course jkierker should be helped by anyone who can do
anything. Personaly I do not do business at ebay so its not
my field.

 

[NamePopper.com]

Hmmmm...... I guess he only lists one name for sale at a time.

If all this stuff is true - that guy has got to be either crazy - or very brave. It's amazing that somebody could *allegedly* steal so many high profile domains - and keep getting away with it.

 

[options]

He probably developed some script for looking expired or non-existent e-mails registered for administrative contact.
Allegedly. :-/

 

[fizz]

This is a big problem for us all and the alleged thief almost certainly reads on these boards and is having a good laugh about it all.

 

[FineE]

I must say when it come to fradulent transfers and NSI / Verisign this sounds like deja vu to me. The most famous case dating back to 1994 is sex.com, and the legal case is still going on.

I would take a very close look at the legal positions taken by NSI in the sex.com case where they have sided and litigated against the victim of the fradulent transfer. Personally I have found the behaviour of NSI in the sex.com case disgusting. And now we have to add size.com, distribute.com and a few more to this list!

I can understand that a mistake can be made and a fradulent transfer allowed. But what I cannot understand is the refusual and legal roadblocks that are thrown by some companies to prevent the returning a stolen domain to its rightful owner.

On another note I agree that if a stolen domain is sold, the buyer does not get to keep it and has to sue the fradulent seller to recover costs; however in this case I feel the buyer should consider after getting the advice of legal counsel action against NSI / Verisign for allowing this mess in the first place.

 

[.biz]

Originally posted by edg
tonyk2000, that's useful info. Looks like stirlingbirdge.com was a typo of stirlingbridge.com, so all someone had to do was register stirlingbirdge.com to have full control over the domain name.

With the other domains, the original email accounts probably lapsed and were available for registration. There are probably thousands of domain names with at least one contact being an expired hotmail, yahoo, or ISP account that anyone can register.

eBay shows that the same seller had or has these names for auction:

bedroom.org
83.com
bottle.com
exw.com
zvi.com
342.com
distribute.com
k4.com
size.com

Do you have similar historical whois data for the other names not listed above?

Power Bottle USA (BOTTLE4-DOM)
3100 S Yale St
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
US

Domain Name: BOTTLE.COM

Administrative Contact:
Richard Green (RG457-ORG) [email protected]
310-8270156
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Jacobson, Mervyn (MJ259) [email protected]
(310) 821-8996 (FAX) (310) 578-2233
Billing Contact:
Richard Green (RG457-ORG) [email protected]
310-8270156

Record last updated on 26-May-1999.
Record created on 02-Jan-1998.
Database last updated on 2-Feb-2000 03:18:36 EST.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS.TIO.COM 207.211.39.1
NS2.TIO.COM 207.211.39.4

-------------------------

ZVI Construction (UK) Ltd. (ZVI2-DOM)
930 Commonwealth Ave. South
Boston, MA 02215
US

Domain Name: ZVI.COM

Administrative Contact:
Chirwa, Andrew (AC14268) [email protected]
508-870-5837
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Support, Interland (IS2707) [email protected]
800-627-6839 (FAX) 404-586-0001
Billing Contact:
Shane, Stanford (SS30407) [email protected]
617-734-8057 (FAX) 617-734-8057

Record last updated on 24-Aug-1999.
Record created on 25-Sep-1997.
Database last updated on 7-Feb-2000 14:24:01 EST.

Domain servers in listed order:


-------------------------

Zweistein Limited (342-N7-DOM)
The Bothy
Albury Park, Nr Guildford, Surrey GU5 9BH
UK

Domain Name: 342.COM

Administrative Contact:
Nicholson, Andrew (AN4706) [email protected]
+1483 202707 (FAX) +1483 202208
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Hostmaster, VI (DJ737) [email protected]
+44-171-460-4060 (FAX) +44-171-460-4070
Billing Contact:
Nicholson, Andrew (AN4706) [email protected]
+1483 202707 (FAX) +1483 202208

Record last updated on 21-Dec-1999.
Record created on 21-Dec-1999.
Database last updated on 6-Feb-2000 16:14:54 EST.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.VI.NET 194.88.77.1
NS2.VI.NET 212.78.64.10

 

[.biz]

PERSONAL COMPUTER SOLUTIONS (K31-DOM)
PO Box 621
Midlothian, TX 76065
US

Domain Name: K4.COM

Administrative Contact:
Bryant, Kyle (KB1381) [email protected]
000 000 0000 (FAX) 000 000 0000
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Walter, Jason (JW15902) [email protected]
(972) 839-9790
Billing Contact:
Bryant, Kyle (KB1381) [email protected]
000 000 0000 (FAX) 000 000 0000

Record last updated on 26-Jan-2000.
Record created on 19-Jul-1996.
Database last updated on 7-Feb-2000 14:24:58 EST.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.JASONSBRAIN.COM 216.87.133.99
NS.4DIM.COM 209.197.228.226

 

[edg]

Thanks .biz.

On bottle.com, mediaone.net was previously an ISP and another company took over the domain offering email forwarding. So the [email protected] admin address could have been taken over.

On zvi.com, chira.com was registered Nov 1, 2002, giving the new registrant control as the admin contact.

Registrant:
Doug Runyan
12636 Research Blvd. Ste. C-21
Austin, Texas 78759
United States

Registered through: Go Daddy Software (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: CHIRWA.COM
Created on: 01-Nov-02
Expires on: 01-Nov-03
Last Updated on: 01-Nov-02

Administrative Contact:
Runyan, Doug [email protected]
12636 Research Blvd. Ste. C-21
Austin, Texas 78759
United States
512-219-6455
Technical Contact:
Runyan, Doug [email protected]
12636 Research Blvd. Ste. C-21
Austin, Texas 78759
United States
512-219-6455

On 342.com, dnass.co.uk was registered on Nov 10, 2002, giving the new registrant control as the admin contact.

Domain Name:
dnass.co.uk

Registrant:
Andrew Avel

Registrant's Address:
11484 Enyart Road
Loveland
Ohio
45140
US

Registrant's Agent:
UK2 Limited [Tag = UK2NET]
URL: http://www.uk2net.net

Relevant Dates:
Registered on: 10-Nov-2002

On k4.com, connect.net is a public ISP, so someone could have just signed up for the admin's email address if it had lapsed.

So all of these names could have been stolen by the alleged thief.

 

[edg]

So what can we do about this? Some tips:

1. Ask the buyer of any domain name how he acquired it and how long he has owned it. Do not depend on the whois creation date.

2. Contact the buyer by telephone to discuss domain name. Make sure the phone number you are calling matches the whois information. If possible, verify information with public records such as business listings, phone directories, and property records.

3. If buying on eBay, beware of private auctions.

4. If buying on eBay, beware of sellers with limited feedback.

5. If buying on eBay, take a look at other current auctions and examine whois entries for all other domain names.

6. If buying on eBay, search completed auctions and examine results of those auctions for any irregularlities.

7. If you see a questionable sale or auction, discuss it on this board. Perhaps someone else has information about the seller and can clarify whether the sale is legit.

8. If you have been involved in the sale of a stolen name, report it to all relevant authorities: NSI, ICANN, eBay, law enforcement, etc.

9. Be aware that escrow.com can be used to sell stolen domain names.

10. Beware of recently registered or recently transferred domain names.

11. Try to obtain historical registration information (e.g., from Alexa) and see if it matches seller's stated ownership history.

12. Beware of domain names with free email addresses as admin or technical contacts. Beware of domain names with ISP accounts as admin or technical contacts.

13. Do not buy any names from known sellers of stolen names.

Please note: these rules are guidelines. I'm not saying that any of these guidelines determine alone that the name is stolen. E.g., there are plenty of legitimate domain names with free email addresses as the admin contact.