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NetSol To Do Domain Name Auctions

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bed-time-for-ben-time dept.

merrell writes: "It appears Network Solutions/InterNIC will be auctioning off any domains that have not been paid for. Apparently, they meant to do it soon; they sent out an e-mail to all "business partners" (ISPs who register a lot of domains on behalf of customers) saying that, "If the domain name is not paid for or is deleted by June 28, 2000, it will be entered on the NSI auction site. Any proceeds from the sale of the name (up to the full amount of the registration fee) will be retained by NSI and the domain name will be transferred to the successful bidder." I don't know if this is a one time thing, or ongoing, but apparently they are doing this without really consulting domain holders. I own three domains myself, and I am not particularly happy about this."

Here's an "official" email I've gotten.


****************************************
Domain Name: XXXXX.COM
****************************************
Creation Date: 03/28/2000
****************************************

June 22, 2000

Kohn Doe
XXXXXXXX@cfl.rr.com

Important Message Regarding a Modification to Your Domain Name Registration Service Agreement
------------------------------------------------

Dear Customer,

Network Solutions' records indicate that you are the Administrative Contact for the domain name listed above, but we have not yet received payment for our services, as your agreement with us requires. We have already sent two notices to the registrant's billing contact and have deactivated, but not deleted, your registration. We are now modifying your agreement to provide you with three options to satisfy your payment obligation and avoid collection agency action. The options are:

1. PAY: Pay in full by June 28, 2000 at: http://payment.networksolutions.com/go/tind/payments/ Upon payment in full, the registrant will enjoy the balance of their term of service and full rights to their domain name under the agreement. PLEASE DO NOT SEND A CHECK. Payment must be made online.

2. DELETE: reply to this email by June 28, 2000, instructing us to delete your Name immediately and we will do so. You will still be liable for payment in full and may be subject to collection agency action.

3. AUCTION: if you do not PAY or DELETE as above by June 28, 2000, we will enter the domain name in Network Solutions' new auction site in an attempt to satisfy the registrant's payment obligation. Any and all proceeds that we receive from the transfer of your domain name registration (up to the full registration fee) will be retained by Network Solutions and your domain name will be transferred to the successful bidder. By selecting this option, you hereby authorize us to act as your contact to perform all necessary actions relating to the auction and transfer of your domain name registration.

If this domain name account lists your hosting provider as the billing contact, please contact them directly. For others, please call our customer service at 1-800-779-1710 from the United States and Canada. Outside of these areas, call (703) 742-4777 Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We hope this modification to your agreement is helpful to you.

Regards,

Network Solutions(R)
A VeriSign(R) Company

6 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. Um, I think I'll save my pennies by Lord+Kano · · Score: 5

    Look at that peta decision. Lets say I buy one of these domains at auction. NetSol gets my cash. The former owner sues me because he has a copyright on that domain and a judge forces me to give it to him. So I just lost whatever I paid to buy it at auction, my fee to NetSol, AND however much I paid content creators for their work.

    No fucking thanks.

    LK

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  2. How is this disturbing? by Perianwyr+Stormcrow · · Score: 5

    This seems to me to be a pretty logical idea (although I'd prefer they just kick the domain name back out into freespace instead of auctioning it off.)

    If you aren't paying for a domain, why should you be allowed to hang onto it?

    --

    What we call folk wisdom is often no more than a kind of expedient stupidity.-Edward Abbey

  3. This is why it's so disturbing! by datacaliber · · Score: 5

    I think alot of people are missing the point here. It's not really about the previous owners rights, if they didn't pay for it then yes they don't deserve to own the domain. It's about the fact that NSI is trying to hold onto it's monopoly by NOT letting domains out of it's system. Alot of the money Registrars make is from people regging domains that drop from NSI. This move if it goes through could seriously damage the domain free market as users no longer have a choice of registrars. The only way to change registrars is to pay NSI!

    Also, wasn't it NSI that claimed that domains were not property so they wouldn't be liable for hijacks? They're not making sense because by holding these auctions they are making it clear that domains ARE property and contradicting themselves.

  4. Maybe we'd pay if... by JCMay · · Score: 5
    This past week the my employer's domain was hijacked twice. Twice. By somebody sending NSI an email. It even made the local paper, Florida Today.

    Perhaps NSI should be made accountable for this kind of stupidity. I can't imagine not getting an encryped password from NSI. I can't imagine NSI not requiring confirmation on domain name changes. They've even admitted that this thing has happened before.

    I don't speak for my employer, of course, but I'd think twice about renewing my domain through NSI without some kind of insurance against this kind of thing.

    Yes, I'm a little perterbed about it. No, it doesn't effect me personally. Yet.

    Jeff

  5. Auctioning ownership? by jhk · · Score: 5
    Question - does NSI *OWN* domain names? It was my impression that they owned now non-exclusive rights to the root servers. Their service provides fast updates, but they no longer have the monopoly on it. So if I registered with another provider, say Register.com, would NSI in its mistaken efforts put up my domain for auction? The right thing to do, IMHO, is to put the name back into the public domain until someone else tries to buy it.

    JHK
    http://www.cascap.org and stop on by for a latte, huh?

  6. "consulting domain holders" by Phroggy · · Score: 5
    ...but apparently they are doing this without really consulting domain holders.

    Uhh, that's not how I read it.

    Network Solutions' records indicate that you are the Administrative Contact for the domain name listed above, but we have not yet received payment for our services, as your agreement with us requires. We have already sent two notices to the registrant's billing contact and have deactivated, but not deleted, your registration.


    Three e-mails to two addresses AFTER you've forgotten to pay the bill sounds like a reasonable attempt to contact the domain holder.

    --

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;