Domain Name Dispute Process Called Into Question

Chemist109 writes "The Register has an article about a study of the domain name dispute resolution process. The study accuses domain arbitrators of "actively choosing judges who favoured complainants (trademark holders)." Since the complainant in a domain dispute is allowed to choose where a case is heard, this ensures the arbitrators continued revenue."

Comments

Google formalize search

[bstadil]

I wish Google would somehow formalize the search for domain names, so we could reduce this issue. I only type in domain names for very few sites, where I know the URL by heart. Most of the time I just hit Google and 9 times out of 10 the first suggestion is what I am looking for. Opera has the Google search box next to the URL address box so its almost as easy.

This happened to one of my buddies

[Ali Jenab]

One of my close friends had owned a very desirable 3-letter .com domain since 1994. He had received several (pitifully small) offers from a large corporation to purchase the domain name, but he had no interest in accomodating their demands. Sure enough, the company dragged it before ICANN not once, not twice, but three times before they got the result they wanted. After spending a few hundred dollars on attorneys' bills, my friend gave up and dropped the matter.

Now, since he makes over $100k a year as a consultant, he gives generously to the EFF and is a vocal opponent of ICANN and their pro-corporatist domain dispute rules. He is actively working for change in the system, and although the road is long, I am confident that someday we will win this battle.

/ali