[At-Large] Domain name front-running by Network Solutions

[Wendy Seltzer]

It is a subject of serious concern among many at the Board level.
Please share thoughts you'd like me to add to the discussion.  I've
already pointed toward ALAC's statement on the add-grace period, since
that's what NetSol is exploiting.

--Wendy

Nick Ashton-Hart wrote:
> I have made enquiries internally (within ICANN) to see if there is any
> additional information which I can share with all of you about this
> (both the specific case and the broader issue).
> 
> On 10 Jan 2008, at 16:54, Brendler, Beau wrote:
> 
>> I'm guessing many of you have seen this, but if not...
>>
>> http://www.domainnamenews.com/featured/domain-registrar-network-solution
>> s-front-running-on-whois-searches/1359
>>
>> The blog the story references is here:
>> http://www.domainstate.com/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=85864
>>
>> Perhaps specifically of interest:
>>
>> "Front running domain names is a bold move by any registrar as it breaks
>> a certain level of trust that the general public places in using a whois
>> search. ICANN SSAC has conducted a "study" on front running recently in
>> which they wrote "ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Agreement and Registry
>> Agreements do not expressly prohibit registrars and registries from
>> monitoring and collecting WHOIS query of domain name availability query
>> data and either selling this information or using it directly,"
>> Warehousing domains in order to sell them to "potentially interested
>> parties" isn't specifically forbidden in the registrar contract with
>> ICANN but is addressed in points 3.7.9 and 4.2.5 of the contract in
>> which they leave room for new rules or revisions to the contract."
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Maxim Weinstein [mailto:mweinstein at cyber.law.harvard.edu]
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 8:57 AM
>> To: Brendler, Beau
>> Subject: Domain name front-running by Network Solutions
>>
>>
>> Hey, Beau. If you haven't already seen this:
>>
>> http://www.domainnamenews.com/featured/domain-registrar-network-solution
>> s-front-running-on-whois-searches/1359
>>
>> you should take a look. This is (or should be) big news.
>>
>> =Max=

-- 
Wendy Seltzer -- wendy at seltzer.org
Visiting Professor, Northeastern University School of Law
Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html
http://www.chillingeffects.org/
https://www.torproject.org/