Domains & DNS: May 2006 Archives
Just posted this on the company blog
Keith Bohanna has put the domain web2pointzeroconference.com up for auction on ebay.ie to raise funds for it@cork
I'm currently the highest bidder, though I hope that the auction generates some more interest.
If you are involved in an open source project and still haven't decided on a name for your software then maybe you should take a couple of minutes to think carefully. You may end up infringing someone else's trademark or intellectual property if you are not careful!
An example of this was one of the more recent WIPO decisions regarding the domain cpanelapache.com. If you visit the site today you will find information on:
a full-featured, open source web hosting control panel written in PHP and released under the GPL.It is composed of 3 control panels, Admin Panel, Reseller Panel and User Panel. Each Panel is made up of a hierachy of platform dependant API's that are both advanced and easy to implement.However that domain won't be pointing there for much longer, as the current holder has lost the WIPO decision against him. If you read the decision it seems that the domain holder did not make any effort to defend his stake to the domain name:
5. Parties’ Contentions A. Complainant Complainant contends that the disputed domain nameis confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark in that it incorporates the mark in its entirety. Complainant further contends that its mark is well known among users of web hosting services and among web hosting companies and that this notoriety increases the likelihood of confusion. Complainant contends that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the domain name ; and, Respondent has registered and is using the disputed domain name in bad faith. Complainant contends that excluding the added word “apache”, the domain name is identical to Complainant’s trademark and including the added word, the domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s CPANEL trademark. B. Respondent Respondent did not reply to Complainant’s contentions and has not otherwise actively participated in these proceedings.
I don't know how I came across this site, though I think it may have been a google ad.
They offer a really cool tld map of the world:
tld map
ICANN has approved a new TLD - .tel
I'm really not sure about this one. Is it of any practical use? Will it cause confusion with .mobi? While I can see that they are aimed at different markets launching both TLDs within a relatively short period of time (in ICANN terms) may lead to confusion.
Frank Michlick is as undecided as I am:
Interesting, so this sTLD will need a special client or client plugin in order to use it? Reminds me a little of the first version of IDN (International Domain Names). Well now that we have gotten rid of the smut on the not (.XXX TLD was nixed), we can at least place phone calls. I can see people initiating calls from their PC, and I guess instead of using a phone number or someone’s name in a their address book, they can then also use a domain to call them. I’ve got to think about this one a bit more before I decide if I like it or not. To .Tel or not to .Tel? What do you think?
The Irish domain registry (IEDR) has released details of its finances
The press release and report contains some amusing very amusing comments from the IEDR management, but this one really takes the biscuit:
Its offering of a “managed” domain, where, unlike other domain names, entitlement to the .ie name is established and cybersquatting is eliminated, is unique in the current market.This is echoed again by Curtin:
We are justifiably proud that there is virtually no cybersquatting in the .ie namespace because registrants must authenticate their claim to the domain before registration is completed.So there is no trademark infringement or cybersquatting in the IE namespace? Watch out for the low flying pigs! I wish they would make up their minds about their stance on trademarks. Either they police them or they don't. The current situation is farcical, with globally recognised brand names being registered to 3rd parties, while genuine agents are expected to jump through hoops.. Curtin's introduction to the report is a little too optimistic:
Through initiatives such as price reductions, the introduction of process automation and other customer service improvements, we have continued to achieve our objectives of making the IEDR better, faster, cheaper and more secure than ever before.Who is actually passing on the price reductions? From what I've seen the vast majority of Irish hosting companies and domain vendors have not passed on any saving to their clients. They may try to justify this by giving greater discounts to their resellers, but surely the end user should benefit? Further on in the report he suggests that the pricing and automation contribute to the growth:
The growth can be attributed to economic buoyancy, the rollout of broadband, price reductions and IEDR operational improvements which make registration easier, faster and cheaperSome would have us believe their press releases, but the actual pricing tells a different story. Headline grabbing may be good for raising your profile in the short term, but hypocrisy doesn't pay in the longer term............. Some of the other comments are quite worrying:
It is no coincidence therefore that in the .ie namespace, there are fewer intellectual property disputes over domains, less cybercrime on .ie websites, less incidence of credit card fraud on .ie websites, and very little evidence of illegal, explicit or immoral content appearing on .ie websitesThe intellectual property disputes are bound to be fewer as the TLD is so small. More .co.uk domains were registered in April this year than the entire size of IE namespace. The part that concerns me is the reference to "immoral" content. What exactly constitutes immoral? Why shouldn't there be explicit content on .ie websites? Are the IEDR trying to do an ICANN on the IE namespace??
I setup another blog to discuss the entire EU debacle.
At the moment I am trying to transfer a domain between registrars and it isn't going too well :(
So ICANN have now decided to say "no" to the .xxx tld.
After fumbling around for the last few months the body that is supposedly in charge of the internet has displayed real democracy at work (or not!)
Of course this is the same body that recently gave Verisign a license to print money, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
Karl Auerbach sums it up nicely:
ICANN rejected the application for .xxx. This makes it indisputably clear that ICANN is a heavy regulatory body that seeks to impose onto the internet ICANN's views on economic, business, and moral policies.
Back in December of last year I mentioned the IEDR's planned rebranding.
They have finally unveiled the new site design this afternoon.
Although I'm not a designer I like the new look and feel:
Unfortunately not all elements of the new site will work perfectly in all browsers, but it is a definite improvement on the previous design and layout.
Unfortunately not all elements of the new site will work perfectly in all browsers, but it is a definite improvement on the previous design and layout.
