Here’s one of the reasons the mainstream press doesn’t characterize legitimate domainers fairly.
Last week there was quite a media frenzy about a company that sold GeorgeWBushLibrary.com back to the previous owner who let it expire. Michael Berkens pointed out that it’s stories like this that get people interested in cybersquatting* themselves.
Berkins may be right. Did the recent media frenzy prompt another cybersquatter to announced a celebrity name s(he) has for sale?
Just minutes ago I received the following email:
Rebacca Adlington, double Olympic gold medallist,The third in BBC Sports Personality
RebaccaAdlington.com is on sale, now! The domain name is for ï¿¡25000 !
http://www.rebeccaadlington.com/rebecca_adlington.html
OK, so that’s stupid. But the problem is that I wasn’t the only person on the e-mail distribution list. It was sent to over a hundred members of the press, including:
ABC News
60 Minutes
CBS
LA Times
Newsweek
Fox News
US News
USA Today
New York Times
The reporters that received the e-mail will file it in the back of their memory. “Another one of those cybersquatters.” Next time when they talk to someone who invests in domain names, they’ll think of this sort of nefarious activity rather than a legitimate business.
*Incidentally, ownership of a politician’s name is not always cybersquatting. It can be protected under free speech if the web site is not profiting from the name, such as a site critical of the politician.
Reece says
It really is unfortunate that a few bad apples ruin it for the rest of us. Same goes for those registering domains related to tragic events where people have died… Really shameful people can’t see wrong in what they’re doing.
RegFeeNames.com says
This is shocking!
I cant believe people can be so STUPID!
They give us all bad names – They are so many of us working hard to grow our industry and people like this put us back down again!
Lets help Rebecca win a WIPO on this domain!
Regards,
Robbie
Stuart says
Make no mistake, it is not stupidity that drives these individuals, it’s greed.
Dave Zan says
And some doctors and lawyers complain they’re getting a bad name, too. What I find more shameful is some people painting a broad stroke a group badly merely because of a few, but that’s just how it is.
Marc J. Randazza says
One thing that is truly valuable about DN Wire is that it reports on this kind of conduct responsibly.
Most domainers are responsible entrepreneurs, and I see the industry as having such great potential to morph into something even bigger. One of the main things holding it back are the irresponsible few — who are aided and abetted by those who fail to call them on it.