[thelist] copycat/squatting of domain name

[carole guevin]

:I suspect it wouldn't be cheap to sue someone in Tadjikistan

Actually the extension is .tk Tokelau -> link to world top domain
extensions - http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/domreg.html

The way I caught the netdiver.tk - is through my referrers log - not the one
on the server but with an invisible counter. Sure enough if there's a
copycat (stealing the code as well) - they will show up as soon as someone
uses the code and that's how most of the time - I found out about copycats.
There's even one - still running that I can't locate the owner.

In this case - they have used a mid-July index (different graphic than the
one now) so it has been planned at that time BUT the news were from the same
day I found them - Aug 29. I update the what's new page every day - so were
there some *code or script* they have developed that was snitching the page:
for instance, all graphics either snapshots or buttons were ok, even the nav
includes were there but like I said these were pointing back to
netdiver.net???

This indicates either a deliverate intention for me to find out about this,
get to contact them and then, being offered to buy the domain name.

What troubles me - is that they can do this to any sites out there - and
wait for owners to contact them. This is confirmed since another person was
also registered with a .tk extension for her site -
http://www.playingwithfire.tk - Linda's site has been snitched as well.
Wouldn't that be of interest to some wired journalist to cover yet another
story on registrars and the troubles we've had with registrars and their all
too powerfull control of domain names? There were many horror stories with
NSI for example (of which I'm part - they did threaten to take away
netdiver.net for a mistake they did, in extremis, a manager finally
corrected the mistake not after 3 months of back and forth).

I think - if somebody has a contact with the press - especially at wired -
it could make an interesting story. Registry companies need a good business
ethic... maybe in present times... *ethic* as vanishing quality - it's too
much to ask. What about the future? Are we going to be dependent on *rents*
paid for domain names?

.c