Domain Ransom

stator

I would start with a letter from a solicitor before getting the police involved.

AndyPix

Send the Caravan Club rep round to see him ...

kwikbreaks

Fightsback wrote: »

It just depends if the club do want the domains back or are prepared to walk away. Their call.

They'll certainly want them back if they annoy him sufficiently to redirect or worse still copy the .org.uk page and put !!!!!! adverts all over it or any number of other perfectly legal options as they apparently own the domain registration.

As the domans are coming up for renewal then imo the sensible action would be to sit back and see if they are renewed. The chances are they won't be or at least wouldn't have been if the current owner hadn't smelled possible money. If they lapse then after a few months they will be available for purchase again. When I've let a co.uk lapse there are firstly reminders from the registrar then later from Nominet and eventually it is available to buy again.

Here is an email I got about one I allowed to lapse...

Nominet Reminder <reminder@nominet.org.uk>
25/07/2012

to me
25-Jul-2012

Your videofuntime.co.uk domain name has not been renewed and will be
suspended in 7 days.

Once a domain name is suspended any web site at https://www.videofuntime.co.uk
will not work and any email @videofuntime.co.uk will not be delivered.

If you wish to keep your domain name, you must act quickly to renew it.
You should contact your domain name provider who will be able to help you to
renew the domain name.

Domain name: videofuntime.co.uk
Your provider: Webfusion Ltd t/a 123-reg
Provider's web site: http://www.123-reg.co.uk
Provider's tel. no: 0845 859 0018 (10p per min) 9am-7pm
Provider's email:
Expiry date: 02-Jul-2012

The Nominet customer services team is available to help you from 8:00am to
6:00pm Monday - Friday.

If you wish to cancel your domain name, please log into the Nominet Online
Service and select Cancel Domains.

Kind regards,

Customer Services

T +44 (0) 1865 332244 F +44 (0) 1865 332288 E nominet@nominet.org.uk
http://www.nominet.org.uk

Nominet UK is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England
under No. 3203859. Our registered office is Minerva House, Edmund Halley
Road, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4DQ, United Kingdom.

Fightsback

kwikbreaks wrote: »

as they apparently own the domain registration.

Just because you are the registered keeper of a vehicle does not mean you are the owner.

Discodave

Perhaps someone (and I'd do it for you if required), could contact him and see if he's willing to sell them (make up some story about a club in home county of northumberland, and range/see his response?)

bod1467

Fightsback wrote: »

Just because you are the registered keeper of a vehicle does not mean you are the owner.

I'm not sure domain registrations equate with vehicle keeper registrations though.

Fightsback

bod1467 wrote: »

I'm not sure domain registrations equate with vehicle keeper registrations though.

We'll if the club could prove they have previously been paying for the DN registration they have a strong case that they are the true owner. Ownership and possession are two different legal concepts.

It's a good lesson here for any business, individual or club to make sure the DN registration stays with them and not to be hoodwinked into handing over control.

FredG

I used to work for a web-hosting company/domain seller and dealt with a number of these disputes. Whoever sold you the domain name may be able to help you claim ownership of the domain if you can prove a timeline of purchase and that your organisation is directly related to the domain (eg. company letter head, bank statement etc). It's a common tactic used in web design disputes by unscrupulous designers so give your domain reseller a shout, might be cheaper and easier than legal proceedings. It's not guaranteed but it's worth a go.

stator

Fightsback wrote: »

We'll if the club could prove they have previously been paying for the DN registration they have a strong case that they are the true owner. Ownership and possession are two different legal concepts.

It's a good lesson here for any business, individual or club to make sure the DN registration stays with them and not to be hoodwinked into handing over control.

But does anyone ever actually 'own' a domain name anyway? You can buy and sell them, but what are you buying and selling? They don't actually exist. It's more akin to a licence than a piece of property

Fightsback

stator wrote: »

But does anyone ever actually 'own' a domain name anyway? You can buy and sell them, but what are you buying and selling? They don't actually exist. It's more akin to a licence than a piece of property

Go and tell that to Coca Cola or McDonalds, a domain name is widely recognised by the courts as being almost as important as a trademark, which incidently also requires renewal.