Somebody cybersquatting a .ie I want

Malibu Sunshine

Not sure if this is the right place but any help would be great.

Ive just checked to see if a .ie I wanted was free to discover that somebody already has it but isnt trading any goods on it. What they've done is used it to display Sponsored Listings served automatically by a third party, in a nutshell: it just looks like loads of Google Ads on the page.

This surely cant be legal? Ive sourced the site owner via a "whois .ie" search and then traced him as the owner of a online marketing company, so he's obviously done this with loads of great product words, then cybersqautted the site and is now waiting for an offer. The thing is, I was always under the impression that its illegal to sell a .ie domain.

All feedback appreciated!

Malibu Sunshine

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place but any help would be great.

Ive just checked to see if a .ie I wanted was free to discover that somebody already has it but isnt trading any goods on it. What they've done is used it to display Sponsored Listings served automatically by a third party, in a nutshell: it just looks like loads of Google Ads on the page.

This surely cant be legal? Ive sourced the site owner via a "whois .ie" search and then traced him as the owner of a online marketing company, so he's obviously done this with loads of great product words and then cybersqautted the site and is now waiting for an offer. The thing is, I was always under the impression that its illegal to sell a .ie domain.

All feedback appreciated!

I don't think it is legal, the IEDR are quite strict about allocating domains. It's possible that the current owner is using the domain for e-mail but the Google ads bit sounds dodgy.

Ghandee

www.a.ie ?

Webpage unavailable.

Red Alert

People are quite entitled to register a .ie domain name and not offer any web services in association with it.

Ghandee

Is this not the same as buying/renting a house that you are not living in?

Cunning Alias

You are not allowed sell .ie domains.

You could contact the iedr let them look into it. When the domain was purchased and set up the domain would have been classed (eg business) and the customer would have had to supply required information.

It could be the case that the customer will use the domain at a later date and is just trying to make a small bit of cash in the mean time.

Malibu Sunshine

Red Alert wrote: »

People are quite entitled to register a .ie domain name and not offer any web services in association with it.

I thought they had to own a business relevant to the domain name?

And even if you own, for example, a jam company called Great Jam that you only registered with the Companies Registration Office to set up www.greatjam.ie to then just host a bunch of Google Ad redirects, isnt this illegal as well?

Malibu Sunshine

Cunning Alias wrote: »

You are not allowed sell .ie domains.

You could contact the iedr let them look into it. When the domain was purchased and set up the domain would have been classed (eg business) and the customer would have had to supply required information.

It could be the case that the customer will use the domain at a later date and is just trying to make a small bit of cash in the mean time.

Cheers. Its registered to a guy who owns an online marketing company which suggests he's waiting for an offer, but isnt going to advertise this fact.

All seems a bit shady to me and sites like this should be looked into. If you're not going to sell the product associated with the domain then you shouldnt be able to cybersquat it imho.

Ghandee

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Cheers. Its registered to a guy who owns an online marketing company which suggests he's waiting for an offer, but isnt going to advertise this fact.

All seems a bit shady to me and sites like this should be looked into. If you're not going to sell the product associated with the domain then you shouldnt be able to cybersquat it imho.

Do they not sell tubes that are red on that site:eek:

Cunning Alias

First saw this when I was on my phone and missed the marketing company part. Sorry.

The marketing company could have registered the domain for one of their clients. Regardless they should have supplied that companies information.

E.G. I have 2 domains which are either part or the full version of my registered trading name. When I grabbed them I had to supply my CRO number to prove that I had a claim to them. One of my domains is the same name as a big international company but because I have a valid claim and I got there first they are mine.

I do know of one case where a friend of mine was starting a business, had a registered trading name but the domain for their company had been registered by someone else 2 months earlier. I don't know all the details but they contacted the iedr and in the end they got the domain.

Seedy Arling

It's very hard get www.ilikeitupthearse.ie alright. Fcuking domain name is impossible get.

General Zod

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

If you're not going to sell the product associated with the domain then you shouldnt be able to cybersquat it imho.

I can't find anywhere on this site to purchase a board. I'd have to go to Adverts.ie for that.

gallag

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Cheers. Its registered to a guy who owns an online marketing company which suggests he's waiting for an offer, but isnt going to advertise this fact.

All seems a bit shady to me and sites like this should be looked into. If you're not going to sell the product associated with the domain then you shouldnt be able to cybersquat it imho.

Why?

mneylon

People register domains all the time and don't use them actively.

There's nothing wrong with that.

It's not "cybersquatting" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybersquatting

If it was "cybersquatting" you could dispute the registration via WIPO (http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cctld/ie/index.html )

Displaying ads on a website - most websites do, again there's nothing "illegal" about that

tin79

Seedy Arling wrote: »

It's very hard get www.ilikeitupthearse.ie alright. Fcuking domain name is impossible get.

An Egyptian guy called Ili Keitupt who has a funeral home and removal service owns it. He drives the hearse.

Malibu Sunshine

Blacknight wrote: »

People register domains all the time and don't use them actively.

There's nothing wrong with that.

It's not "cybersquatting" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybersquatting

If it was "cybersquatting" you could dispute the registration via WIPO (http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cctld/ie/index.html )

Displaying ads on a website - most websites do, again there's nothing "illegal" about that

Hiya Black Night, I presume you represent the web hosting company of the same name so you know this field well. Thanks for the reply

Surely if the company isnt selling the product that the name is named after then it can be disputed?

Quoting Cunning Alias;

I do know of one case where a friend of mine was starting a business, had a registered trading name but the domain for their company had been registered by someone else 2 months earlier. I don't know all the details but they contacted the iedr and in the end they got the domain.

Cheers. So lets say this domain Im speaking of is, for example, www.greatjam.ie, now say if I register a company called Cool Jam with the CRO; havent I a more legal right to use greatjam.ie moreso as I plan to actually sell jam and not just populate it with Google Ads?

28064212

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Cheers. So lets say this domain Im speaking of is, for example, www.greatjam.ie, now say if I register a company called Cool Jam with the CRO; havent I a more legal right to use greatjam.ie moreso as I plan to actually sell jam and not just populate it with Google Ads?

It is not based on who has the most legitimate claim, it only matters that the first complaint is legitimate: https://www.iedr.ie/faq/#24

Many different people and organisations can have a claim on the same domain name. We work on a first come first served basis. So if someone else with a legitimate claim to the domain name has gotten there first then there is nothing you can do

The only grounds for complaint are:

A Complaint must comply with the following:
1. the domain name is identical or misleadingly similar to a Protected Identifier in which the Complainant has rights; and
2. the Registrant has no rights in law or legitimate interests in respect of a domain name; and
3. the domain name has been registered or is being used in bad faith.

Yawns

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Cheers. So lets say this domain Im speaking of is, for example, www.greatjam.ie, now say if I register a company called Cool Jam with the CRO; havent I a more legal right to use greatjam.ie moreso as I plan to actually sell jam and not just populate it with Google Ads?

As pointed out earlier. If I decide to sell chopping boards, does that mean I can make a complaint and try to take the name www.boards.ie as I will be selling boards.

Allyall

I remember pain in the ass trying to get all the required info for a dot ie.
It was a while ago, I got one was getting more Irish traffic out of an unrelated name, that was dotcom. Same business, but the name was jibberism.

A lot of people find it difficult to get a dot ie domain, Or used to anyway. But Other people not so. I remember one domain i went for was owned by a UK company that weren't registered here. Was always curious as to how they got it.

Or you could go for Decentmarmalade.ie

Yawns

Yawns wrote: »

As pointed out earlier. If I decide to sell chopping boards, does that mean I can make a complaint and try to take the name www.boards.ie as I will be selling boards.

Well no, because boards.ie is owned by Boards.ie Limited, therefore they have every right to use it as it's the registered company name. That wasn't always the case though, DeVore did a bit of cheating to get it.

Defiler Of The Coffin

Yawns wrote: »

As pointed out earlier. If I decide to sell chopping boards, does that mean I can make a complaint and try to take the name www.boards.ie as I will be selling boards.

No. Boards.ie is a legitimate name for this site considering it hosts a number of boards

Yawns

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

No. Boards.ie is a legitimate name for this site considering it hosts a number of boards

I am aware, my post was more of a tongue in cheek comment about how the OP thinks he's entitled to a .ie domain as he thinks his site is / will be more suited for it.

Defiler Of The Coffin

Yawns wrote: »

I am aware, my post was more of a tongue in cheek comment about how the OP thinks he's entitled to a .ie domain as he thinks his site is / will be more suited for it.

Admit it, you shipped a load of chopping boards in from China and you're trying to flog them off. Maybe you could throw a few knives in as well to sweeten the deal

Yawns

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

Admit it, you shipped a load of chopping boards in from China and you're trying to flog them off. Maybe you could throw a few knives in as well to sweeten the deal

Only if you help me wrest the boards.ie domain name from DeVore!

Defiler Of The Coffin

Yawns wrote: »

Only if you help me wrest the boards.ie domain name from DeVore!

I will help you on the condition there will be a few chopping boards in it for me. The mother could do with a new one, she gave us all food poisoning xmas day

B.A._Baracus

Malibu Sunshine,
No offense but it just sounds like you want to resort to some sort of legal technicality just to get your way.

They registered it first. It sucks that it's not available. But thats the nature of web domains.

Biggins

Getting a .ie domain name is hard.
In most cases you have to provide I.D. confirmation, state reason why you want it, provide additional documentation such as certification regarding any businesses you run and other personal CRO information available.

Anyone cyber-squatting for an .ie domain will have previously gone to a bit more bother than just a .com purchase and probably have something genuine in mind later in most cases.

Eoin

Biggins wrote: »

Getting a .ie domain name is hard.
In most cases you have to provide I.D. confirmation, state reason why you want it, provide additional documentation such as certification regarding any businesses you run and other personal CRO information available.

It can be a pain to register it as a discretionary name. It's pretty much an automated process if you have a relevant registered business name, which costs about 20 quid with the CRO and any individual can do. I've not heard of having to mention other businesses you run.

Biggins wrote:

Anyone cyber-squatting for an .ie domain will have previously gone to a bit more bother than just a .com purchase and probably have something genuine in mind later in most cases.

I'd agree with this though, it's a bit too much of a ball-ache to be worth the hassle.

Capt'n Midnight

Yawns wrote: »

As pointed out earlier. If I decide to sell chopping boards, does that mean I can make a complaint and try to take the name www.boards.ie as I will be selling boards.

Only if you could show that you were selling boards a long time ago.


IIRC when intel tried to get a .eu domain name they found that a small Irish haulage company was actually entitled to the name

Malibu Sunshine

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Malibu Sunshine,
No offense but it just sounds like you want to resort to some sort of legal technicality just to get your way.

Lol. What?

Isnt that why rules and regulations are in place?

wexie

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place but any help would be great.

Ive just checked to see if a .ie I wanted was free to discover that somebody already has it but isnt trading any goods on it. What they've done is used it to display Sponsored Listings served automatically by a third party, in a nutshell: it just looks like loads of Google Ads on the page.

This surely cant be legal? Ive sourced the site owner via a "whois .ie" search and then traced him as the owner of a online marketing company, so he's obviously done this with loads of great product words, then cybersqautted the site and is now waiting for an offer. The thing is, I was always under the impression that its illegal to sell a .ie domain.

All feedback appreciated!

I own several domains, none of which are hosting any websites....doesn't mean they aren't actually being used though, nor does it mean they aren't GOING to be hosting websites.

Last I checked owning a domain in no way puts any obligation on an owner to use it to host a site.

It's also entirely possible that the domain IS being used to host a site, you just can't see it as the index is in a non standard place/name/format.

With the information you so far have you can not establish at all whether or not the current owner has a more valid claim on the domain than you do.

The thing to do here would be to contact the owner and enquire....based on the reaction you may or may not have a case.

Based on what you know so far (or rather what you've shared with us) you definitely do not.

Biggins

If you feel you have a legitimate case Malibu Sunshine, I wish you luck.
You have a tough road ahead of you.

biko

What are you talking about OP, www.supergay.ie isn't taken.

Grass between the tracks

The process is a lot simpler than before.

All you need now is a registered business name from the CRO for €20. That is all that is needed these days. I has a few .ie names registered that do nothing. No big deal.

mneylon

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Hiya Black Night, I presume you represent the web hosting company of the same name so you know this field well. Thanks for the reply

Yes I do

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Surely if the company isnt selling the product that the name is named after then it can be disputed?

No
Domains are registered on a first come, first served basis.
As long as the domain name is not infringing on a company's pre-existing intellectual property then they are entitled to it.

Malibu Sunshine wrote: »

Cheers. So lets say this domain Im speaking of is, for example, www.greatjam.ie, now say if I register a company called Cool Jam with the CRO; havent I a more legal right to use greatjam.ie moreso as I plan to actually sell jam and not just populate it with Google Ads?

No
First off, the company / business would have to exist BEFORE the domain name did
Secondly, a company / business name registration does not confer any special rights


See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_domain_hijacking
(not the best article on the subject, but it should give you an idea of what I'm talking about)

I do remember hearing of a case where a small computer business by the name of Nissan Computer registered nissan.com in 1994. Nissan Motors sued them, attempting to claim that they had the right to the name but I believe they lost the case - nissan.com is still in use by the computer company anyway.

Jacob T

biko wrote: »

What are you talking about OP, www.supergay.ie isn't taken.

It is now

Mickey H

Jacob T wrote: »

It is now

9 minutes later and the registration still hasn't gone through.....

Capt'n Midnight

Blacknight wrote: »

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_domain_hijacking

Young Mike Rowe was out lawyered

Gummy Panda

OP just face it, Irishchubbydogging.ie belongs to me.