information Brent Oxley Loses Access to Create.com, Plus Millions of Dollars Worth of His Domains

[James Iles]

Brent Oxley, the founder of HostGator, has been accruing a portfolio of ultra-premium domain names since he sold his hosting company for close to $300 million in 2013.

With purchases such as Give.com for $500,000, Broker.com for $375,000, and Texas.com for $1,007,500, Oxley has spent millions of dollars over the past few years accumulating this collection. According to his website, the portfolio is worth more than $25 million.

Oxley has now, however, lost access to a proportion of his portfolio

Read the full report on my blog

 

[Lox]

Now that we are asking for Reforms across the whole Domain Industry, we should make sure that ICA is up to the task and that it is not driven to just protect the interests and agendas of a few, but rather that it truly is going to represent the Internet Commerce Community as a whole which also includes the Domaining Community.

ICA needs to have lawyers that can act on behalf of the whole Domaining Community and who can persuade and help ICANN to establish a set of Uniform Standards and Policies that can protect the Members, Customers, Consumers, and the Registrants Rights across the whole Domain Industry regardless of which Registrars, Registries, or Companies are involved.

The first step is to bring some transparency and accountability to ICA and then support it so that it can fight for our rights.

IMO

ICA mission is to represent and establish a very strong understanding of the Internet commerce practice , incl. domains. That’s how ordinary brain cells can translate the ICA message.

Domain investors need to be more careful in the future defense. They are in need of the tiger-sort law firm and tiger’s are not going out for $100 dinner. So, the best way is ....

 

[oldtimer]

ICA mission is to represent and establish a very strong understanding of the Internet commerce practice , incl. domains. That’s how ordinary brain cells can translate the ICA message.

Domain investors need to be more careful in the future defense. They are in need of the tiger-sort law firm and tiger’s are not going out for $100 dinner. So, the best way is ....

What do Associations do for their members in other Industries,

I am sure that they defend any member whose rights are being trampled on.

The thing is that we need to elevate ICA from being a one man operation to being like some of the more powerful Associations that exist in other Industries.

But as I already said the first step is to bring transparency and accountability to ICA itself.

IMO

 

[Kingslayer]

Not getting involved in the whole dispute, I’m not sure if anyone else picked up on this but Puneet seemed to have a lot of contacts, not just Brent, but he was in contact and clearly had some business relationships with some really high-profile people ie:- VPN CEO, I read some e-mails he sent to Brent, saying he’s not had a job for 6 years, but what he failed to understand was this was his job (or could have been) with the contacts he had, his dealings with Brent etc he had such a great things going and could have gone places, a lot of people here would love to have those kind of contacts he had and he’s potentially ruined that now.

 

[Reddstagg]

The bottom line is that anyone...literally anyone with a dollar and the internet can become a domain name investor. There are no barriers to entry. We don't agree to anything, we don't sign anything and we can basically behave as we wish. However, this changes once we team up with a registry, registrar or aftermarket entity to sell our domains. Then, we have to agree to certain things.

However, as roughly only 10% of all TM dispute cases result in a UDRP filing (I may be wrong so please feel free to correct my assumption) we are free to roam the WWW like it is indeed the technological version of The Wild Wild West.

There will only be progress when someone or something makes us accountable for our actions. Makes us actual 'Professionals'. Maybe get certificates and hang them proudly on our walls. This is maybe the time that we take domain name investing kicking and screaming into the 20th Century (I know...pun intended!!!). How many other industries can a person trade and complete financial transactions without a certain level of approved oversight. Very few I'd imagine.

We should at least have a basic set of laid out principles and practices that we have to adhere to without compromise. We should have regulation that actually means something. Reputations and businesses can be ruined overnight with very little evidence and there are few grounds for appeal, if any. Who would we appeal to once the damage has been done.

I propose something along the lines of the following:

We have an worldwide recognized title - such as - Domain Name Investor.
We have to sit and pass a test before we can use this title.
We have a ramped up professional body which represents us and always has our best interests at its very core.
We have a bond which will be lost in the event of any proven acts of wrongdoing and a formal set of appeals procedures.
We have better links with all interested stakeholders, whether that be with fellow DNIs or others.

Just a few thought on paper for now, but please let me know what you all think.

Regards,

Reddstagg

 

[carob]

As for standards in the domain industry, well anyone can take a course to learn to be a domain broker for just $50 today:

https://www.coursetalk.com/providers/udemy/courses/make-money-selling-domains-broker

 

[WGS_Thunder]

As for standards in the domain industry, well anyone can take a course to learn to be a domain broker for just $50 today:

https://www.coursetalk.com/providers/udemy/courses/make-money-selling-domains-broker

Show attachment 184925

Adam Dicker, name sounds familiar

 

[branding]

The bottom line is that anyone...literally anyone with a dollar and the internet can become a domain name investor. There are no barriers to entry. We don't agree to anything, we don't sign anything and we can basically behave as we wish. However, this changes once we team up with a registry, registrar or aftermarket entity to sell our domains. Then, we have to agree to certain things.

However, as roughly only 10% of all TM dispute cases result in a UDRP filing (I may be wrong so please feel free to correct my assumption) we are free to roam the WWW like it is indeed the technological version of The Wild Wild West.

There will only be progress when someone or something makes us accountable for our actions. Makes us actual 'Professionals'. Maybe get certificates and hang them proudly on our walls. This is maybe the time that we take domain name investing kicking and screaming into the 20th Century (I know...pun intended!!!). How many other industries can a person trade and complete financial transactions without a certain level of approved oversight. Very few I'd imagine.

We should at least have a basic set of laid out principles and practices that we have to adhere to without compromise. We should have regulation that actually means something. Reputations and businesses can be ruined overnight with very little evidence and there are few grounds for appeal, if any. Who would we appeal to once the damage has been done.

I propose something along the lines of the following:

We have an worldwide recognized title - such as - Domain Name Investor.
We have to sit and pass a test before we can use this title.
We have a ramped up professional body which represents us and always has our best interests at its very core.
We have a bond which will be lost in the event of any proven acts of wrongdoing and a formal set of appeals procedures.
We have better links with all interested stakeholders, whether that be with fellow DNIs or others.

Just a few thought on paper for now, but please let me know what you all think.

Regards,

Reddstagg

Lets not. I'd pick something else to invest in if we're gonna put up barriers like that.

Being a 'wild west' is what attracts me and provides the opportunity to do what I want, how I want.

 

[oldtimer]

Being a 'wild west' is what attracts me and provides the opportunity to do what I want, how I want.

That's fine, but keep in mind that even in the Wild West there were still some rules that people had to abide by:

You couldn't shoot someone in the back, and you couldn't draw a gun on an unarmed person, and people couldn't take somebody else's horse (domain ) just because it was valuable, and you had to be fast to the draw to survive (like in the auctions ).

But it's worth noting that even then people could still express their opinions in the town newspaper without being run out of town (losing their websites).

Whether you think of yourself as a lone digital cowboy or a netcitizen of the modern Internet era, we still have to have a set of Uniform Standards and Policies that can protect everyone's rights across the whole Industry

Regardless of which stable (Registrar) one keeps their horse (domain) at.

Now as far as giving people certain certificates, we need to keep in mind that only around 10% of the domainers might be considered to be real domain investors, the rest are speculators, collectors, or hobbyist (like me).

But I agree that maybe the brokers should be certified somehow.

IMO

 

[The Rover]

But it's worth noting that even then people could still express their opinions in the town newspaper without being run out of town (losing their websites).

Sadly that's definitely an issue these days, pretty much everywhere now.

 

[marijuanadomain]

so what new now? Anybody got fired at GD or it is all the SOS same old sheit
So the extortionist/scammer in India is laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of GD's political correctness and succumb to their demands...here here...just take whatever you want!!

 

[alcy]

so what new now? Anybody got fired at GD or it is all the SOS same old sheit
So the extortionist/scammer in India is laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of GD's political correctness and succumb to their demands...here here...just take whatever you want!!

what did u expect? it's always same story rich giant companies dont care about singular cases..not even about 1000s clients leaving.. it is drop in ocean in their profits.. their money making machine is working too well...in fact they often wont change their policies ..legal etc.. precisely cause the machine is working so well exactly as it is.. profit wise that is.

in short if this was important to them ..or going to get changed or change their legal policies then we would not be on page40 about it now.

so I predict the solution or resolution will have to come from either or both parties... not from gd. just how I feel this will end.

 

[Alop]

Lets not. I'd pick something else to invest in if we're gonna put up barriers like that.

Being a 'wild west' is what attracts me and provides the opportunity to do what I want, how I want.

As I dip deeper into the ocean the Wild West is not the option ...Surely it may sound optimistic hype is strong

 

[boker]

what did u expect? it's always same story rich giant companies dont care about singular cases..not even about 1000s clients leaving.. it is drop in ocean in their profits.. their money making machine is working too well...in fact they often wont change their policies ..legal etc.. precisely cause the machine is working so well exactly as it is.. profit wise that is.

in short if this was important to them ..or going to get changed or change their legal policies then we would not be on page40 about it now.

so I predict the solution or resolution will have to come from either or both parties... not from gd. just how I feel this will end.

The best ending to this, to give godaddy a lesson will be for Brent to manage to unlock the domains with a court order and transfer the domains, so at least godaddy can't say that they help in any way. Like I was saying in the beginning, they will do it again and again, until they will start losing big time and most of the times, usually it's to late to correct things anymore, thrust is hard to be lost at this level, but when you loose it, it's even harder to restore it.

 

[nononsense123]

Any domainer who continues to use GoDaddy is putting themselves in a huge risk and doing a great disservice to the entire domaining community.

 

[Paul Nicks]

Wanted to give everyone a quick update before the weekend. We've been having numerous calls with outside experts and internally as we continue to review our processes. We've made a lot of good progress, but this is a complicated issue and there is still more to do.

We want to make sure we get this right. Not just for Brent, but for everyone in this industry that we want to support.

So, please know I'm reading each post here and adding any new info into our analysis. Expect more information next week.

 

[Shimmy]

There is nothing complicated at all about not being invloved in a commission dispute without a court order

 

[Future Sensors]

Wanted to give everyone a quick update before the weekend. We've been having numerous calls with outside experts and internally as we continue to review our processes. We've made a lot of good progress, but this is a complicated issue and there is still more to do.

We want to make sure we get this right. Not just for Brent, but for everyone in this industry that we want to support.

So, please know I'm reading each post here and adding any new info into our analysis. Expect more information next week.

@Paul Nicks

Thanks for the quick update. It must be intensive days for you and your team, trying to correct things. Take care of yourself and get some rest now and then, because without you there is no one to keep us informed.

 

[iAdam]

Thank you for the update.
Is it a complicated issue because it has to do with india?
I don't have a legal background and it's kind of easy to understand that you can't act if you don't have a court order.

 

[koolishman]

/\

GD is making it “complicated” to wiggle out of the situation. You have mounted the tiger. How to get down?

 

[alcy]

I'm trying to understand the logic or purpose behind calling something complicated without explaining why. domainers here are seeking clarity and clarification and future guarantees about similar occurring. not more mystery and confusion.

 

[koolishman]

There is nothing complicated at all about not being invloved in a commission dispute without a court order

Agree 100%.

 

[koolishman]

I'm trying to understand the logic behind calling something complicated without explaining why.

saving face!

 

[-AR-]

I cannot see much of a complication, common sense should prevail. Just Godaddy throwing their client under the bus which seems to have become standard practice lately.

 

[nononsense123]

If they do this to the guy owning create.com, they'll easily do this to me who owns create1245.xyz and no one will bat an eye.

 

[Compassion]

common sense should prevail.

A proverb for our times indeed.