Stormclouds gathering on domain horizon?

[binaryman]

I can foresee a time coming when a person, entity or group
will be severely restricted in how many domains they may register and
also will have to provide proof to show that the domain-name is in line
with their business model or idea. Registering domains potluck for
reselling purposes will not be allowed and even reselling a domain to
which you had rights will not be allowed unless maybe you sell your business and the domain-name goes with the business as part of it. I can see a time
coming when no-one will be allowed to resell domains at all in other
words the domains in domainers portfolios will become useless as you are
not allowed to sell them. So you will be forced to let them expire as
they will only cost you money keeping them and no chance of reselling
them. In that way the internet will be freed up once again with lots of
nice .coms becoming available again at registration fee. Parked pages
will no longer be allowed and a internet site must offer real services.
Thus parking companies will cease to excist. In fact the domain industry
as we know it today will cease to excist. This means that say I bought a
domain whatever.com for $100,000 5 years ago and I have it sitting in my
portfolio waiting for a buyer.that domain will now be useless to me as I
cannot sell it and so will have to let it expire as it is only costing
me money every year.It will be easy for the controlling body to enforce
the "NO SELLING" policy as no domain transfers will be allowed anymore. In fact they might even force
holders of domains that dont apply to the criteria to let their domains
expire so these domains will become available to the pool again and can
be applied for by interested parties who will then have to satisfy the
required criteria before they may register the domain.
I hope it wont become a reality.

 

[htmlindex]

I highly doubt that would happen. What makes you see that happening?

 

[DomainMayhem.com]

Too many reasons to list against that happening. What you're describing is draconian internet law, and the main allure of the internet (to the masses, not just domainers) is the freedom to create/see/interact with the net as they so choose, within certain guidelines. I think what is most likely to happen is that TM's will be strongly enforced, and perhaps stiff fines given to those that are frequent or flagrant violators.

 

[binaryman]

Just a nightmare I had

 

[Michelle]

Just a nightmare I had

Hugs go back to sleep all will be well again in the morning :hehe:

 

[Dotmainer]

Hmm, this is not nightmare, there are such restrictions on some country tld's.


-

 

[AussieDomainer]

Hmm, this is not nightmare, there are such restrictions on some country tld's.


-

Yep, this is exactly what is in place with .com.au registrations here in Australia. However I really cannot see this happening in the .com realm. Even if it did, to use your example, if you spent $100K on a domain it would definitely be a name of high value with type in traffic and you would therefore not let it expire even if you couldn't sell it. It would still be of great worth if developed and bring in a lot more money than it would cost to renew.

 

[MyNameIsDomain]

I don't think it is impossible at all. Why should it be?

The domain industry is so young, everything can happen in my opinion.

Maybe if a company is to register a trademark, the domain automatically becomes available to it.

Ah well, I don't know, but I think its all possible.

 

[onewordonly]

Yes the Australian organization for domains has this already in place. The sooner this organization loses it's stranglehold on the aussie domain market the better.

 

[cityforums.com]

Yes the Australian organization for domains has this already in place. The sooner this organization loses it's stranglehold on the aussie domain market the better.

So you can not sell an aussie domain ? How long has this been so ?

 

[ssamriga]

dude, what have you been smoking?

on a more serious note- if North Korea seizes power in the world, then they could make such laws, but... of wait this doesn't sound possible either...

 

[raredn.com]

I don't think it is impossible at all. Why should it be?

The domain industry is so young, everything can happen in my opinion.

Maybe if a company is to register a trademark, the domain automatically becomes available to it.

Ah well, I don't know, but I think its all possible.

Then People would be registering trade marks all over the place, so the could basically 'steal' high value domain names of people, that's ridiculous and worrying that any organization could fathom such moronic though patterns

 

[Mobi Cheap]

...
Maybe if a company is to register a trademark, the domain automatically becomes available to it.
...

In which country?

Trademarks work on an international basis.

People must have learned something from the .eu debacle, no?

 

[vitalir]

I don't see this happening. Big people would lose big money. They simply won't allow such a catastrophe and they have means of influence on this.

 

[Pred]

Hugs go back to sleep all will be well again in the morning :hehe:

ROFL
Repped

Fred's having a funny turn, again
:hehe:
Bless him :sold: :sold: :sold:

 

[Brad|E]

Hmm, this is not nightmare, there are such restrictions on some country tld's.
-

And, technically, on .biz.

http://www.neulevel.biz/ardp/docs/reg_restrictions.html

Registering a domain name solely for the purposes of (1) selling, trading or leasing the domain name for compensation, or (2) the unsolicited offering to sell, trade or lease the domain name for compensation shall not constitute a "bona fide business or commercial use" of that domain name.

http://www.neulevel.biz/ardp/docs/rdrp.html

This Paragraph sets forth the type of disputes for which you are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding. These proceedings will be conducted before one of the administrative dispute resolution service providers listed at http://www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm...

[4]c. Not a Bona Fide Business or Commercial Use. Registering a domain name solely for the purposes identified below shall not constitute a "bona fide business or commercial use" of that domain name:

1. selling, trading or leasing the domain name for compensation, or
2. the unsolicited offering to sell, trade or lease the domain name for compensation.
3. For illustration purposes, the following shall not constitute a "bona fide business or commercial use" of a domain name:
1. Using or intending to use the domain name exclusively for personal, noncommercial purposes; or
2. Using or intending to use the domain name exclusively for the expression of noncommercial ideas (e.g., registering exclusively to criticize or otherwise express an opinion on the products or services of ABC company, with no other intended business or commercial purpose).

You might want to read some of Rick's comments in DNJournal's "State of the Industry" cover story. (Scroll down to "The Enemy Within".)

I also just discovered that if you listen very carefully, you might hear the subtle rumble of Cyberian's echo ringing in this thread.

 

[nicholas]

This isn't impossible, but just as improbable as all the air molecules moving to one side of the room you're in and suffocating you.

Even if it did, the current owners will only scramble to get a trademark or setup a company for the valuable names.

Besides, the whole idea of the Internet doesn't revolve around trademarked/company names only, but encompasses everything from personal sites to say, icanhascheezburger.com and everything else in between, and where they'll have to draw the line is going to make it a nonstarter.

Still, an interesting thought experiment nevertheless, nightmare or otherwise.

 

[hawkeye]

Binary, you sure do have some dark opinions on things sometimes. How many times did you read '1984' anyways?

 

[htmlindex]

I don't think it is impossible at all. Why should it be?

The domain industry is so young, everything can happen in my opinion.

Maybe if a company is to register a trademark, the domain automatically becomes available to it.

So I guess I should see if there's any way I can TM Sex, Casino & Poker so those names become available to me in all extentions :hehe:

 

[duceman]

This kind of sounds like a spin off of what was in the Schwartz interview.