How To Get Back An Old Eth Name Deposit
One of the frequently asked questions after we released nearly 280k names on 2nd August are how to reclaim the deposit which users put during the original auction when ENS launched back in 2017. Even though these deposits belong to the original name owners and can be withdrawn at any time, it was somewhat difficult to figure out where and how to withdraw.
There are still nearly 200k deeds left with 95k ETH deposited, so it is important that we provide a way for people to easily search and claim their deposits back.
We created a dedicated site just for that: reclaim.ens.domains.
If you visit the site with MetaMask, it will automatically fill in your Ethereum address and show you how many deposits you still have. You can also search via Ethereum address or ENS name. Unlike normal ENS lookup, this will search the owner address, as many of you havent set resolvers nor address to these old names.
One thing to note is the gas price. The gas price is currently so high that transaction cost will be as high as the minimum deposit , so it may not worth doing it right now if your deposit amount is low.
If you have a lot of names with deposits to reclaim, you may also find it tedious that you have to press the claim button for each name. Unfortunately, the deed contract is only redeemable by the owner hence we cannot write a wrapper contract to batch them up.
Where to reclaim old .ETH name deposits:reclaim.ens.domains
Report Phishing To The Websites Registrar
If you discover a malicious website that appears to be phishing for private information, you can also report the website. Websites that include malware, phishing scams, or purport to be a legitimate business should be reported to the domain registrar or web host . You can use the WHOis.net lookup tool to find the contact information for the malicious sites registrar or host.
While the domain registrar cannot take down a phishing website, they can point you toward the websites host. The web host does have the authority to remove malicious sites.
How To Remove A Cybersquatter & Recover Your Domain Name
This page has been peer-reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by multiple qualified attorneys and legal professionals to ensure substantive accuracy and coverage. Our publication process is robust, following a 16-step content creation and review process.
If someone registers a domain under your mark to profit off your reputation, they are cybersquatting. Fortunately, you can remove a cybersquatter and recover your domain name by:
- Negotiating with the cybersquatter to transfer the domain name
- Filing a lawsuit under the Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act , to obtain a court order transferring the domain or
- Requesting arbitration under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy .
At Minc Law, we know how to protect your name or trademark from cybersquatters. We often represent individuals and business owners whose names have been registered by cybersquatters in bad faith.
In this post, we will explain what cybersquatting is and why people do it. Then we will outline your options for dealing with a cybersquatter, including how to acquire your domain name.
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How Do I Reclaim An Expired Domain Name
3 Steps To Reclaim Lost Domain Names
What If I Hired Someone Else To Buy My Website
We had this issue once with a customer, actually several times, and its always a challenge. But youre going to have to get ahold of that person or their team. By using the lookup tool mentioned above you can clearly state the company they bought the domain from.
For instance, you can write
Hey ,Were looking to gain control of the domain . We see that it was registered with . Could you please guide us in the right direction so we can obtain ownership?
This almost always works, even for us when were talking with a competitor Most of the time the company will comply.
Stating the domain company/registrar usually gives the agency the impression that you know what you are talking about and you did your research. They wont want to pick a fight with someone who is well educated. It also will ease the process since they may buy domains for various vendors and may not remember off the top of their head where they purchased your domain.
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Data Can Convert Anonymity To A Name
Today, ample evidence exists of a re-identification industry.
Its an industry that exploits methods such as multiple queries on a single database or linking the data in one database with that in another database, usually containing data that is publicly available online. There is also de-identification. But efforts to de-identify personal data, such as scrubbing or aggregating certain data fields, degrade the utility of the data for future use.
The result? Strictly technical de-identification is increasingly easy. Though it is close to impossible to completely anonymize all data sets, there are movements afoot to spur de-identification and to help people reclaim their names. The Federal Trade Commission has asked companies to not spend money on cycled re-identification, and it has published a full Reclaim Your Name statement well worth reading. FTC Commissioner Julie Brill posted it earlier this year June 2013.
What Is Bad Faith Registration
Bad faith registration is a legal term laid out in the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy established by ICANN in 1999. UDRP outlined the process for trademark holders to fight against domain squatting. UDRP was the first globally enforced policy to fight domain squatting, and also one of the first policies instituted for deliberation in the court proceedings.
A domain that is registered and being used in bad faith can be defined in one of four ways
Domain registration with the sole intention of selling to a competitor for a higher rate .Domain name registration in an attempt to block the trademark holder from registration if they show a history of registration practices.Domain registration in an attempt to disrupt a trademark holders business dealingsDomain registration in an attempt to confuse or attract customers from a competing businessWhile these are the four primary defined cases of a bad faith registration, this definition has been used far more loosely in legal proceedings involving trademark infringement.
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What Happens When An International Domain Expires
- The landing page will be replaced with a 1-grid home page.
- If a domain name is not renewed by its expiry date, it is not immediately deleted, although it does cease to operate.
- 0 40 days the domain name is now in the grace period. During the 40 days following the expiry date the registrant can reinstate the domain name simply by renewing it. If a third party wants to buy this domain name, they need to contact the registrant.
- 40 70 days if the domain name has not been renewed within the 40 days , the domain name then enters a 30 day Redemption period.
- To recover the domain during the Redemption Period the fee between $89 and $300 is required.
- The Redemption Period applies to .COM, .NET and .ORG domains.
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How To Recover A Domain You Lost Access To
- You can lose domain access for several reasons.
- Protect yourself by following smart domain practices.
You try a few more combinations, to no avail, and then it dawns on you: you no longer have access to the account. You cant renew your domain because you cant log in. What happened? And what can you do to regain access?
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An Experienced Lawyer Can Help
How your case is handled will depend on the specific facts involved. But whichever side of the dispute you find yourself on, an experienced attorney can help. The legal questions behind a UDRP case are fairly complex, Feldman says. There are variations in the rights held by domain name owners, there is risk in filing a baseless or abusive complaint, and there are several variables to consider when attempting to prove bad faith.
As a brand owner, if theres a cybersquatter or a potential cybersquatter and you want to know your options, its good to have an attorney to evaluate these, Feldman says. If you have a domain name and you receive a cease and desist letter or you receive a complaint, its important to have an attorney to explain your defenses and to evaluate whether or not youve actually done anything actionable.
How To Reclaim A Name With Icanns Domain Dispute Resolution Process
May 18, 2018 | Domains
The Internet is a large and unregulated space, or it can be if you arent closely monitoring your trademark. Thankfully there are policies in place to help companies take over domains that are in the possession of cybersquatters. The domain dispute resolution process provides a time and cost-effective alternative to the hassle of filing a case in court.
Securing your trademark in your home country is great, but it doesnt come close to protecting you internationally. The line thats drawn for trademark law becomes a little hazy when dealing with trademark disputes in a global space. There are two courses of action one can take in the domain dispute resolution process: UDRP and URS. The two go hand-in-hand, the main difference being how clear of a case you have against the party infringing on your trademark.
If the domain was clearly registered in bad faith, URS provides a faster and lower-cost option for the most clear-cut cases. All Registrars abide by the domain dispute resolution process, so whatever the outcome the Registrar will respect the decision to cancel, suspend or transfer the domain to the complainant. In 2017, the majority of UDRP/URS cases resulted in the decision that the name is transferred to the party who filed the complaint.
To give you a better understanding of where the action of cybersquatting is taking place, heres a breakdown of the top 5 countries by the complainant and respondent filing.
Image Source: Nissan.com
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What Legal Actions Can Cybersquatting Victims Take
The best legal options for dealing with cybersquatting are pursuing either UDRP arbitration or an ACPA lawsuit. But you may have other legal options depending on the circumstances. Some of the other legal issues that could arise in a domain squatting case may include:
- Trademark infringement,
- Appropriation of name and likeness, and/or
Each of the civil claims listed above is best assessed with a knowledgeable Internet attorney. Each state has different laws that could apply to your situation, depending on the specifics of your case. Likewise, there may be strategic considerations that make certain options more favorable to you than others .
Cybersquatting: How To Reclaim Your Domain Names
In Hong Kong, domain names are registered on a first-come-first served basis. In certain situations, competitors can register a domain name in bad faith in order to disrupt another company’s business. In this short article, some mechanisms of domain name dispute resolution are explained.
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Protect Yourself Going Forward
Dealing with a domain name you cant access for renewal is something you dont want to go through twice. When setting up the email address associated with your domain name, choose one that multiple individuals at your company have access to, or ensure that you share access with your spouse or business partner.
Following best practices for domain name account access will save you trouble down the road, regardless of the circumstance. And if you do end up losing access to your domain, follow the steps explained above and be patient, recognizing that the security measures in place on your account are ultimately for your benefit. You want to renew your domain to start with because its important to you, so it only makes sense to protect it and ensure your continued access for years to come.
What Happens When A Local Domain Expires
- The landing page will be replaced with a 1-grid home page.
- 0 5 days thereafter the domain will be suspended and set to inactive
- 5 10 days after expiration, the domain is set to pending deletion
- 10 30 days the domain is set to Closed Redemption period
- After 30 days the domain is released and available to the public for purchase
- If a third party purchases the domain name while the domain is available, the domain name will no longer be available for renewal on your account.
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A Trademark Owners Options
A trademark owner who finds a domain name that is identical or confusingly similar to its mark has several options for dealing with the possible infringement. The owner of an unregistered or common law mark can act against a cybersquatter and seize an infringing domain name.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of options available to a mark owner for combating infringing domain names:
Be Ready To Prove Previous And Recent Ownership Of The Lost Domain
Iâve been contacted by individuals about reclaiming lost domain names. They were able to prove the legitimacy of previous ownership without a shadow of a doubt. In return, I transfer the domain at cost or no cost, if under a certain amount.
But Iâve also had people try to get over on me too with a sob story of how they lost a domain that was never theirs, to begin with. In short, they are essentially trying to steal the domain from me.
Nevertheless, contact the new domain owner to explain your situation of how the domain was lost. But donât count the new owner rolling over and just handing over domain because of your story. Always make a reasonable, market-driven offer when contacting a domain owner. Understand their asking price may not be cheap at all.
Most honest domainers aim to work a reasonably priced deal of some sort with you. You may have to legitimately prove previous ownership of the lost domain name that are in question. In some cases, domainers gladly return lost domain names to you at no cost but donât count on it.
See, if the new owner of the lost domain has paid money using either a backorder service or bought the domain name via an expired domain auction, then you may very well have to pay the new domain owner the amount that they paid for the lost or expired domain name.
This reason alone makes reclaiming lost domain names a very costly experience.
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