There’s been a lot of talk lately about domain tasting – which some describe as a cynical use (to test the market potential of the domain name) of the 4-5 day grace period in which a domain name purchaser can reverse the transaction without cost.
There are quite a few other examples of ways that the current domain name registration system can be stretched to do things it wasn’t intended to – sometimes illegally. Here are some others, please add your own:
- Domain Kiting – repeatedly deleting and immediately re-registering the domain name during the grace period so as to keep the registration indefinitely without having to pay for it;
- Frontrunning – where a domain name registrar uses inside information to register domain names which are of interest to particular people or groups of people;
- Cybersquatting – registering a domain name which resembles another’s brand so as to profit from visitors looking for the brand;
- Domain hijacking – tricking the registrar into transferring the domain name – ie stealing it.
ICANN and the UDRP (Universal Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) are key parts of the domain name terrain. Understand them so that you can better protect and make the most of your domain names.