Your Internet domain is your home. It must be rigorously guarded and zealously protected.
But mistakes happen. Forgetting to renew a domain, for instance. Maybe it’s no big deal. But maybe – for instance, if you own a high-profile mainstream site and suddenly discover it’s now hosting porn – it can be a dreadful surprise, at least if you aren’t in the adult entertainment industry.
That happened to one of our clients. We heard from our client’s general counsel on Thursday afternoon: get the porn down and the site back—and get it done fast.
The hijackers tried to hide their identity. The registrant was a fake. The U.S. address was fake. But we were persistent. We traced computer trails worldwide and finally located the bad guys in Azerbaijan. Within two days, the site was down and on its way back to our client.
The situation was unique, but our instant response and dogged determination wasn’t.
We know the Internet.
And we’ve known it for decades … from the early ARPANET and UUCPNet to the present. (One of our attorneys presented a paper that has an interesting historical review—check it out in our Learning Center.)
We know that when you’ve got a problem online, it needs a solution. Fast. If a website has been redirected or a knockoff domain is up, there is no time to wait.
We also know the value of money – especially when it’s our client’s money. We seek cost-effective solutions. We bring common sense to the table. We help our clients analyze the problem, assess the available solutions, and weigh the costs and benefits of each.
We know the ins and outs of the ICANN-administered domain name system.
Our team knows how to locate and ferret out bad guys. We often find them even when they go to great lengths to hide. Direct communication can get fast results—faster than a lawsuit, and faster than even the fastest of ICANN protocols.
But if push comes to shove, we’re ready to file a proceeding under ICANN’s Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (usually referred to as a “UDRP proceeding”). Plus we can file URS proceedings, RDRP proceedings, or proceedings under whichever protocol is called for.
And if all else fails, a lawsuit in federal or state court might be required. Or we might reach out to Interpol or other law enforcement officials for help.
The bottom line: whatever avenue needs to be taken, whatever option needs to be explored – that’s what we do for our clients.
Do you have a question about your online domain? Get answers from the proven Internet lawyers at Olive & Olive.