shakedown by chinese domain registrars ??

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 10:32:15PM -0400, Dave Cramer wrote:
> I have a commercial entity which has a domain name. Recently I've had  
> two emails from different domain registrars in china.
> 
> The story goes like this.
> 
> Dear Sir
> 
> We have recently received an application from xyz company in China  
> wishing to register visible-assets.cn .... We have done our due  
> diligence and have noticed that you have a trademark on visible- 
> assets.com. Please email or phone us if you have objections to xyz  
> company using your trademark.
> 
> I emailed and received a reply (verbatim below)
> 
> During the auditing process, we have found that Heiyee company is not  
> the owner of the domain name "Visible-assets.com". So we e-mail to you  
> for confirming that whether you have consigned Heiyee company to  
> register these domain names. If you have no relationship with them.  
> According to our working experience, there are 3 possibilities:
> 1. Heiyee company is a domain name investment company, they want to  
> register these names before you and sell back to you to gain profits.
> 2. It may be a commercial method, Heiyee company is consigned by your  
> competitor to register, make your clients confused.
> 3. Heiyee company register the domain for imitating you web. And  
> invade some market of you or link to some illegal porno webs or sell  
> to your competitors.
> 
> Because domain name takes open registration, this is international  
> domain name registration principle. So Heiyee company has right to  
> register it. As a domain name registrar, we have no right to dispute  
> their application. therefor,Government request us to audit and record  
> the application during the process of registration. If the original  
> owner company of the domain names have no objection for the  
> registration, we could register the domain names for the Heiyee  
> company.what is you opinion regarding this case?
> 
> 
> I see a possible 4th option and it is that this registrar is trying to  
> scare me into registering the domain with them to drum up business.
> 
> Anyone else seeing this happen ?

I have seen that too for where I work, although of course I personally
have nothing to do with such things, I am just a software developer.

-- 
Len Sorensen
--
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