Do not forget.com to renew your domain.net

9 December 2006

Do not forget.com to renew your domain.net

Vivendi Universal paid around $372 million to buy MP3.com after it nearly lost the domain name
because it forgot to pay the $35 renewal fee.

It is easy to lose ownership of a domain name. A common reason is that the person named as the
administrative contact in relation to the domain name has either left the organisation or closed
down the email account. When the domain name is up for renewal the administrative contact is the
only person that will be sent an email detailing that the domain needs renewal.

Past incidents have included anti-virus software company Symantec forgetting to renew its
Norton.com domain name. Also Microsoft forgot to renew its Passport.com domain name.

The technical co-ordination body of the Internet - ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers), has proposed a one month grace period for expired domain names. This has been put
into place to address the problems owners face should they unintentionally forget to renew their
domain name.

Ownership of domain names has been lost because the renewal notice has been over looked or not
received. Domain names have also been lost due to fraud, errors on the part of registrars, or
because the domain name has been hijacked.

Domain name hijacking is common and occurs when a hijacker accesses the owners accounts at the
registrar, modifies the administrative contact (in his/her name) and then requests a transfer of
the domain name to another registrar (i.e. Joker). The hijacker then closes the account and
immediately registers the domain name through another registrar. The hijacker can frustrate the
chances of the original owner correcting the problem by laundering the registration thought
several registrars.

The current system of registering, domain names are available for re-registration either
immediately or after a maximum five day holding period. However ICANN has proposed that deleted
domain names will be granted a 30-day Deleted Name Redemption Grace Period. The period will
provide suitable time for any detection and correction of any mistaken deletions. During the grace
period, the domain name will not function and will not be available for the public. Only until the
30 day period has pass, will the domain name be available for re-registration by the public.

For further advice in relation to domain names or eCommerce, please contact Riyaz Jariwalla on
riyaz.jariwalla@lawdit.co.uk.

Riyaz Jariwalla