This is a correspondence with a registrar whose name, for legal reasons I'm withholding.
But it's an example of the mindset of a person I believe has got drawn into the realms
of false trademark information:"On a whole I understand your point of view with
your web site, however I take exception to you listing us. I truly hope you understand
that singling us out in this way hurts the little guy. I'm stunned that you
single us out. Our sunrise registrations
amount to less then one percent
of one percent.
If what you and Bob Conner wish to do what is right, then
start doing some fact finding with NSI and register.com. They have masked tens
of thousands of registrants." ***NB the assertion of the registrar, not of Richy
Henderson***
"Yes some customers have played the system. We explained the process
to customers and a number did what they felt was best for them. And again, we cannot
stop speculators. We cannot, we are not the Internet
police. A registrar
cannot be judge and jury.
Let me ask you a question, would you register your industry
related generic names to protect your product from competitors? And yes, during
sunrise. When the entire Internet couldn't care less about your .info but your competitors
may. You have to make a judgment call. Well many people have taken that
approach.
And again, I know your position, as I do Bob's and every other Internet
vigilante on this project. I respect and understand the fact that no
one likes seeing generic names get registered but we cannot stop it.
Please go
over your site and remove our name where it is
appropriate. And I can't
emphasise enough that you and Bob have really missed the boat on not identifying
bad registrants through NSI and register.com. 70,000 names to our 300.
Wow. Not fair." ***again, the view of the Registrar, not of Richy Henderson***
The
correspondence continued again a few days later:
"Look I got caught up in the whole
thing. We have a few TM's pending and although they don't match the names, again,I'm
told that the inclusion and intent will go a long way for us. I won't deny,
that like others I had gone for two names I maybe should not have, but
considering
I run a domain registrar, I could have gone for hundreds.
A year of my life has
been invested in promoting the pre-reg process. Had I to do this over again, I would
have simply waited for landrush. This hell is just not worth it. I feel
bad for our customers, my customers, I feel bad that the system may have simply had
it in for everyone from the get. For our customers to type in a
short easy
and memorable URL is what I want out of this now.
Can I answer questions candidly?
Sure, but I've been pretty straight up so far. We explained to customers what
was going to occur and many decided to place their most valued names in sunrise.
We did not say "don't do it", we practically encouraged them, that is true.
Looking
back it seems that it made perfect sense. And I may not have mentioned, but
only 3 challenges have come through on our customers. It seems people like
to complain for the sake of complaining.
This is a major blow to my esteem. I think
that everything I've worked for could be gone because someone was so incensed over
not being able to register a name that my business would be some attorneys dinner
item. Don't think I don't consider the harsh possibilities. I want to keep my head
low."
I will not be doing business with this company, ever.
But as far as I know,
Afilias still IS.
Richy Henderson