Thanks again to the list wich Richard provided.As long as I am living in Germany,
and we Germans do hate anything like domaingrabbing I made my own investigations
(at least I am nearer to the scene of crime a the most of you).
I picked the domain
aral.info of the list from Richard.
ARAL is among the three biggest Fuel-Station
companies in Germany. The have one of the most biggest fuel station nets in our country.
ARAL is among the 25 most known trade marks ins Germany. Virtually EVERYONE knows
this name, and there is absolutely NOTHING else in our country wich names itself
ARAL!
Now what did I discovered? First I checked the TM number given in the WHOIS
data base of AFILIAS. Like in most western countries you can check the patent office
via web, but you need a password. I have one. And surprise: The WHOIS trade mark
for ARAL.info is really matching the German trade mark registry!
Then I looked up all WIPO cases, wether there would be a case "ARAL". Surprise:
NOPE there is not!
Imagine: One of the most well known Trade MArks in Germany,
one of the companies with the most big revenues, and a business, where it is very
important to let people know, where you gas stations are located: Would they miss
there dot info? Either they aksed Mr. Grabensee really to secure it for them, or
Mr. Grabensee would be crazy, crazy nuts. I mean, Imagine you would try to register
bayer.info or asperin.info using the companies trade mark ;-) Hey, they would tear
that guy into peaces, wouldn't they?
And onother thing: As I am living in Germany,
I tried of course all german dot info registrars. The one, for wich Mr. Grabensee
is working, is EPAG. That one was the only one I ever discovered wich asked me BEFORE
registration of the sunrise domain to provide a trade mark.
I don't know this guy,
but hey: One should make more investigations before accusing a man that hard.
I
did one more resaerch! There was this guy who feared about his name business.info!
As I recall he said that Mr. Grabensee did challenged him with that name? And he
feared, that Mr. Grabensee didn't had a client with a valid trade mark? If you look
for the term "business" in the german trade mark office, you find exactly four trade
marks, and this one is "b u s i n e s s" as characters, registered before 2000 and
live. Since the owners where easy to find, I called them up: One did really filed
this challenge! He also got the response and discoverd, that the trade mark that
was sended looks to be fraudulent. He currently make investigations with the issuing
countries trade mark office.
What I want to say: Maybe its true, that this AFILIAs
Director is the most stinking fish ever imaginable. But maybe he is the most honest
angel in the world? Until now I didn't have seen anything 100% waterproof that makes
him that evil you always say.
And regarding the WIPO: Do you really think, that
the WIPO would do anything fullfilling a crime sheme to shuffle domains to one German
lawyer? Hey, this is totally scanny. WIPO is an open book, they are not a hidden
circle up in a sky castle.
Please try to find something 100% proof, then I believe
you.
Cornelius Heise
BTW: Does anyone know when the bulk-challenge starts and
ends? And where to see all those domains?