Domain E Hosting Mail Registration Services Web

Domain privacy is a service offered by a number of domain name registrars. A user buys privacy from the company, who in turn replaces the user's info in the WHOIS with the info of a forwarding service (for email and sometimes postal mail, done by a Proxy server) such as "Domains by Proxy, Inc." or eNom's "Whois Privacy Protection Service".

However, this is not true anonymity:

  • Personal information is typically collected by these registrars to provide the service. And to some, registrars like Domains by Proxy take little persuasion to release so-called 'private' information to the world, requiring only a phone request or cease and desist letter.
  • Others, however, treat privacy more seriously, and host domain names offshore, even using e-gold or money orders in transactions so that the registrar has no knowledge of the personal information about the domain name owner in the first place (which would otherwise be transmitted along with credit card transactions).

Note some domain extensions have privacy caveats:

  • In March 2005, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has said that all owners of .us domains will not have the option of keeping their information private, and that it must be made public.
  • As of June 10, 2008, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority no longer posted registration details of individuals associated with .ca domains.

The need for privacy. Currently the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) broadly requires that the mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of those owning/managing a domain name to be made publicly available through the "WHOIS" directories. However, that policy enables spammers, direct marketers, identity thieves, or other attackers to loot the directory for personal information about these people. Plus it enables easy access to these personal details by anyone (as someone upset or concerned with the use of the domain, or just researching these people and names), regardless of whether such access is justified. Although ICANN has been exploring changing WHOIS to enable greater privacy, there is a lack of consensus among major stakeholders as to what type of change should be made.

Litigation

With "private registration", the private registration service is the legal owner of the domain. This has occasionally resulted in legal problems.

In a trademark infringement case, a 2009 United States District Court ruling in U.S.A. held that, for domains with "private registration", the privacy service is legally the "owner" of the domain. The privacy service acts as the "cyber-landlord of the Internet real estate", and the domain is "licensed" to the customer of the privacy service.

Ownership of domains held by a privacy service was also an issue in the RegisterFly case, in which a registrar effectively ceased operations and then went bankrupt. Customers encountered serious difficulties in regaining control of the domains involved.

See also

  • Privacy
  • Anonymity

References

  1. ^ "Private domains not so private?". CNET News.com. 2005-08-15 . http://news.com.com/Private+domains+not+so+private/2100-1038_3-5833663.html .  
  2. ^ Thomas Roessler (2003-04-15). "More on Domains By Proxy" . http://log.does-not-exist.org/archives/2003/04/15/299_more_on_domains_by_proxy.html .  
  3. ^ Wendy Seltzer (2003-04-11). "proxy fight " . http://wendy.seltzer.org/blog/archives/2003/04/11/proxy_fight_domains_by_proxy_update.html . Retrieved 2008-06-16 .  
  4. ^ Anonymous Hosting - Anonymous Domain Names - Katz
  5. ^ http://www.anonix.net/why.html
  6. ^ Morrow, Margaret M, United States District Judge (2009-05/19). Solid Host vs. NameCheap, Order Denying Motion to Dismiss . United States District Court, Central District of California . http://www.circleid.com/pdf/solidhostnamecheap.pdf .  
  7. ^ Computer Business Review Online, Anger and fear as domain firm slowly implodes, February 21, 2007

Quality Web Hosting, Domain, E-mail and E-Commerce ...

WEB HOSTING SERVICES FROM SELFNET Our company has been providing professional web hosting, domain name registration, E-mail and E-Commerce solutions, web ...

...

Website Design, Web Hosting, Domain, E-mail, Linux ...

Web Services Domain Registration Web Hosting E-mail Solutions SEO SSL Payment Gateway SMS Gateway Dedicated Servers: Web Development Website Design / Redesign

...

Web Wise World Inc. - Web site design, hosting ...

... web host,web hosting,internet,internet services ... Hosting for one year Up to three Domain e-mail ... Web Extras; Annual Hosting ~ $150.00 Domain Name Registration only ...

...

Web Hosting

Delcoro Technical Services Web Hosting Plans ... Domain E-mail Domain Registration SSL SmarterMail Web Mail

...

Thaidomainhosting provides domain registration, web ...

Services include Thai domain registration, business email hosting, Linux hosting and windows ... Register Domain; E-mail Hosting; Linux Hosting; Windows ... Web Mail. Webmail system allows you to ...

...

Matrix Infoweb Pvt. Ltd. Offers Web Hosting India ...

... for Web Designers, Web Design, web Hosting ... simple "domain parking" or email services through to a full scale e-commerce hosting ... and email handling for your domain, e.g. you ...

...

Lime Domains: Free Hosting, 1-Click Application Hosting ...

PUT SOME ZEST IN YOUR DOMAIN E-mail, Hosting and Web Apps ... LimeDomains.com provides web hosting, domain name registration and domain transfer services to individuals, small ...

...

Web site hosting services by Webmaster-Pro.

Webmaster Pro web hosting services provides high quality reliable web ... Web Hosting & Domain Name Registration Services ... and receive new mail. Web Based ...

...

Loving Domains :: Cheap Domain Name Registration | E ...

Mail Forwarding; Domain Theft Protection ... is a cheap domain name registration provider company with web hosting as well. We aim to provide quality and reliable services at cheap ...

...

Buy Domain Name Register in Domain Buy A Domain Domain ...

Offers FREE DNS, Email and Web Hosting services. Register Domain Name, Transfer Internet .IN, .CO.IN, .COM, Web Site Domain Name registration ... Mail Forwarding; Domain Theft ...

...