I joined this forum so I could share a frightening experience with you.
I’m also fairly new to domains, but got involved when friends suggested I do so. One is a respected international domainer who lives in Melbourne.
I’ve registered lots of domains, and also joined a drop service and bought lots of domains at auction. Being initially very naïve, I did buy some domains that I have since learned had potential problems attached to them (like trademarks). My mistake.
About a month ago, auDA queried my right to hold some domains. They said they were going to take some domains off me because I had breached trademarks etc. I realised that I had to cop the loss of these domains. No complaints. Live and learn is my motto.
auDA then did an audit of all my domains held in one particular entity, and asked me on what policy reason I had bought them all, and what were my intentions with them. I answered as best as I could, and told them I was going to develop websites and monetize them etc. I had already started doing so.
auDA told me that they didn’t like my answers, and that I had broken their rules. Therefore they were going to “Policy Delete” nearly every single one of these domains; approx 110 of them! I spoke to a lawyer who wrote to auDA, but they just went ahead and deleted the domains that I had paid lots of money for. These were deleted last week and other people bought them. There were domains like horserugs.com.au which I paid over $400 for originally. Others included carstereosystems.com.au and Hastings.com.au. The whole list is published on this forum.
By the way, I have no beef with anyone who bought them.
I’ve never been a whinger and have worked hard for my dough. But I think this action by auDA is so over the top, and it’s frightening because they did it so quickly. I accept losing some domains because of possible trademark issues, but surely I shouldn’t been stripped of almost everything I own? Shouldn’t auDA be helping educate people like me rather than punish me so severely?
Please tell me what you think. Would you be upset if you had over 100 domains taken from you just like that?
I’m also fairly new to domains, but got involved when friends suggested I do so. One is a respected international domainer who lives in Melbourne.
I’ve registered lots of domains, and also joined a drop service and bought lots of domains at auction. Being initially very naïve, I did buy some domains that I have since learned had potential problems attached to them (like trademarks). My mistake.
About a month ago, auDA queried my right to hold some domains. They said they were going to take some domains off me because I had breached trademarks etc. I realised that I had to cop the loss of these domains. No complaints. Live and learn is my motto.
auDA then did an audit of all my domains held in one particular entity, and asked me on what policy reason I had bought them all, and what were my intentions with them. I answered as best as I could, and told them I was going to develop websites and monetize them etc. I had already started doing so.
auDA told me that they didn’t like my answers, and that I had broken their rules. Therefore they were going to “Policy Delete” nearly every single one of these domains; approx 110 of them! I spoke to a lawyer who wrote to auDA, but they just went ahead and deleted the domains that I had paid lots of money for. These were deleted last week and other people bought them. There were domains like horserugs.com.au which I paid over $400 for originally. Others included carstereosystems.com.au and Hastings.com.au. The whole list is published on this forum.
By the way, I have no beef with anyone who bought them.
I’ve never been a whinger and have worked hard for my dough. But I think this action by auDA is so over the top, and it’s frightening because they did it so quickly. I accept losing some domains because of possible trademark issues, but surely I shouldn’t been stripped of almost everything I own? Shouldn’t auDA be helping educate people like me rather than punish me so severely?
Please tell me what you think. Would you be upset if you had over 100 domains taken from you just like that?