I Lost My Domain and Got It Back

I Lost My Domain and Got It Back
Written by Baruti M. Kamau on 04/18/2010 @ 2:00 P.M.

Cincinnati, Ohio (BarutiwaDaily.com) - Developing a pure dotcom business is challenging. Building a brand out of your domain name is just as difficult. When you lose your domain name because you were unable to renew it in a timely fashion is down right frustrating. Adding to the dismay is when some person or entity buy your domain name as soon as it become available with intent to resell it to you at an exorbitant price. It's irritating to watch someone put up PPC pages in an attempt to capitalize off your traffic while you're trying so desperately to reacquire your domain name at a more palatable price. This is known as cybersquatting and it is a controversial online activity.

Over @ Paris-Kim.com she lost her domain name due to her webhost being negligent by not making her the registrant. So when she tried to change webhost she had to depend upon third parties to make that happen. Unfortunately, they moved slowly and she ended up losing her original domain, pariskim.com. She said the new owner hijacked her domain and tried to resell it to her at a very hefty price. She declined and registered a new domain, paris-kim.com.

The owner of Barutiwa.com had a similar story but with three different twists: 1) he was unable to renew his domain because he was in jail for violating a restraining order against his kids' mother, 2) his domain, Barutiwa.com, was popular and 3) after 5 1/2 years he successfully reacquired his domain name. Baruti M. Kamau, the original owner of Barutiwa.com, was eventually found not guilty of the charge and released from jail only to find out that his Internet property had been cybersquatted. Humorously, I wonder how many other dotcom entrepreneurs have lost their domain due to personal domestic squabbles.

Paris Kim dealt with her situation by registering a new domain that was similar to her old domain. Baruti M. Kamau waited the cybersquatters out for 5 1/2 years and got his domain back for under $10 per year. Other victims of cybersquatting either ended up in costly court battles or forced outright to pay for the cybersquatted property.

The moral of the story is that if you are a victim of cybersquatting all is not lost. You do have options. Here are some suggestions:

1. You can purchase the domain from the cybersquatter.
2. You can register a new domain similar to the cybersquatted domain.
3. You can embark upon a propaganda campaign against the cybersquatter in an effort to intimidate or shame him/her or the entity into returning your property.
4. You can take him/her or the entity to court.
5. You can wait him/her or the entity out. If the domain is not profitable eventually they will not renew it. As soon as the cybersquatted domain becomes available you can re-purchase it at an inexpensive price.

Editor's Note: Article written by Baruti M. Kamau, Senior Staff Reporter. Filed today @ 2 p.m. EST. Kamau is a citizen journalist, poet and entrepreneur. He is known for championing the voice of African-American youth and young adults via the publication Barutiwa Newspaper (ISSN 1080-997X) from 1992 to 1999. To learn more about Mr. Kamau's work you can Google the term barutiwa or visit www.barutiwa.com today!

Bibliographical Notes

Gripe site prevails in domain cybersquatting case
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/gripe-site-prevails-in-domain-cybersquatting-case.ars

Evictions of cybersquatters on the rise under UN resolution process
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34167&Cr=internet&Cr1=

College Presidents Are Easy Targets for Cybersquatting and Hoaxes
http://chronicle.com/blogPost/College-Presidents-Are-Easy/21572/

How I Lost My Domain Name
http://www.paris-kim.com/potholes/domain.htm

END ITEM

Source: The Barutiwa Daily Times | www.barutiwadaily.com

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Content Type: Participatory Journalism