Fergie's Tech Blog

Criminal Checks Needed for Domain Name Tasting, Kiting, Spying

Monika Ermert writes on CircleID:

International organisations should step in to prevent the “tasting,” “kiting” and “spying” related to Internet domain names, say representatives from the US telecommunications and trademark industries.

These new activities are dramatically altering online commerce and impacting legitimate businesses, and the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) should take action, they say.

The US Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) had too many loopholes given the actual trends in the domain name secondary market, said Sarah Deutsch, vice president and associate general counsel for Verizon, and Marilyn Cade, former AT&T lobbyist and now consultant on Internet and technology issues.

“That law is ripe for updating,” Deutsch told Intellectual Property Watch. “We would propose that Congress hold hearings on a number of ways to create deterrents for domain name tasters.”

posted by Fergie @ 5/07/2007 10:53:00 AM