more on ICANN/Domains Sky not falling

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Charles Brownstein <charles.brownstein () verizon net>
Date: November 12, 2004 9:06:11 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] ICANN/Domains Sky not falling

ICANN's new policy not as bad as I thought it was
posted November 11, 2004 at 01:07 pm

Update: It looks like Netcraft was a little overzealous in reporting 
the dangers this policy change poses and I misunderstood what is at 
issue here. Michael Moncur explains:


1. This policy is for registrar transfers, not ownership transfers. It 
doesn't make it any easier for a domain to be hijacked, except perhaps 
by a corrupt registrar.

2. The gaining registrar is still required to confirm the transfer: A 
transfer must not be allowed to proceed if no confirmation is received 
by the Gaining Registrar.


The policy change is to keep registrars from holding domains hostage 
when people wish to transfer them, which is a worthy goal. I don't want 
my domains to go to another registrar, so I've still got them transfer 
locked, but it's unlikely that anyone will have to cancel their 
vacation just to keep an eye on their domain names. Embarrassed 
apologies for any panic induced...my ass has been fact checked and it's 
a little sore.

 -----

 Many of you are domain owners and have probably seen this elsewhere 
lately, but in case you haven't, pay attention. ICANN has a new policy 
about domain name transfers which will make hijacking domains much 
easier:
 At 02:49 PM 11/11/2004, you wrote:



Begin forwarded message:

 From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
 Date: November 11, 2004 1:06:27 PM EST
 To: Arnt Gulbrandsen <arnt () gulbrandsen priv no>
 Cc: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>, neumann () vortex com, 
dave () farber net
 Subject: Re: ICANN/Domains


Well... I know several people who've been in deep deep trouble because
 netsol wouldn't transfer or otherwise change their domains, so a policy
 change to castrate recalcitrant registrars is necessary.

 I agree, penalties applied to registrars would be appropriate,
 but insane "OK" defaults and 5 day timeouts are not!


Here's how to check whether your domains are locked using whois.
 For .com and .net, there should be a line saying "Status:
 REGISTRAR-LOCK". For .org you should see "Status:CLIENT TRANSFER
 PROHIBITED". If you see OK or ACTIVE instead, the domain is open to
 transfer.

 This apparently only works for the Web-based WHOIS queries.
 That status line does not seem to appear on the command line WHOIS
 output.

 I just checked and indeed my .COM and .NET domains are all locked
 by NetSol.  The .ORGs are not, as one might expect.

 The effects of a false transfer would almost always be much worse
 than the effects of a delayed transfer.  I'd like to know how
 this ICANN policy was developed, when was the public comment period, 
etc.?
 Somehow this one slipped under my radar.

 --Lauren--

 -------------------------------------
 You are subscribed as charles.brownstein () verizon net
 To manage your subscription, go to
   http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

 Archives at: 
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/