- Joined
- Feb 6, 2007
- Messages
- 657
- Reaction score
- 6
I'm kind of annoyed.. to say it mildly. The US legal system combined with some registrars is a real recipe for a legal mess.
Since a couple of years back I own a domain that I've had a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with. At least that's solved now, in part.
I knew when I bought it that it had kind of a controversial background, but that was long before I acquired it (several years, and a couple of owners back), so I believed that was well over and done with.
After I bought it it was sitting for a year or so in the account at the GoDaddy reseller where it was when I purchased it, until I transferred it to Dynadot last fall.
Suddenly comes an email from Dynadot that I had to transfer the domain "back to GoDaddy", because GoDaddy had notified them that prior to transferring the domain name to Dynadot, there was in effect a Seizure Warrant issued by a United States District Court in one of the southern states.
And they come telling me this now, some 7-8 months after the domain was transferred? "Back to GoDaddy" - where the domain never was, although it was with one of their resellers. I don't have an account with GoDaddy.
They locked the domain down, and don't allow me to transfer it out, although they demand that I transfer it out to GoDaddy. (If the domain is locked, how can I transfer it ANYWHERE, GoDaddy or not? I TRIED to transfer out, but it didn't work.)
And the US District court... as I understand it, that seizure warrant was issued last year - something like 4-5 years and 3-4 owners since the domain was controversially used. How can they do that? And why didn't anybody contact ME - the domain owner? Is that how the legal system works in the US - everybody is guilty until proven innocent? I can't even fight any case in the US, I'm halfway around the world. So apparently US courts can confiscate whatever they want from anyone who can't defend themselves, as long as they can reach something in the US to confiscate...
So, what the h*ll am I supposed to do?
Since a couple of years back I own a domain that I've had a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with. At least that's solved now, in part.
I knew when I bought it that it had kind of a controversial background, but that was long before I acquired it (several years, and a couple of owners back), so I believed that was well over and done with.
After I bought it it was sitting for a year or so in the account at the GoDaddy reseller where it was when I purchased it, until I transferred it to Dynadot last fall.
Suddenly comes an email from Dynadot that I had to transfer the domain "back to GoDaddy", because GoDaddy had notified them that prior to transferring the domain name to Dynadot, there was in effect a Seizure Warrant issued by a United States District Court in one of the southern states.
And they come telling me this now, some 7-8 months after the domain was transferred? "Back to GoDaddy" - where the domain never was, although it was with one of their resellers. I don't have an account with GoDaddy.
They locked the domain down, and don't allow me to transfer it out, although they demand that I transfer it out to GoDaddy. (If the domain is locked, how can I transfer it ANYWHERE, GoDaddy or not? I TRIED to transfer out, but it didn't work.)
And the US District court... as I understand it, that seizure warrant was issued last year - something like 4-5 years and 3-4 owners since the domain was controversially used. How can they do that? And why didn't anybody contact ME - the domain owner? Is that how the legal system works in the US - everybody is guilty until proven innocent? I can't even fight any case in the US, I'm halfway around the world. So apparently US courts can confiscate whatever they want from anyone who can't defend themselves, as long as they can reach something in the US to confiscate...
So, what the h*ll am I supposed to do?