eNom to launch ID protection

[mole]

Dear ETP,

eNom is adding another product for your business. It is called ID Protect. It is a WHOIS agent service that gives you the option of offering unlisted WHOIS to your customers. Unlisted WHOIS protects your customers from SPAM and unwanted telemarketing calls. Unlisted WHOIS protects you from exposing your customer base to the world.
eNom takes care of all the back-office processing and agent duties like postal forwarding, email forwarding, and telephone coverage so you have no service responsibility.

Our studies show your customers want unlisted WHOIS. You should expect up to 50% of your customers to take advantage of ID Protect. As always you will have complete freedom in the pricing of this new product.
Watch the website for the announcement. ID Protect will be available on the website first, PDQ and API users will get it shortly thereafter.

Matthew Stearn
eNom, Vice President
2002 156th Av NE #300
Bellevue WA 98007
425 376 0505 x202

 

[seeker]

Interesting...
is that anything like GoDaddy's privacy option?
If it is, who gets the domain?
From what I understand, (not sure though) ICANN requires the fileds to be full, so someones email and info needs to be there.

I like the privacy option at Godaddy and went to great lengths on the phone (long distance) to find out who owns the domain while its on private mode.
It ends up being a sister company of Godaddy. For whatever reason, that didnt make me feel comfortable.
Do you know what holds true in this case?

 

[mole]

Yes, I think it will be similar to Godaddy's domain by proxy service. I'll be surprised they will give you the real contact over the phone. This defeats the whole purpose of the service.

 

[seeker]

Just in case I didnt make myself clear, no one told me who owns the domain by phone. I just called to find out once in private mode, am I still the owner or is the comapny the owner, and it ends up that you make a 'contract' with the company and they are the owners as far as everyone else is concerned, but between you and them, you are the owner.
That's the part I didnt like. In case there is a legal issue, they are the official owners, although they say they will contact you for such thinks...
I like 'privacy' while still retaining full ownership.

 

[Whois-Search]

 

[DaddyHalbucks]

I like 'privacy' while still retaining full ownership.
+++++++++++

Is that possible under ICANN's rules?

 

[seeker]

probably not.
But If ICANN themselves for example offered that at their level, and just kept the ownership info to them while not showing up on whois, I guess it could work.

Why ICANN and not GD or ednom???
I trust them more

 

[Delete]

I wonder what enoms gonna charge for this

 

[silhouette]

ID Protect goes LIVE today at $8 per name per yr.

What do you guys think?!Worth a try??

 

[Domagon]

Originally posted by DotComCowboy
I like 'privacy' while still retaining full ownership.
+++++++++++

Is that possible under ICANN's rules?

Nope...not to the best of my knowledge.

The entity (company, individual, etc) listed in the Registrant field (in situations where the Registrant field is ambiguous, then the Administration contact often controls) is the owner (holder) of the domain name. Simple as that.

Well...ok, not exactly that simple...registRARs have ultimate control over the domain names they hold - registrants don't register domains, registrars do - this is among the reasons there is a danger of registering "important" domains at incompetent/untrustworthy registrars - if the registRAR somehow "loses" control / "steals" the domain, the registRANT can in some instances be left in a bad spot, or even worse *lose* their domain...and yes it's happened..."races.com" comes to mind - and on an aside, I know for certain NSI lost millions of dollars in revenues as a result of that one incident alone!

Anyways, proxy services are bad for many reasons...including one some may not truly appreciate...public disclosure...having others know who the true registrant is for a domain, in and of itself, provides much protection, or at minimum notice, to the registrant in the event of domain name problems; also website problems too.

Ron

 

[mole]

Originally posted by valuenames
Anyways, proxy services are bad for many reasons...including one some may not truly appreciate...public disclosure...having others know who the true registrant is for a domain, in and of itself, provides much protection, or at minimum notice, to the registrant in the event of domain name problems; also website problems too.

Just a bit of clarification here on ID Protect. The registrant is still very much contactable if need be using the unique cryptic email that is supplied with very IDPed name.

This email auto-changes regularly, so spammer can't lock down on the email.

You can look up why.biz for a live example of IDP at work.

 

[Domagon]

Originally posted by DNMole


Just a bit of clarification here on ID Protect. The registrant is still very much contactable if need be using the unique cryptic email that is supplied with very IDPed name.

This email auto-changes regularly, so spammer can't lock down on the email.

You can look up why.biz for a live example of IDP at work.

The Registrant is the name shown in the Registrant field. Or perhaps if one wants to stretch things a bit, the Administration Contact section.

To suggest/imply that while the Registrant field says one thing, the Registrant is truly someone else is misleading to say the least ... sure hope this "proxy" service you speak of has team of damn good attorneys to protect itself from legal exposure...

Say, in a hypothetical example, if someone were to send out spam and reference the trademarks/domains of another company...that company could very likely choose to go after both the spammer (assuming they could be found) *and* the proxy service too for helping to facilitate the spam since they are listed as the Registrant...not sure how any members agreement protects a "proxy" service from legal action by an unrelated third party, such as in my hypothetical...

...OR has ICANN changed its policies to allow such a service to safely operate with legal immunity?...though I can't imagine exactly how that would work? Anyways, if ICANN has changed/ammended its policies to allow for "proxy" services, please post the link(s) here.

Ron

 

[mole]

Originally posted by valuenames
...OR has ICANN changed its policies to allow such a service to safely operate with legal immunity

What legal immunity, value? The registrar, in this case eNom, maintains your full ID and will release them if requested by the authorities. You still have to maintain accurate whois records, as always, or risk your name being confiscated on that ground alone.

 

[Domagon]

Originally posted by DNMole
What legal immunity, value? The registrar, in this case eNom, maintains your full ID and will release them if requested by the authorities. You still have to maintain accurate whois records, as always, or risk your name being confiscated on that ground alone.

I understand the aspect about finding out who the so-called registrant is by jumping through hoops so to speak, but I'm still curious as to who the registrant *legally* is for a "proxied" domain?

Or are you implying that ICANN has changed the rules and the Registrant field / Admin Contact no longer matters and the registrant is whoever the registrar says it is....?

I'm trying to figure out here how a domain name "proxy" service can exist within ICANN's current framework ... ?

Ron

 

[Mr Webname]

Godaddy has had a similar service for a long time using "Domains by Proxy":-

https://registrar.godaddy.com/dbp.asp?isc=&se=+&from_app=&authGuid=

 

[Steen]

DOmains by proxy,

I believe how it sowrks (I use it), is that Godaddy "owns" (legally, according to ICANN) the domain, but you have an agreement with them to the complete control over the domain and to get ownership back at any time.

I believe.

 

[mole]

Originally posted by valuenames
, but I'm still curious as to who the registrant *legally* is for a "proxied" domain?

So are spammers, value. My admin/registrant email has been spammed for specific emails that have obviously been sieved out from whois records.

As I said, eNom's IDP allows you to still get in touch directly with the registrant through the proxied email just like the spamex.com service if need to contact them for legit reasons.

What it does, however, is to auto-change the email address periodically so that emails that have been compromised will only be useful to the spammer for a short period of time.

As for spammers, you can bet your last dollar that they will not be supplying accurate whois anyway should they register names.

Its all about a compromise you need to weigh out for yourself. Personally, I think public whois is good for registrants who want to sell their names, and make it easy for potential buyers to contact them, especially if you are attempting to sell a .biz which, technically, you are not allowed to pro bono.

Also, please read the IDP agreement that both Godaddy's DBP and eNom's IDP have in place BEFORE you decide to subscribe to the service. Any attempts to mis-use the service is subject to strict termination clauses.

I won't be surprised if proxied domains are subject to greater scrutiny and alert by the security authorities like the FBI, and misuse will just slam your personal details straight into an internet blacklist.

If I were you, I won't want to mess around with this service for the wrong reasons.

 

[mole]

Originally posted by Steen
DOmains by proxy,

I believe how it sowrks (I use it), is that Godaddy "owns" (legally, according to ICANN) the domain, but you have an agreement with them to the complete control over the domain and to get ownership back at any time.

Good point, steen. That is true.