I have a friend who owns a domain registration service - enom.com reseller
In the website terms it clearly states that clients are responsible to renew their domains on time and to ensure that they do not expire. Expired domains may be claimed by my friend to add to his investment portfolio.
Recently one of his clients did not renew two of their domains and they both expired. My friend renewed them both and added them to his portfolio. He has been hoping to get both domains and even registered a few variations a few months ago.
He's now parked the domains at sedo but is being contacted by his client who is demanding the main domains back, my friend is refusing to give them back, stating that they are no longer their domains since they allowed them to expire. He offered them to buy them from him but they are now threatening legal action as well as reporting him to ICAAN and to file UDRP
My friend checked with enom and they told him that as long as they domains are not related to a registerered trademark then they are his now since the client did not bother to renew them. Shoudl my friend be worried at all or has he acted within his legal rights? Your thoughts on this are appreciated please.
In the website terms it clearly states that clients are responsible to renew their domains on time and to ensure that they do not expire. Expired domains may be claimed by my friend to add to his investment portfolio.
Recently one of his clients did not renew two of their domains and they both expired. My friend renewed them both and added them to his portfolio. He has been hoping to get both domains and even registered a few variations a few months ago.
He's now parked the domains at sedo but is being contacted by his client who is demanding the main domains back, my friend is refusing to give them back, stating that they are no longer their domains since they allowed them to expire. He offered them to buy them from him but they are now threatening legal action as well as reporting him to ICAAN and to file UDRP
My friend checked with enom and they told him that as long as they domains are not related to a registerered trademark then they are his now since the client did not bother to renew them. Shoudl my friend be worried at all or has he acted within his legal rights? Your thoughts on this are appreciated please.