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The corporation has
been accused of “front running” domain names that users wish to
register, in a new practice which involves an automatic domain
reservation within seconds of the initial availability search,
thereby preventing customers buying from an alternative registrar.
In the past few weeks, many bloggers have reported that, although an
initial domain name enquiry using the Network Solutions search
engine confirms that it is available for purchase, a subsequent
WHOIS search then reveals that the same domain has been registered
to the corporation.
Network Solutions confirms that it has implemented an automatic
process to reserve new domains as its own but denies it is involved
in malpractice. The company maintains that this is a security
measure aimed at protecting its users but critics remain sceptical
arguing that a simple domain lookup should not constitute an
agreement to buy. Indeed the result of this process is that somebody
wishing to purchase the new domain they have looked up, has to buy
it from Network Solutions at a price of $34.99* (*based on a year’s
domain registration without hosting) whilst other online suppliers
may offer the same registration service for a quarter of this cost.
In the light of mounting criticism, Network Solutions CEO, Champ
Mitchell stated that a full explanation of this automatic
registration process would be posted on the company’s website and
reiterated that the new system was an honest attempt to head off
genuine cyber criminals.
Front Running is the practice by which an individual quickly
registers a domain name within minutes of someone else enquiring as
to its availability. These methods of enquiry may include running a
domain name search on a registrar’s site, performing a WHOIS query
or simply typing a domain into a browser to establish whether there
is an active website. Front Runners can detect the details of such
searches using Spyware, or search information supplied by some ISPs.
This activity, also referred to as “domain tasting”, is employed by
scammers who then attempt to make money from the resale of the
domain at an inflated price.
Mr Mitchell explained: “After the search ends, we will put the
domain name on reserve. During this reservation period, the name is
not active. If a customer searches for the domain again during the
next four days at networksolutions.com, the domain will be available
to register. If the domain name is not purchased within four days,
it will be released back to the registry and will be generally
available for registration."
He added: “Some folks may not agree with our approach, but we are
trying to prevent this malicious activity from impacting our
customers.”
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