hiding domain ownership

[findtim]

can i please have suggestions on services that hide domain ownership details, and fees if it s not to much trouble.

i haven't bothered for my sites but i'm starting to get requests from clients about this subject.

you can just PM me or post. i know i can just ask "G " but i would prefer a referal instead.

i currently have 2 clients that are INSISTING on this function.

thanks
tim

 

[payattention]

Prepaid Visa (for .com with private WHOIS) + random ABN for AU.

Not that I would do these things.

 

[findtim]

Prepaid Visa (for .com with private WHOIS) + random ABN for AU.

Not that I would do these things.

in the end my clients are legit but just want to stay off radar so your suggestion isn't my answer, what i want is a valid rego of a domain name, a valid business name or person on the rego but i just don't want everyone to be able to see it easily.

i've seen it before ! but the nuts guts is it has to be legal WITH their ABN as the registration. no loose crap as i am dealing with valuable domains

tim

 

[payattention]

Why the tin foil hat if they're legit?

 

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

Tim

If your clients try to do that, then they will be in breach of auDA Policy - and may end up have the domain put into PD. I have previously raised the issue of privacy protection with auDA but at this point in time auDA doesn't support it. I can understand that there are some strong arguments in both directions - Registrars largely support privacy protection.

If they are launching a product and they dont want competitors to know, what they might want to do is register a business name in the name of their lawyers (or a friend), which would give their lawyers (or friend) eligibility to hold the domain. Once they are ready to launch, then their lawyers (or friend) could transfer the business name and domain name to your client. That way there would be compliance with auDA Policy.

 

[Mark]

I believe the only reason auDA do not allow it is they believe they will get more requests for information by the AFP. So instead of handling a few emails from the AFP each week, they would rather not allow the service for the 39 registrars and thousands of registrants who want it. Strange one.

 

[Joel]

You won't be able to completely hide it, as anybody snoopy enough will be able to follow the details to find out who owns it.

Remember, you can be listed as the registrant contact if agreed to by the registrant which means you can control contact for the domain. In terms of the actual registrant though, it obviously still has to be in their entity name.

 

[findtim]

thanks everyone, i didn't think it was going to be that hard, the answer i expected was a link to a "hide your id .com "

why the "tin foil" , well its simply about competitors thats all even after launch, but in its self is a long story i can't tell.

legally we can register in "the clients grand mothers name" ! , but i just thought it was COMMON place to do this as i am sure i have seen services that do this but maybe that was just for .com's ?

YES any snoop can work it out, we just wanted it harder for them.

but in the end its all legal so i'll have to work that one out?

tim

 

[payattention]

My money is on this being purely hypothetical (Tim's situation).

 

[aus11]

My money is on this being purely hypothetical (Tim's situation).

Always one for a conspiracy!

 

[findtim]

My money is on this being purely hypothetical (Tim's situation).

hypothetical? no seriously, on my WORD, i have 2 current clients wanting this right now, so i am looking for a real solution.

both are long term business people 30+ years and we need to get a balance between legal and stealth.

tim

 

[findtim]

Tim

If your clients try to do that, then they will be in breach of auDA Policy - and may end up have the domain put into PD. I have previously raised the issue of privacy protection with auDA but at this point in time auDA doesn't support it. I can understand that there are some strong arguments in both directions - Registrars largely support privacy protection.

If they are launching a product and they dont want competitors to know, what they might want to do is register a business name in the name of their lawyers (or a friend), which would give their lawyers (or friend) eligibility to hold the domain. Once they are ready to launch, then their lawyers (or friend) could transfer the business name and domain name to your client. That way there would be compliance with auDA Policy.

thanks, always good to hear from the experts
tim

 

[CyberClick]

Couldn't they transfer the domain into your ownership under a formal rent-back agreement? You would lease the domain back to them for a given period and then pass the ownership back. A rent to buy agreement? Obviously, there would need to be fairly solid documentation in place and you'd need to run the idea past an experieced legal adviser.

 

[findtim]

Couldn't they transfer the domain into your ownership under a formal rent-back agreement? You would lease the domain back to them for a given period and then pass the ownership back. A rent to buy agreement? Obviously, there would need to be fairly solid documentation in place and you'd need to run the idea past an experieced legal adviser.

thats probably a good idea for others but for me i am so heavily involved in both these new businesses it would be only a 3 second job to work it out, both clients are long term clients that i do many things with so presently everything is in my name waiting for transfer and they trust me like family.

i have now told them today that it can't happen and they will have to setup whatever structure they want for me to transfer to.

both have decided to setup new companies, and i have told them the facts that for anyone who really wants to know then its not hard to work it out, balls in their court... i'm just the developer.

tim

 

[GGroup]

Couldn't they transfer the domain into your ownership under a formal rent-back agreement? You would lease the domain back to them for a given period and then pass the ownership back. A rent to buy agreement? Obviously, there would need to be fairly solid documentation in place and you'd need to run the idea past an experieced legal adviser.

Playing diablo advocatus - Then what happens if/when a third party submits an eligibility complaint with auDA?

 

[findtim]

just an update:

crazy D can charge you $7 p/a to hide your admin/contact/tech details but the owner and abn will still remain in whois

tim

 

[Oz.]

What is to stop somebody registering a domain under somebody elses small business (that has no use of the internet - just to be extra safe), using their company details and hotmail/gmail as the email address? Not necessarily to hide anything, but as a temporary solution to get around the eligibility requirements etc. Once eligible you could still transfer the domain to your eligible entity.
...just saying.

 

[findtim]

Playing diablo advocatus - Then what happens if/when a third party submits an eligibility complaint with auDA?

thats what we are trying to prevent as the owners are eligible just don't want to broadcast it when promotion begins.

anyway its solved now, we have given up and will just go through the legal steps.

i honestly didn't think this was going to be as complex a post as its turned out to be.

tim

 

[findtim]

What is to stop somebody registering a domain under somebody elses small business (that has no use of the internet), using their company details and hotmail/gmail as the email address? Not necessarily to hide anything, but as a temporary solution to get around the eligibility requirements etc. Once eligible you could still transfer the domain to your eligible entity.
...just saying.

its difficult when you have to work out how to get past the rules, i think the right to privacy that can be given to a .com owner should be available to a .com.au , as long as the governing body has access to the info then whats the problem?
i get about 3 emails a day from spammers that know my domain names, not many i know but lucky me, offering me like minded .coms etc , why should i pay $7 a year PER DOMAIN to stop that ? it should be a tick box on registration.

its like how the white pages charge a fee to NOT list you ! ( not that i have looked at a whitepages in the last 20 years )

tim

 

[johno69]

i honestly didn't think this was going to be as complex a post as its turned out to be.

tim

Only happened because it sounds shady.