AUDA are taking domains off me

[geodomains]

I have had a terrible week with auda giving me no end of grief, I suggest anyone with lots of au domains to be very careful how you structure your business.
They have just taken 4 domains out of 10 off me from one registrar and I just recieved another list of 81 domains with please explain from another registrar.
I have to admit the 4 domains taken, 3 were had visa in the name relating to credit cards, but one I could not work out was lowaprcreditcards.com.au. I could not be bothered argueing the toss on those, but certainly will be seeing what happens with the other 81 domains.
auda being judge and jury gives them so much power to do what they like and they certainly won't be on my xmas card list.
Seems anyone who parks au domains for monitisation is being targeted, so be very careful with your au domains

 

[TroyW]

Hi Geo,

I can understand the visa domains as they are well known trademarks but, like you, I don't understand lowaprcreditcards.com.au. Have you asked them for a reason? Perhaps AUDA had a complaint from a trademark owner? I think this is part of a wider crackdown on established trademarks that we'll see over the next few months.

We need to elect a domainer onto the AUDA board. I vote for James!

TW

 

[geodomains]

Hi Troy,
I don't think James is on good terms with them either, I don't know anyone who is, maybe David from Netfleet.
Yes I was silly reg those domains with visa in the search term, but the next list of 81 has nothing to do with trademarks, its like they plucked them out of a hat. They really are getting me annoyed and depending on what happens with this lot, I will be seeking legal advice. I let the domain lowaprcreditcards.com.au go as it was not worth the agro, but I have asked for one domain in the list to be reconsidered as it was visaaplication.com.au and my company has been aproved to sell travel visa's online, I had not even had that domain parked, it was just laying dormant.

Don

 

[soj]

A shame to hear about the domains Don, trademarks do get tested sometimes, though seem to fly under the radar when they are fansites, interesting that isnt it.

 

[geodomains]

Hi Soj,

Thanks, I had a win with one of the domains, they let me keep it, but get a load of the way they tell me below, also it was never monitised, yet they make out it was.

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your email.

auDA has allowed the domain visaapplication.com.au to be reinstated.

auDA has advised if the monetised website is displayed at any time, auDA
will delete the domain name immediately.

Nice way to inform me, they really have a way of making friends.

Don

 

[paz]

visa is not only a credit card company, remember.

"Usually a stamp in a passport allowing entry into a country for a specific purpose and a finite amount of time."

VisaApplication is perfectly legitimate, but it seems if you monetise the domain in terms of Visa Credit card offers, they will take it.

I lost my brisbanebroncos.com.au domain

 

[DavidL]

Sorry to hear that Don.

To auDA's credit Chris Disspain did announce at the TRAFFIC conference that they are about to introduce a process where domain holders can dispute a decision for minimal cost.

It is obvious to all (including auDA now I guess) that them being the absolute power is not a satisfactory situation.

Currently the only option is expensive litigation (such as this going on at the moment - http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/registrar-sues-auda-for-deleting-domain-name.html) but that's not exactly cost efficient to argue a single domain.

There have been domainers on the auDA board before and we definitely need more representation.

Stay tuned for the Aus branch of the ICA (www.internetcommerce.org)coming soon too...

 

[geodomains]

Hi Paz & David,
Thanks, It seems the auda are calling the 81 domains a warranty check to make sure I am eligable to hold the domains. 3 are LLL which I bet I lose, 3 or 4 are geo's and one even has accommodation in the domain, all are monitised except a few. 2 are domains I mentioned on here recently, superantispyware.com.au and spywareblockers, now superantispyware in the US has approved me to sell their software and those 2 were never monitised. I have sent in my response and can only hope this does not get nasty, I may take up boxing lessons in the mean time. So all the guys with lots of au domains, let this be a warning, make sure you have your domains monitised to exactly what the domain name stands for, I in fact think I lost lowaprcreditcards.com.au for having visa credit cards in the menu only of the monitised site, can you believe it, no where else was any other reference to visa.
Don

 

[hazza5150]

The fact remains that auDA would prefer domains to be developed websites not just PARKED we just launched www.youth.com.au and about to complete foundation.com.au which is a few weeks away. We have had many discussions with auDA to date and yes they do check KEYWORDS so ensure they relate to the domain. I look forward to next year when we can see a better representation for domainers in general.