So any assumption that private whois is a sign of bad faith MUST be objected to by everyone (including domainers).

Sure, a smart domainer (investor in names) should recognize reality and act like a businessperson.. don’t add risk by using privacy. However, the greater good is not served with statements that smart domainers shouldn’t use privacy or that (worse) this is a reasonable and expected decision. Such talk accepts the status quo and allows it to erode our rights further next time.

I know TONS of good reasons for using whois privacy… mostly related to web publishing, including the domain investing aspect of web publishing. More important though, is that I believe I have a right to use whois privacy. Why should an arbitration board be free to take away that right?

The focus in this case needs to be on the trademark infringement, and related status of the use of the name… including complainant’s claims.

I think Mike is doing a GREAT service for everyone by highlighting how bad decisions effect everyone, not just those in this specific case. The decision may have been in the spirit of protecting trademarks, and in the spirit of suggesting legitimate rights holders are expected to respond, but if it actually sets a precendent that private whois = sign of bad faith, we all have a problem.

Queue a debate about whether or not we should have rights to use private whois, but do so in a different context, and when that gets settled, accept it as valid and don’t let this stuff infringe.

And I so totally agree with the person who said, If I own land do I have to build on it? etc. Great analogy. Some of us don’t have a clue how to build websites or run a business but we love words, always have!. I was having a blast earlier today using my creative juices to come up with domain names (that I was going to park and sell thinking it was a great idea) until I found these articles. I guess we will have to stifle our creative
ideas and just use words like cat dog bird table chair sofa? :-/ Boy, zero fun in that!

Since nobody on the planet can think of Everything, including big Corp execs, their mouthpieces, and their webmasters, they should look at us as subcontractors and be thankful someone thought of a domain combo of words that they never thought of, and merely seek to “hire”/purchase the idea/product vs getting bent out of shape about it.

It’s like being a “salesman of words and ideas.”. It shouldn’t be looked at as such a crime. If Mr Corp Exec is lousy with words/ideas/names, he should be glad someone else is.

This whole affair with domain wars just seems all backwards & needs to be turned around. They should thank domain name creators instead of making us walk on eggshells & stifle our creative leanings. (I know… In a perfect world).

And ditto re privacy!! It’s insane to think it automatically equates to evil. As a single female I have not had my phone # in the phone book since the mid 1980s. And when I learned I could pay the phone company a few extra bucks to keep my street address out of the book as well, I’ve done that since the early 1990s. So how is WhoIs privacy any different? Those orgs
have flipped everything upside down!

(“Woe to those who say what is good is bad, and what is bad is good,” saith the Lord.)

I must subscribe to this site & get up to speed!

Welcome to the New World Order where there is
no such thing as private property, evidently including domains &/or a domain business. :-/

Re-read my posts. That is NOT what I said. Not even close.

peace.

You actually agree having your information kept anonymous is bad faith? Do you put your REAL telephone number right in the whois? Are you crazy… If we lived in a utopia where people didn’t solicit everything to your inbox/mailbox phone etc. then it would be fine to say “hey keeping secrets is not cool.” But the internet is not the most secure place to disclose your information, you know granted it has access all around the world… WTF are you thinking.

I expect a retraction of your arguement at Traffic, or right now.