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Re-registered domains not "abusive registrations"
02/21/2003
Zara Holdings Limited - former registrants of a desirable three letter .co.uk domain - have lost a domain name dispute under Nominet's Dispute Resolution Service. The action was brought after Zara did not renew their name allowing it to be re-registered by a domain speculator.
Zara Holdings registered zhl.co.uk in February 1999 but failed to renew it two years later and, in line with .uk rules, the domain was "detagged" when it expired. .uk domains are detagged when a registration service provider - normally an ISP - "no longer has a relationship with the registrant to provide services for that domain name," i.e. when a registrant doesn't pay the renewal fees. The domain then effectively falls under the direct management of the UK naming authority Nominet, who will then attempt to contact the registrant. In the meantime the domain cannot be used for email and web services, which normally results in the registrant being alerted and a panicked employee ringing Nominet to renew it.
However, even though Nominet wrote directly to one of Zara's directors they still did not renew the domain, leading to it being finally deleted in October, 2001. The domain was then registered by the Respondent later the same day and put up for public auction. Eight months later, Zara finally instigated proceedings under the DRS having noticed they had lost their domain.
More details at: http://www.demys.net/news/2003/02/18_za.htm
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