Yes one of our Faculties, a couple of weeks ago, was approached by an ISP -
this time in Scotland - by a Company/individual who wanted to register
www.theroyalcollegeofgeneralpractitioners.co.uk etc.
We checked our registered URLs and found that we hadn't registered all
possible combinations (who has?)so we are likely to register those that seem
most likely to be at risk of being registered by someone wanting to make
quick bucks!
This raises interesting questions:
a) How widespread is the practice of registering organisations' URL/domain
name combinations with a view to selling these back to the "owning"
organisation? And is this legal?
b) what is common practice in the registering of domain names by
organisations for their web site? Is it practice to just register the one,
near variants or all possible combinations - eg, rcgp.co.uk; .com; .net; and
so on.
c) are there any guidelines anywhere on the whole area of domain names and
registering?
Just another thing to concern an overworked Web/intranet manager!!
Gil
Gil Richardson
Senior Information Manager
RCGP
email: [log in to unmask]
Website: www.rcgp.org.uk
Tel: 020 7581 3232 ext 231
Fax: 020 7584 1992
"Promoting Excellence in Family Medicine"
This email is confidential. It may not be disclosed to, or used by, anyone
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-----Original Message-----
From: Richard King [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 13 November 2002 08:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Domain squatting?
I wonder if anyone else on the list has been approached by a company with a
Welsh telephone number and calling themselves 'Inter-web Services' in
regard to possible registration of dubious domain names?
We received a phone call from someone claiming to be an ISP who has
received an application to register the two domain names:
www.britishantarcticsurvey.co.uk and www.britishantarcticsurvey.com
- and was giving us a courtesy call just to see if we were happy for them to
go ahead with the registration.
The obvious question is why would anybody want to use such a name other
than the organisation named? We assume its some sort of come-on from
someone hoping we'd be willing to pay up some money. Needless to say he
will be disappointed - and may find himself in court should our good name be
endangered!
BTW: My belated thanks to all who replied to my earlier query (
Consultants - Information architecture ) your contributions were very
valuable and not only gave us some excellent food for thought, but have
also been shared with our 'powers-that-be'!
Richard King
-------------------------------------
Web Manager
British Antarctic Survey
High Cross
Madingley Rd.
Cambridge
CB3 0ET
UK
+44 (0)1223 221 594 (B)
+44 (0)775 423 9022 (mobile)
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