Domain tasting is a despicable practice

I am famous for ruffling feathers by telling it how I see it and not trying to sugar coat things. So let's start here,. Domain tasting is a despicable practice and should cease immediately.

The dirty truth is that registrars and others are abusing our industry because it is profitable for them and also Verisign. Verisign has given out a license for abuse and THEY are the ones that have helped CREATE this mess imo.

I would hope that domain owners will make it known to these folks that what they are doing is a disservice to everyone and the trademark abuse has reached a new high because of tasting and kiting. I join with the CADNA and others and call for the immediate stop of this abuse. If not done voluntarily then I support legislation to stop the practice. It paints all of us with one big CYBERSQUATTER brush and the only way not to be painted that way is to strongly oppose tasting and kiting.

If you do business with a company engaging in this, then it is time to re-think that relationship. If your livelihood is important to you, if being called a "Cybersquatter" disgusts you, if you want to be on the right side of this issue, then speak up and say NO to this abuse of the domain industry. The only ones that even support this garbage are the ones doing it and I don't understand why Verisign and ICANN have allowed this to happen. They have been HORRIBLE stewards of the domain name system. They create abuse and PROFIT from it!! It is disgusting to me that the system is so out of control and the abuse is growing daily.

I have come to believe that organizations like CADNA may not be the enemy but may actually be an ally. I am happy to work with anyone that wants to clean up the mess created by Verisign and those in positions of power. Professional domain owners numbering at between 2000 and 3000 NEED to separate themselves from the stampede of new opportunists that focus on TM infringements and other unsavory practices to make a quick buck. This growing non-professional end of the industry is doing great damage and everything needs to be done to educate them on what is and is not proper.

Unscrupulous registrars, domainers and companies are a THREAT to our lively hoods by abusing the system and Verisign is guilty of encouraging it and allowing it and of course profiting from it. Something can be legal but still be wrong. This is one of those things.

Next time you go fishing, don't bring a pole, bring a net and see how you are greeted by fellow fisherman.

Now the SHOCKING part. I am so serious about this that I have contacted the CADNA. I am going to join and support the CADNA!

Yup, you heard it right. I am so SICK of companies (Mostly registrars) abusing the domain industry that I believe I can do more good inside than outside. So today I contacted them and I will let you readers know how things progress.

TASTING and KITING can RUIN this industry. It MUST stop and I will do what I can to put my weight behind ending this DISGUSTING ABUSE. It is THIS practice that has made "Cybersquatting" such a hot button issue right now. Because some are abusing things we are all getting painted with the same brush. The professional domain owners I know DO NOT register trademarked domains. They DO NOT infringe on others intellectual property. However folks that "Taste domains" may and the reason is somebody is paying them and someone is getting paid. Someone makes it profitable. But who wants to attack Google and Yahoo? They can fight back. So they attack the "Invisible domain investor” by calling us all cybersquatters.

As reporters and journalists write articles in the media and accuse INNOCENT business people of being cybersquatters, be careful, be factual. Slander and libel can be expensive. Learn the difference between professional domain investors that deal in GENERIC domains and TRUE cybersquatters that profit and infringe in trademarks and other intellectual property. One is capitalism and the other is an abuse of the system that Verisign helped create. I call on Verisign to IMMEDIATELY cease domain tasting. If someone wants to register a domain, they can pay the $6 or $7 and register like everyone else. Verisign allowing folks to register MILLIONS of domains for 25 cents for a few days, invites abuse. It needs to stop and I call on others to voice their disapproval.

Have a GREAT day!
Rick Schwartz

Comments

[Elliot Silver]

Rick,
I completely agree with you. I had a blog entry written a couple of weeks ago about working with CADNA but was unsure about publishing it. After seeing your thoughts on the forum, I was inspired to finish it off. I think working with CADNA is a smart way to protect the interest of legit domain owners.

[owen frager]

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

--Albert Einstein

Thanks for representing.

[anonymous]

The CADNA is a sham in my opinion. The people behind it are ex salesmen from register.com's defunct corporate services division. They are not internet professionals they would be more at home selling used cars.

This CADNA organization is nothing more than a scam to boost the legitimacy of their for-profdit venture fairwinds.

I would trust those guys asbout as far as I could throw them.

Don't go complaining when they accuse legitimate, generic domainers of being cybersquatters. If they can make a buck by helping corporations with reverse hijacking schemes they will do so.

You have been warned.

[Seb]

Totally agree with you Rick. BTW, your CADNA link misses a dot after www, but Firefox was able to fix it and go to their website... Interesting!

[Michael Gilmour]

Rick,
I agree with you that strip mining the internet space is not a good thing but now that the problem has been outlined there needs to be a solution proposed. Just shutting tasting to do down is unlikely to happen because there are too many financial incentives in place right from the registry down to the taster. It's great bringing this issue up for debate - well done!

[Kate]

Rick,

I respectfully disagree with your post.
It seems that you are mixing tasting, kiting, TM infringements and cybersquatting altogether... just like Cadna.

I think Cadna has an agenda of its own, that is not in the interest of all domainers.
The guys behind Cadna are running FairWinds Partners, LLC (http://www.fairwindspartners.com/), these are the same people who are brokering domain name pharmacy.com.

It's very easy to shoot at the small guy while you are making big bucks brokering top domains, or making millions in PPC revenue from a top domain portfolio

Cadna, but it's more likely that they are a bunch of hypocrites or just domain amateurs.

Oh, I agree on one thing by the way, tasting is getting out of control.
Solution: levy a small fee like PIR is now doing on heavy tasters.

Respectfully,
Kate

[john]

Oh Please. Get off your friggin High Horse. Although I do not practrice domain tasting and I am against it. It is you and your "pioneers" that started this practice. In fact you engaged in domain tasting untill you saw how it could come back to bite you. You are not on the moral high ground - Your entire business was originally started with adult names and if you use your logic you indirectlty participate in the pain and suffering caused to "willing" girls. Kevin Ham also engaged in this practice but stopped.

Its like you speed in a car in a school zone but suddenly you realize you can get a huige fine so you stop and then start to preach about your higher morals. This is how I see it. You are a hypocrite /

[compounding pharmacy]

really a nice blog i had fun reading it and your blog is surely going to added to my blogroll