I read many threads here about expired domains that only become available after an unreasonably long time or never at all.

I'm hit by this problem as well - not too severly but I do want 2 domains one of which has expired a month ago and the other a year ago. Both involve words in Hebrew (so they are probably of no use for most people), and both of them are held by Network Solutions.

I tried researching this issue with ICANN, IANA, InterNIC and VeriSign (they run the central DB). I didn't find much but what I did find comes from - guess who - Network Solutions. Here's something from they FAQ:

>>>>>

15. When and how will a domain name whose "expiration date" in WHOIS has passed be available for me to register?
Once a domain name has been deleted from our systems under normal billing procedures and technology requirements, it no longer exists and therefore would be available for you to register through our website. To search for availability, please visit www.networksolutions.com and enter the name in the search box.

<<<<<

So as you can see they clearly state that once a domain is deleted it should be released for re-registration. Apparently they don't follow their own terms.

I also found a "Regsitrar Complaint Form" (http://www.internic.net/cgi/registrars/problem-report.cgi) which is sent to ICANN. They don't promise to do anything, but if there's a recurring pattern they do notice.

I urge anyone who cares to fill and submit the form. Here's what I put in it:

>>>>>

want to register certain domain names, which seem to be expired - one of them about a month, the other over a year - However both domains are not available for registration.

I searched for some background information about this issue, and it seems that certain registrar put expired domains on an indefinit hold.

Apparently they do this with domain names they consider to be valuable for future sale at higher than published prices.

The name of Network Solutions is most often mentioned in discussions.

I would like to know if this kind of unfair and unreasonable behavior is permitted by terms under which registrar operate.

<<<<<

E.Z

There was a thread about it
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=10587
but...

I recently had a big dispute with NSI. A domain I wanted had expired for over 100 days. I received separate answers from different people and one reliable source said it would be available since it was in the process of being deleted from the servers and was officially expired/terminated. Apparently there was also question of a "billing dispute" and the answer that the WHOIS server is not always updated properly (ahem, this is NSI's own WHOIS server, the big one). Ultimately, somehow, despite after being officially deleted, takes 3 weeks to officially purge from system due to backlog, blah, blah, blah.... the domain was renewed again by some act of G-d just 2 weeks ago.

I plan on writing an article about this one to be published in several places to gain attention. I also plan on writing about the conflict of interests in being a registrar, e.g. one can sell domains but also hawk the ones they horde, the "awarding" of certain domains to certain registrars that pass arbitrary te$t$, etc.

Not that it's going to do much good. ICANN is worthless organization that has done little but show the world how much corruption is in it. I'm not sure who is worse, ICANN or the folks who pocketed the cash at NSI when it was a government sanctioned privately held monopoly. I wonder what can be done and I plan to write my own scathing article that I hope will be published in several notable publications.

Slinky,

I hope that your article will somehow capture the attention of some high media.

I think that the only way to stop those bustards is to put them under the spotlight.

Late addition: Apparently PC-World reported of a class lawsuit against NSI - See here: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,32805,00.asp


If anyone has info about the outcome, or at least progress, of the lawsuit, please post.

E.Z

Of course there already are thousands of people trying to "do something," and have been for quite a while. By all means, fill out the ICANN form, but don't hold your breath.

By the way, here's one of the many sites that have been established to protest NetSol's activities:

http://nsihorrorstories.com/

There's really not a lot there, but the July 20 article titled "Latest Scoop," currently the last article on the first page, is worth reading.