Afilias just announced that they have began accepting applications for premium .info domain names that were previously reserved. The applicants should provide a web site strategy for the domain by submitting a ‘proposal’ with their application. The application fee is $250 and that should cover proposals for multiple domains. Application deadline is Dec. 22, 2009. You can see download the applicant form here.
There are some excellent domain names for development that are available thru this reallocation process. Below, I listed just a handful of top one word domains that were previously reserved. Not included in this list are major U.S. city and International locations such as LosAngeles.info, Bangkok.info, NewYork.info, London.info, etc.
apartments.info
auction.info
autos.info
beauty.info
cancer.info
diet.info
doctors.info
games.info
golf.info
health.info
hotels.info
jobs.info
loan.info
maps.info
mortgage.info
retirement.info
There will almost certainly be mixed reactions by domainers on this move by Afilias. To me it’s obvious that Afilias is trying to strengthen the .info brand before the gTLD rollout any way they can. I think that the $250 fee is a is a good opportunity for developers to try and obtain a category killer .info via RFP application, especially if it is valid for more than one domain names. It seems like a proactive idea to try and boost .info identity in some parts of the web.
So, who’s going after one or more premium .info domains via application process?
Knowing our luck somoene like Halvarez will be judging the $250 entrant fee ass licking essays.
30 Oct 09 Afilias deactivating .info domains – Class action lawsuit call against Afilias Ltd. – Horsham, PA
After the “Sunrise Period” of .info domains, trademark owners had the opportunity to file a challenge against the allocation of their trademark to other people. In 2001/early 2002, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center examined these challenges, and in some cases decided to transfer these domains to the challenger.
Since then, the challengers legitimately owned these domain names.
8 years(!) later, Afilias is claiming that WIPO did not properly examine whether the challengers met all requirements for a Sunrise allocation and deactivated these domains. Now, Afilias is reallocating them in a very intransparent process: everyone can apply for these domains, providing he pays a non-refundable fee of $250 and hands in a business plan. This reallocation process will reward Afilias millions of dollars – at the expense of us, the legitimate domain name owners!
The prevailers of the WIPO dispute resolution process – who have legitimately owned these domains since 8 years, who have been paying fees for these domain names since 8 years, who have developed our domains since 8 years, who have gone through a WIPO Challenge procedure – will not accept this reallocation!
We are currently collecting addresses of all affected domain name owners to file a class action against Afilias.
Should you also be affected by Afilias illicit domain name reallocation, please send your contact information to [email protected]
@Betsie – LOL, I doubt it 😉
@Maria – Thanks for the update, I was not aware of the group of TM owners that have TM’d names in that list. Can you possibly provide a list of names in the sunrise reallocation you are talking about?
Although Afilias is extremely late in addressing this problem of false claims to acquire title to domain names during the landrush, I do not feel a bit sorry for those of you who lost your names.
I participate in landrush and remember all to well the fraud that was taking place. I paid $450.00 out of my pocket to dispute 6 names ($75.00 X 6) that were illegally acquired and got nothing for my trouble.
Many of you were not even into developing these domains, you were into speculating and waiting for someone to come along and buy these names at higher prices, preventing this suffix from becoming the premiere suffix it should be, a suffix ideal for creating worldwide directories online.
It will be nice to see these names go to people who are serious about developing these names into sites that benefit everyone.
Not sure what I think about this just yet. Sounds interesting, but I am always a bit skeptical to opportunities like this. The fact there is a pending class action lawsuit, tells me to stay far away. 😉
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Looks like Afilias have found a great way to add another revenue stream.$250 non refundable. What a joke.I have tried to resolve my domain dispute with them on a number of occasions. I had a legimate challenge which the WIPO approved. I developed a website once awarded the domain to find out after 5 years it had been locked. Afiliass sunrise periord must have seen them and the WIPO make a lot of money which they will be recieving again by the looks. I am the owner of my domain and anyone who Afilias sells my domain to will face legal action. All the domains listed that they are reselling will face the same legal action by the owners so I would say dont be mugs and give them $250 of non refundable money. Its a scam and theyre a bunch of thieves and crooks.
I registered domain name and immediately after paid and set up legitimate Trade Mark registration for the domain name and image. I then put thousands of hours into development of web site and a lot of money into the design look and feel. Out of the blue Afilias then suspended my domain name, it is still in that state some number of years later.
I was given the opportunity to challenge and did so, however Afilias did not allow the dispute and did not give valid reason why. Despite my warning Afilias that they were acting unlawfully and that should they sell on this domain name, they would be selling unlawfully against a known Trade Mark, they continue to hold the domain name. Afilias have been pedantic all the way through even when I attempted to take it through the European Court.
Recently Afilias said that I could pay a $250 fee to them and I MIGHT get the domain name, and that I could only submit using PDF, meaning I would have to purchase PDF writer to do so. I am not prepared to pay Afilias anything, they have acted unprofessionally and cost me a lot of money using the letter of their law against its intended purpose.
I would happily add my name and voice against Afilias in any legal action.