Seized: Fake EFF .org linked to hackers hitting NATO, White House PCs The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been awarded control of its namesake domain, which was being used to install malware on people's computers. The EFF used the official uniform dispute resolution process (UDRP) run by UN agency WIPO to take control of ElectronicFrontierFoundation.org – the EFF's real website is at …
Now that they're available, EFF should get their own global TLD. Then they can make sure that people know they are visiting the "Official (electronic) Frontier Foundation".
All you need to remember is to type eff.off in your address bar, and you can trust that you're in the right place.
Then they can simplify all of their literature to just tell people to go eff.off.
Or lots of similar tasty targets? It was actually a hell of a lot more fun and with a lot more skin than whatever masqueraded as official-dom back in those days (90's++).
Is it just me or is this whole system of "names" mean companies totally whacko? So poor little IBM needs to defend its trademark against every website that has "ibm" anywhere in its domain name? You know - IbmUbmWeAllbm4IBM.com?
Way back in 2004 Ms Rogalski of the Hilton.com legal dept sent out threatening letters to domain owners accusing them of using Hilton's brand in links to their websites. hilton.example.com type of stuff.
Real nasty wording - "Deactivate these links within the next 24 hours or we will be instructing our solicitors to take whatever legal action is necessary as well as seeking costs against you."
She hadn't found these "links" anywhere on a website, she'd just typed them into her browser and found they worked so as far as she was concerned, they existed.
I suggested she take a stroll down to the IT department to get tutored in "wildcard DNS" and also that she'd be better off going after bigger fish such as
http://hiltons.hotels.are.great.for.sex.com/
http://upmarket.prostitutes.always.use.hilton.hotels.for.sex.com/
or
http://hilton.sucks.compared.to.sleepinn.com
I never received a reply. No apology for the nastygram, no "thanks for setting me straight".
She still works for Hilton apparently, so it must be a fail-upwards organisation.
The stories I could tell...
Is it just me or is this whole system of "names" mean companies totally whacko? So poor little IBM needs to defend its trademark against every website that has "ibm" anywhere in its domain name? You know - IbmUbmWeAllbm4IBM.com?
Well yes, that was the point: more domain sales. I guess they had the idea from China - I have yet to register a domain that doesn't eventually get hit with an announcement that someone is planning to register a similar name in China and I have the "unique" opportunity to register the equivalent .cn with the sender. It's quite a good scam, actually, because it is based on a truth: a (™) apparently means sod all in China.
I've been spammed over the last few months with offers to buy my domain for $150 from various Yahoo.com addresses, all with the same content, even offering to use some sort of escrow account to make the payment. I can only guess that the scam is to get enough details to hijack the domain.
used to dictate that the minimum domains that you should register is the shortest name (Usually an acronym or abbreviation) and the whole name spelled out, followed by whichever suffix that floats your boat.
That way you have covered all but the additional suffixes and anything close should be easy to prove is yours.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
