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ICANN is Gathering Evidence Concerning Domain Name Front Running

By Enrico Schaefer

By ANICK JESDANUN
The Associated Press
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

NEW YORK -- The Internet's key oversight agency is investigating suspicions that insider information is being used to snatch desired domain names before an individual or business can register them. 

The Security and Stability Advisory Committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers termed the practice "domain name front running" and likened it to a stock broker buying or selling shares ahead of a client's trade, in anticipation of a movement in price...

...Although the practice has never been proven, the ICANN committee said the perception that it is happening "portrays an unfavorable image of the parties associated with the domain name registration process in specific, and of the domain name community in general."...

...The committee cited several ways front running may be happening, including the installation of viruses and other software programmed to collect such information and the use of unscrupulous third-party sites to check domain name availability. Coincidence also was cited as a possibility...See full report here.

JesDanun, Anick. Insider Domain Name Snathcing Probed
The Associated Press. 2007 Oct 24

Full post as published by AntiCybersquatting Consumer Protection Act Blog on October 29, 2007 (boomark / email).