A few years ago Microsoft forgot to re-new hotmail.com and a guy from Toronto scooped it up. I don't know the details of how Microsoft got it back though.
There's a law that allows people/companies to confiscate domain names from others if the owner did not register the name in "good faith." Harvard was one of the first to use this law because someone registered their domain name and tried to sell it back to the university.
I heard that as well but the rumor was that they offered the guy a reasonable amount of money and free OS's for life and he took it. You know how the rumor mills go though.
that may be true, but if you do not renew your domains, then they are fair game. There is a long process involved, of notification, then a waiting period (30-60 days I think) I have doubts that this really happened But I also have problems with an institution claiming their domain name. HARVARD may be the college, but that does not necessarily mean they can prevent anyone else from using the name in a business, as long as someone runs a business using that in the name, and it withstands legal challenges. For example, if a business named Accurate, Inc. decides it wants to challenge someone named Accurate Contruction company, who uses Accurate.com, why should they prevail? I think a company should first have to go through the legal challenges to get the other party from even using the ***.com in their name, before they should have the right to "take back their URL." If a company is too stupid to register their URL name, I don't see why they deserve to reclaim it. Google is a term - a very large number. Why should I not have the right to start a company called Google Tires and use Google.com if Google the company did not get around to registering it. Shoud size matter?
Hi TraderZones, I am not an attorney so it is likely that you know more about this subject than me. I was referring to this in my post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticybersquatting_Consumer_Protection_Act Here's an article detailing Harvard's actions: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=149470§ioncode=26