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EURid, the entity charged with managing the .eu namespace, is reported to have taken action against an alleged cybersquatter based in China, Zheng Qingying.
John over on WhoisIreland picked up the story from DomainsInfo. He's also provided a list with some of the domains affected.
The last suspension "en masse" was directed against Ovidio when over 74 thousand domains were suspended.
This time round the number is much lower — a paltry ten thousand!
In this instance there seems to have been a pattern of cybersquatting, with over a dozen ADR proceedings against the registrant in question.
The criteria for registering .eu domains may seem to be quite simple — an address in the EU — however this criterion has been "gamed" more than once in the past. The difference in this instance is that the registry seems willing to take action.
EURid officials are quoted as saying that the UK phone numbers are proof of nothing:
It's common knowledge that anyone from anywhere in the world can get an English phone number.
It will be interesting to see how the courts react when the judgment is handed down next month.
Will this set a reasonable precedent for other TLDs within the EU?
Maybe, maybe not.
Originally posted on Michele Neylon's weblog.
By Michele Neylon, MD of Blacknight Solutions. Visit the blog maintained by Michele Neylon here.
Related topics: Cybercrime, Cybersquatting, DNS, Top-Level Domains, Whois
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There is nothing alleged about this cybersquatter. Most of the ADRs against Zheng have been upheld and the cybersquatted domains have been ordered transferred. The level of blatent cybersquatting in the domains registered by Zheng is quite high and suggests an organised operation targeting European businesses and high profile brands and trademarks.
This is one of EURid's dirty little secrets. The management of EURid has been trying to ignore the problem like Zheng and other cybersquatters and cyberwarehousers in the .eu namespace because of the adverse impact that taking direct action would have on the .eu domains count. In simpler terms, it makes the management of EURid look bad having to admit that it has a massive cybersquatting/warehousing problem in .eu ccTLD. And it also makes the European Commission look like a bunch of morons for giving the management of .eu ccTLD to such a third rate venture.
Dealing with the Zheng problem is a start. However the management of EURid managed to lose a slam dunk legal action against the Ovidio syndicated last year. EURid lost for actually breaking their own rules. It is difficult for the industry to have any confidence in a registry capable of such staggering incompetence. Unless the other cybersquatting/warehousing operations are dealt with as well, this is just a sticking plaster on the corpse of .eu ccTLD.