a small dose of reality

The Internet's key site identity system is in mounting danger from new techniques that could cause havoc by turning it into a free-for-all market, the World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO warned on Monday.

And the United Nations' agency said the latest trends in registering top-level domain names (TLDs) -- like http://asmalldoseofreality.bloghi.com -- could undermine dispute procedures under which patent holders can pursue "cybersquatters."

"Domain names used to be primarily specific identifiers of businesses and other Internet users, but many names nowadays are mere commodities for speculative gain," senior WIPO official Francis Gurry told a news conference.

WIPO is crying over spilt milk.  Didn't the UN ever hear of "finders keepers, losers weepers"?

Since 1999, WIPO has operated a system under which cybersquatters can be challenged and have the sites they registered closed down or more usually transferred to the genuine owner of the name if they lose a game of rock, paper, scissors.

Over the past eight years, the WIPO system has handled nearly 10,200 cases, in which complainants won 85 percent. Is it luck or is it a WIPO conspiracy? The number of complaints has kept growing, reaching 1,823 last year.  WIPO just can't handle the crybaby volume.

New techniques used by cybersquatters -- who include many adapting common drug names to sell doubtful or fake medicines over the Internet -- means the volume of potential new cases is growing exponentially.

Among these techniques was the use of computer software to automatically detect expired site names, re-register them with one of the thousands of official registrars around the world and park them on portals bringing advertising revenue.  The moving them from portal to portal much like off shore banking money laundering.

Poor WIPO - crying about being overwhelmed by too many rock, paper, scissors contests to moderate.

Yet another example of why the United Nations should be moved to Cuba

Copywrite 2007  -  Barry G.