Scam, or genuine?

[eliot-ness]

Any Internet domain name experts on here who can throw some light on the validity of this. Looks like a scam to me, but it's of a type I've never seen before.

I recieved this email yesterday concerning one of our domain names. Looks innocent enough at first glance so I replied to the efect that the company mentioned had no connection with us. Then I get the second email, and that one is slightly different, but still no cause for alarm. Now it would seem that in order to protect our domain name, trademark and intellectual property rights I must register with China Internet Service Provider.
I've replied to that requesting the appropriate forms. Now I'm waiting to see what this is going to cost. Sounds just a bit dodgy to me.




: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 6:49 PM
Subject: China_The Confirmation Of Intellectual Property


Dear Sir/Madam:

This is the China Internet Service Provider who mainly duty for domain name and the Internet Trademark registration work.

Here,we have some important thing confirm with your company .On August 19th 2009,We received an formal application ,one company named "Yuancheng(China)Company"
want to register "********"as their .CN/.ASIA domain names and Internet Trademark on Internet .

After our initial examination,we find the domain name and the Internet Trademark applied for registration are the same with your company's name and trademark. One point
need you to confirm that whether the alleged Yuancheng(China) Company is your business partner or distributor in China?

If like that ,we will finish the group's application.If the group is not you partner and your company need to protect your company's Intellectual Property in China, please let the
someone who is responsible for this matter to contact us as soon as possible to deal with the matter with best way.Thank you!

Looking forward to hearing your reply!

Best regards!

This is their reply. Note the change. Now they can do nothing about it unless I register the domain name with them.


Dear ********

Thanks for your reply

Because China domain names takes open registration, the domain name stays available, who registers it first, who owns it. So Yuancheng(China) Company or
every other third party all has right to register it.

As a domain name registrar, we have right to dispute their application. So required by China government to inform your company to protect your interest.
As the company whose trademarks relate to the applied domain names, you will get the priority to register these domain names and internet trademark.

If you think their registration will confuse your clients and harm your profits, we can send an dispute application form to you and help you register these within
dispute period. This is the only way to prevent domain name grab.

If you need, we will send your company an dispute application form to fill in and help your company remain the priority to register these names.

Best regards!

Linda

[slofox]

If it looks like bullshit, smells like bullshit and tastes like bullshit...it's probably bullshit...

Be interested to see what evolves from this - keep us posted huh?

[ManDownUnder]

I'd say it's quiet economic times driving people to get creative on generating revenue... sooo... propsering little people threaten to take your domain name and force you to either 1) register first or 2) buy it off them.

Sounds familiar from about 10 years ago when the domain name race really kicked in

[NighthawkNZ]

Just delete it... I get it similar things in the post (you know snail mail) from competing Domain name registries saying the same thing... couple from the states, and one from china, and then one from NZ

[BiK3RChiK]

Read with the delete key....

[CookMySock]

required by China government to inform your company to protect your interestHaha, really? I do not think so. Delete it.

Theres only one reason random people from the internet email you, and that is for money. They are like the police - if they can just ticket you they will, if they can't, they will "talk" to you about it until they have enough evidence to proceed.

Steve

[idb]

Hang on people...it's signed by someone called Linda.
I bet she's lovely.
Surely you can trust a pretty lady.

[Mully]

Sounds like a scam to me.

Ask "Linda" to send a photo.

If she's hot, proceed. But don't send them any cash.

[eliot-ness]

Sounds like a scam to me.

Ask "Linda" to send a photo.

If she's hot, proceed. But don't send them any cash.

Here's the pic you requested. She looks hot, but it could be just the way she's dressed. Don't think I'll send any cash but now I'm worried she might call round to collect it personally.

[mashman]

The domain name is registered to you because you would have had to have purchased it. They can't take it off you and domain names are unique... sounds like a bullshit mailer.

Send them an invoice of $1000 for consultation fees and explain that further correspondence will incur further consultation fees... Perhaps send them a 7 legged spider... you could have some fun with this...

[TerminalAddict]

scam .. I get them all the time

[retro asian]

:2guns: Those are scams, I get them about once a month...

[Naki Rat]

Here's the pic you requested. She looks hot, but it could be just the way she's dressed. Don't think I'll send any cash but now I'm worried she might call round to collect it personally.

Camel toes are blase', I've seen the odd 'moose knuckle' but that has one got me stumped for a descriptor :shit:

[slofox]

Camel toes are blase', I've seen the odd 'moose knuckle' but that has one got me stumped for a descriptor :shit:

Hippo's arse springs to mind...

[Hitcher]

Don't waste your money buying domain names unless you intend to use them immediately.

At work we registered some time ago (through Domainz "the name you can trust") a .mobi domain. When we went to uplift said, we found that Domainz had sold it to a Melbourne agency that is now using it.

Can we get it back? It appears not. Is Domainz contrite and offering assistance? Ha ha! They think that this is an issue for us to resolve with the Melbourne agency they sold our domain name to.

I am waiting for them to explain the difference between what they've done and car conversion. At least if it was a car that had been onsold without your permission, you would get it back, press charges for theft, and expect some sort of reparations from the thieving scum who offed with it. It appears that the same legal protections do not exist in Internet domain space, unless we are being poorly advised by AJ Park.

As for Domainz "the name you can trust": Shame on you.

[TerminalAddict]

Hitcher: you can complain to the DNC (domain name commisioner)

as registrar, domainz are obligated to hear, and consider your complaint; pursuant to the terms and conditions of the DNC

Domainz suck! :) buy your domains from http://www.interspeed.co.nz /end plug

[pzkpfw]

The domain name is registered to you because you would have had to have purchased it. They can't take it off you and domain names are unique... sounds like a bullshit mailer.

I think that's not quite the issue.

When you get a domain name, you need to register (pay for) all variations you want.

So say you get www.mygoatiscute.co.nz, that doesn't mean you also own www.mygoatiscute.com.au

The original email suggests they are looking to register the .cn (cn = China) version of the domain.

They are not trying to take away the OP's .co.nz address.

So it looks legit, as in (assuming they don't just take the money and hide) it might actually result in something (owning that domain) and the request isn't necessarily bogus (like when you get an invoice for a service you nveer asked for) but the real point is: should anyone care that some other company owns www.mycompanyname.co.cn ?

[inlinefour]

If it looks like bullshit, smells like bullshit and tastes like bullshit...it's probably bullshit...

Be interested to see what evolves from this - keep us posted huh?

If you had to taste it first to figure out it was shit, then your a bit slower than the average bear... :shit:

[eliot-ness]

I think that's not quite the issue.

When you get a domain name, you need to register (pay for) all variations you want.

So say you get www.mygoatiscute.co.nz, that doesn't mean you also own www.mygoatiscute.com.au

The original email suggests they are looking to register the .cn (cn = China) version of the domain.

They are not trying to take away the OP's .co.nz address.

So it looks legit, as in (assuming they don't just take the money and hide) it might actually result in something (owning that domain) and the request isn't necessarily bogus (like when you get an invoice for a service you nveer asked for) but the real point is: should anyone care that some other company owns www.mycompanyname.co.cn ?

I think you're right, a bit dodgy but a legitimate way of touting for business, and if it works it could bring in a tidy bit of cash. Whether Yuangchen(China) Company has actually applied to register our domain name is doubtful but impossible to check. I did check for "China Internet Service Provider".Lots of lists of providers but non with that specific name listed as being the main one to safeguard domain name interests. As we don't do any business in that part of the world it won't matter who holds the China.com name. I'm still waiting for their dispute application form to see how much they charge for this "service".

[slofox]

If you had to taste it first to figure out it was shit, then your a bit slower than the average bear... :shit:

I just go on the smell usually...

[inlinefour]

I just go on the smell usually...

Tends to be the safest way as you look stupid with it dribbling down your chin or from the corner of your mouth. :blink:

[RantyDave]

a .mobi domain. When we went to uplift said, we found that Domainz had sold it to a Melbourne agency that is now using it.
Melbourne IT? It's the whole company that got sold. Our National domain registrar is owned by Australians. Both parties are utter cunts.

Domainz ("a name you can trust") also got horribly pwn3d a few months back (http://www.zedkep.com/blog/index.php?/archives/202-Domainz-get-horribly-owned.html) losing, amongst others, msn.co.nz. So, no, you can't trust Domainz to shit in a paper bag let alone run a domain registrar.

It appears that the same legal protections do not exist in Internet domain space, unless we are being poorly advised by AJ Park.
I once joined a company that AJ Park were doing some work for. They were getting us a software patent in the UK. No such thing as a software patent in the UK, as the UK patent office had a fine time telling us. We told them we wouldn't pay their bill (north of $50k) and they seemed to have no problem with that. So, yes, you are being poorly advised by AJ Park.

I think you should discuss this with the Domain Name Commission (http://www.dnc.org.nz/) whose problem it is. And ditch the bitches - both of them.

Dave

[TerminalAddict]

....Our National domain registrar is owned by Australians.....

Come again? national domain registrar?

not true, Domainz is business .. it has no association at all with NZ .. there is nothing national about it.

There was a time when Domainz was the largest registrar in the land .. that's given. There was a time when http://www.webaddress.co.nz was the largest in the land (2003) .. (btw: that's one of the registrars I run ). There was a time when webfarm was the pretty close to being the largest in the land.

The .nz domain is controlled by the New Zealand Registry Service (NZRS) which closely related to internetNZ .. who also control our F server (DNS). The NZRS is our national domain registrar.

Asmention earlier, and as RD mentions .. contact the DNC