I'm building a website for a friend and when I went to look for the domain name. Someone had already purchased the .co.uk version and 1 page website with details of my friends business. But they included a false phone number with the intention of directing customers away from the business.
How can I have this site removed? I have talked to the hosting company, but they advased me to talk to nominet. But, when I talked to nominet, they advised me to talk to the hosting company. I'm not sutr what to do? Can someone plese help?
If not i doubt there is a lot you can do about it, but i am not a lawyer, so i could well be wrong.
A lawyer will be able to tell you if the other company are behaving in a fraudulent manner, and then (assuming you can identify the culprit), you can attempt to take action against the company in the civil or even criminal court (if it is considered fraud).
It is really easy to get incorrect advice from a domain forum so you need to seek professional advice irrespective of whether or not your friend has a trademark.
But I can't get info to find out who's doing it?
Have you looked up the WHOIS information for the domain? Are the registrant details real or fake (or indeed withheld)?
IANAL
You might wish to speak to Nominet about since (a) Nominet cares and indeed had to fight its own "passing off" battles not so long ago and (b) control .co.uk.
[nic.uk...]
Rgds
Damon
Disclosure: I was an early founding member of Nominet and think that by and large it does its job very well.
[edited by: DamonHD at 4:09 pm (utc) on May 21, 2007]
