Forcing a domain name

[gershon]

A domain name that I'm interested in is not set up at all - the name is registered, but does not resolve to an IP.

I contacted the owner about buying it, but he did not respond.

Is there anyway I can force him to surrender it, since he is not using it? I was under the impression that names need to at least resolve (be "parked") or they can be lost.

[Glamba]

For most TLDs there is no requirement that domains point to http-servers - e.g. email use is sufficent.

If there is obvious incorrect WHOIS data you might have a chance to get the registration deleted.

[dauction]

gersh ,

read dear domey domainer john for your answer

Just google it

[oneguy]

Is there anyway I can force him to surrender it, since he is not using it?

Surrender to whom? You?

[kevinpate]

When it come to holding onto a domain, two movie lines come to mind rather quickly

Well ..... absent someone adequately meeting a request to 'Show Me the Money"* the domain holder generally has every right to take this position: "Never Give Up ... Never Surrender!" **

* Cuba Gooding as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire
** Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith/Cmdr Taggart -
Galaxy Quest

[gershon]

email is sufficient

Right - but this doesn't have *anything*. I mean, there is not even an IP address in DNS for it.

read dear domey domainer john for your answer

lol, good read. But we know that icann etc rules are different from "real life"...

anyway, if there is nothing that can be done, what is this business about having to park?

Basically, I think this guy bought the domain and went to sleep. He hasn't responded to any of my emails to purchase the domain. So, as it is, it is just getting wasted.

[Romeo]

Hi Gershon,

you may check the registrar of that domain name for any guidelines for registering domains under the specific TLD.
If they have rules that require a domain name to be connected (having valid SOA/NS records in the DNS, maybe this could be sufficient, or could an A record be required, too?), then approach die Registrar and ask them either to enforce these rules on the registrant or kick him out.
If you can't find such rules, then, well ...

Regards,
R.

[davezan]

gershon, kindly tell me what "right" do you have to force someone to surrender a domain name to
you even though that person isn't using it for anything. If I owned a piece of land which I'm not doing
anything to it and you feverishly desire it, what right do you have to take it away from me even if
I'm not using or developing it?

I won't be surprised if other people expressed interest in the same name you want. But what makes
them think they have more or better "rights" to it?

Coincidentally, there's another forum where someone is proposing a system to what a domain name
should and shouldn't have, especially the latter that'll force its owner to relinquish it.

If such a system existed and someone tried to contact you to buy it but you aren't interested and
won't bother to reply, would you appreciate such a system that'll force you to relinquish it if it's not
being used for anything at all?

[jk3210]

Here's one [marketwatch.com] as of this morning.

"In a closely watched case, petitioners from New London, Conn. challenged the government's use of eminent domain to take and pay for private property and use it for private economic development.

Home and business owners' contention that economic development doesn't qualify as public use "is supported by neither precedent nor logic," Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the majority."

"Any time a government official thinks someone else can make better use of your property than you're doing, he can order it condemned and transferred"