Domain Owners Beware: Lock it or risk losing it
Category: Internet...
Posted Monday, November 15, 2004 at 02:08 PM [GMT-6]

I just caught wind of a new rule that became effective last Friday, November 12, the provisions of which allow a domain name to be transferred from one registrant to another without the permission of the "losing" party. Under this new rule, someone could initiate a transfer of your personal or company domain name away from your control and you might possibly never know it.

This new rule was approved by ICANN, the governing body responsible for promulgating the rules that many domain name registrars seem to routinely flaunt.

If you want to protect your domain name, drop what you're doing (as soon as you finish reading this sentence, that is) and contact your registrar to request that your domain name be "locked." That will prevent its transfer without your explicit permission. Some registrars will let you lock domain names via their websites (my registrar of choice, GoDaddy, provides this capability, for example). Otherwise, you should call your registrar and see what steps to take to protect your domain.

I won't argue that this rule isn't helpful in some cases. I've had problems in the past getting domain names transferred, especially where they were originally registered by an internet service provider, webhost or site designer on behalf of a client, and the client eventually decides that he needs to have control over the name. But the implications for abuse are severe; forewarned is forearmed.