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A person or company that buys expired
domain names, usually in the hope of selling them back to their original
owners for a profile. Domain snipers take advantage of the fact that domain
name must be renewed periodically by their original registrants, many of
whom forget to do so or erroneously assume that they own the name. Once a
registration lapses the name becomes available for anyone to buy. In some
countries, it is estimated that the number of new ones, making the sniping
business potentially lucrative for those prepared to seek them out. Some
unscrupulous snipers redirect visitors expecting to see the old website
to a more embarrassing or offensive one, in the hope of persuading
recalcitrant businesses to pay up.
short of invoking expensive
intellectual property right litigation, there is no clear defence against
domain snipers other than making sure that registration fees are paid on
time. Some name registrars have a grace period during which the name may not
be resold to anyone except its original owner. (See cybersquatting.) |
