A. To keep prices low
B. To make certain laws were enacted to protect our assets.

As with other associations, the lawyers take all the money and don’t do what the members REALLY need. It’s terribly unfortunate. I tried and tried to get the ICA involved – even if they just put out a few press releases on this (and other) cases. Alas nothing. Had they done so, they would have had an incredible opportunity to get press on this (and other) cases.

Can someone get the lawyers at the ICA to focus on what REALLY helps domainers vs. the huge checks they look to cash monthly.

XXXXXX Stephen Douglas Responds:
UPDATED: 8/5/09
Thanks for writing, Marc. I agree with you about the ICA. I paid a substantial annual fee to become an ICA member in expectation of exactly what you outlined they should be doing in your post here. Even defending them many times publicly, I still wondered what my money was being spent on. I wondered when all the members of the ICA would be shown a “game plan” that represented domainers, their investments and interests.

Your comments here are pretty straightforward (which I take as fact until I hear otherwise from Phil or Jeremiah) that the ICA ignored your pleas regarding your situation. It seems your predicament (domain theft) would be tailor-made for ICA action and assistance. I looked at the current Board of Directors on the ICA website, and I still see Ron Jackson’s name on the board, although I thought he withdrew. (I’ll check this out with Ron tonight). UPDATE: Talked with Ron who said he is not a founding member, but is on the board.

I believe Jeremiah Johnston is a respected player in this industry and a conscientious guy from my personal discussions with him. I don’t know if you have seen his response in this news article, seemingly as if the ICA was involved in helping resolve this issue for you and the Angels.

(I welcome any comments from JJ or Phil regarding the ICA involvement in your 2 year quest to bring justice to yourselves and all domainers. They weren’t involved I think back in 2006, but still be interested in their knowledge of the story)

You are quoted in this article, but the big questions now arising (this case has many tentacles):

• Where was the ICA in this?

• Why would GoDaddy make such a lame comment in the media about “60 day holds” on domain transfers when it’s already known that the process used to steal your domain was done by a “push” from one GoDaddy account to another? There is no waiting period for a “intra-registrar” push from one GoDaddy account to another. It seems GoDaddy’s love of that 60 day hold process is meant to keep domains in their portfolio by forcing people who want to buy a domain to become new GoDaddy members in order to get a domain that a GoDaddy account holder is selling. The push between accounts has no protection “restrictions” beyond the domain holder’s email address, so GoDaddy’s claim of “protecting domain holders” with this system doesn’t apply to your case.

Many domainers’ lives are invested in domains, and a theft like this, for someone without the knowledge and financial means to try to recover their stolen domain, could literally wipe them out. It’s no different than an investor who was shafted by Bernie Madoff. You had the hammer of a former federal prosecutor to work for two years (even that’s unbelievable) in order to start the wheels of justice. Very few of us would find ourselves in this “advantageous” position. Thank God you had the resources to rip out the entrails of this alleged criminal’s domain thefts.

Marc, please feel free to comment here to expand your strategy to make this extraordinary case “not go away” in the eyes of the media, the public, and most of all, the legal system nationwide. As the saying goes when you want bad people to feel the long-lasting scorpion sting of justice, “Let’s Go Federal On Them”.

I can only speak for all domainers by saying: “Thanks” to you and the Angels for tearing away at this guy like badgers… it will leave a historical mark for the domain industry and change our future for the better.

XXXXXX Stephen Douglas Responds:

Go for it, Melton. And keep us apprised of your success. What was your domain name? What can we (including the ICA) do to help you? Give me more info and I’ll keep it posted if it floats.