Ashley Madison takes down WasHeOnAshleyMadison.com
Arbitration panel awards domain name to dating site owner.
Avid Dating Life Inc, the firm that operates the AshleyMadison.com site for affair dating, has successfully convinced an arbitration panelist that it ought to get the domain name WasHeOnAshleyMadison.com.
Avid Dating Life filed a UDRP with the World Intellectual Property Organization, arguing that the registrant of the domain name was cybersquatting. Panelist John Swinson agreed.
The domain name was registered to someone listed as “Calico Draconia” shortly following the popular extramarital affairs site was hacked. As stated by a couple media notes, the site offered a searchable database of Ashley Madison users, but that wasn’t part of the UDRP case. And frankly, based on some messages later posted on the site and archive.org listings, I’m not sure if it ever offered this service.
I question the UDRP decision somewhat. This could be a legitimate gripe site. The UDRP was filed just two days following the domain name was registered. It’s unlikely that the registrant’s website would be finished within just two days of registering the domain name.
The owner of the website recently posted this message:
My Fellow Internet Citizens,
Avid Life Media will be taking possession of this domain in 10 days
I apologize if you came here seeking solace or answers, or even just a little compassion. Avid Life Media Inc., the parent firm of Ashley Madison, has won this battle. What they will do with this domain I do not know.
I have no connectinn to the hacker(s) who call themselves “The Impact Team”.
I am not John McAfee and I don’t know if your Partner was or was not on Ashley Madison.
I have not seen the hacked data nor do I have access to it. My intention for buying this domain was two-fold.– First, to keep it out of the hands of scammers who would prey on you and your uncertainty.
– Second, so that there would be a place on the internet where people could have an open dialouge regarding things like online dating sites, privacy, security, etc.
