UDRPs are not the first choice for taking down websites — Lawsuits and
There can be easier ways to take down abusive websites.
The Oklahoman published a story this stretch regarding how Oklahoma County is considering suing over the domain name OklahomaCountyCourt .org.
The domain name is used for a website that resembles a court website. When people search for court records, the site uses the business TruthFinder to pull up records that can be purchased. (It’s not clear if TruthFinder owns the site or an affiliate created it.)
Public records are free on the county’s official website, OklahomaCounty.org.
The story notes that the Board of County Commissioners had consideration of a lawsuit on its agenda for June 18 but took no public action.
It quotes NameSilo, the registrar where the domain is registered, which stated that filing a lawsuit naming NameSilo would be a waste of taxpayer money.
The registrar pointed out that there are a number of free ways people can note abusive domain registrations. The registrar itself stated it has not received an abuse note regarding the domain.
It’s unclear what would happen if an abuse note were filed, as it’s not entirely clear that the site is engaging in any illegal activity. Still, it seems like it would be a logical (and free) step for the county to take ahead of spending money on a lawsuit.
NameSilo also noted that the domain is hosted elsewhere. The county could contact the webhost to try to get the site taken down.
In a couple of weeks, I’m publishing a podcast episode with brand domain registrar Lexsynergy. In that interview, the firm explains that even in cases of cybersquatting, lawsuits and UDRP ought to not be your first step. There are many other faster and free ways to take down a site if it is abusive.
That’s a good suggestion for many businesses or, in this case, governments. Lawsuits (and even UDRP filings) can be costly and oftentimes slower than other means of blocking access to a website.
