Chinese Domain Owners Lose .Coms Because of Earthquakes
Friday, January 5th, 2007
China is reporting that Chinese citizens lost 10,000 domain names due to expiration lapses because of communications problems.
China’s state run press says that earthquakes off Taiwan last month severed a communication to the internet. As a result, over 10,000 domain name registrations lapsed because their owners could not connect to the internet to renew the domains.
The event may be considered an “act of God” which may give those who lost domains an avenue to seek getting their domains back or receive compensation from VeriSign, but this is unlikely.
The internet blackout in China hit domainers elsewhere. I purchased a domain on Afternic and the seller was in China. He had difficulty transfering the domain because of the blackout. It took him a couple hours of trying to connect to the internet in order to transfer the domain.
Some Chinese domain name registrars are denying the domain lapses, saying that these losses are unlikely since domain name owners are typically notified one month in advance of domain expirations. But as all domainers know, you don’t necessarily renew your domain when the first notice arrives.
Link to article in People’s Daily Online (English).
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