Judge issues temporary restraining order in OnlineNIC dispute.
A U.S. judge this afternoon granted (pdf) most of Facebook’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against domain name registrar OnlineNIC.
The TRO prohibits the transfer of funds or assets “except to pay costs directly necessary to maintain the day-to-day operations of their business (e.g., renewing customer domain names, paying for servers, paying any employees).”
This includes moving any money in bank accounts. It also blocks OnlineNIC from transferring domain names it owns to another party unless approved by the court. (Note that this does not apply to customers transferring their domains.)
The judge also ordered the defendants in the case to provide a full accounting of their assets.
The TRO is in effect until August 6. A hearing on a preliminary injunction will be held on August 5.
Separately, a commenter on Domain Name Wire posted today that OnlineNIC informed him that it had reconciled with Facebook. I haven’t seen the email but sent my own message to OnlineNic with a link to my original article. The company responded:
“The information in the article is not true.Currently we will still keep onlinenic in operation. We value all partner’s business. As an ICANN-accredited registrar, all domains under OnlineNIC are safe.”
The information in the article is certainly true, but it’s also true that OnlineNIC is currently in operation. It’s also likely true that all domains at OnlineNIC are safe. There is a process in which ICANN transfers customer domains when a registrar closes.
LoL.
These guys are getting blown to oblivion by FB lawsuits. We always knew, Facebook is infamous for protecting going after its IP; So successful, sued company, out of business.
Dont mess with Facebook!
Even “informing customers” they were done was seen as a smart way to circumvent the transfer of valuable IP assets. WOW!! They literally sued Registr to declare bankruptcy.
FB attorneys, so successful, will likely result OnlineNIC going defunct. Why buy them? even terrible name. -betting on 500K DNs, or whatever is left, after take the DNs; Facebook’s lawyers, seem worth money;
How much you value OnlineNIC? if at all.
“Not a lawyer.. —but Most successful udrp?Didnt just get dns; and a mercy bankruptcy, Wrecked. Dont mess with Facebook!
Samer
Dude…do you not understand that they are just the registrar?
Nothing has been proven in terms of direct infringement of FB IP.
It is not fair that OnlineNIC is essentially being driven out of business based on speculation, is it?
Where is the proof, Samer?
All I see is just a train wreck which it seems you are trying to derive some kind of twisted pleasure out of.
No, i have no history with them, i take no pleasure seeing people declare bankruptcy, as a result of lawsuit. The parallels with Gawker are insane. sorry if they are your registrar, or whatever, i am against FB but i also notice they are aggressive with lawsuits.
Remember NameCheap?
just never saw FB take down Reg with 500k. educational, fb is a force to be reckoned with.
Samer