Over the past few days, I've gotten email from two different Chinese domain name registrars. In each case they've notified me that somebody wants to register the Chinese version of one of my domain names, and suggests that I instead register it first, to protect my trademark and so on. One even helpfully named the outfit that wants to register the name, and points out that it's a domain name investment firm.
So far as I can tell, there are three possible explanations for this:
As for my guess as to which is most likely, perhaps that can be surmised from the following part of one exchange.
Them:
Dear Curt Monash:
Thank for your letter. According to our investigation, Wenda company is a domain name investment company. They must want to get some profits from registering your company's domain names. As domain name registrar, We are obligated to inform you of this matter.Because we found www.dbms2.com have been registered by you, we informed you in time.If you think these domain names are useful for your company or it will take some bad effect aftet being grabbed, we can help your company dispute these domain names back and register for your company,we will send application form and register procedure to you,you can assist us and finish the registration. If these domain names would not affect your company, you can give up.We will finish registration of Wenda company. Hope get your decision ASAP, so that we can handle the next step. If you have any questions,please contact me.
Kind Regards,
Peter Zhou
Fax: ---
Email: ---
Shanghai Chooke Network Information Technology Co., Ltd
website:www.chooke.com.cn
Me:
Hello,
I can't get your web site to load for me, in Firefox or Internet Explorer alike.
I can't find evidence on the Web that a domain name investor named Wenda exists, nor can I determine whether, if it does, you are affiliated with them.
Perhaps because your site doesn't load, I can't find out whether you ever signed the Convention on the Self-Discipline of the Internet Address Registration Service Industry.
All things considered, it is very difficult for me to proceed.
Best regards,
CAM
Edit: A forum thread picking up on this blog post contains comments from other people who have received similar email.
Curt Monash is a leading analyst of and strategic advisor to the software industry. Praised by Lawrence J. Ellison for his "unmatched insight into technology and marketplace trends," Curt was the software/services industry's #1 ranked stock analyst while at PaineWebber, Inc., where he served as a First Vice President until 1987. He subsequently co-founded Evernet, Inc., a $40 million networking systems integrator. Since 1990, he has owned and operated Monash Research, an analysis and advisory firm covering software-intensive sectors of the technology industry. In that period he also has been co-founder, president, or chairman of several other technology startups.
Curt has served as a strategic advisor to many well-known firms, including Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, AOL, CA, and Netezza. Curt earned a Ph.D. in mathematics (Game Theory) from Harvard University. He has held faculty positions in mathematics, economics and public policy at Harvard, Yale, and Suffolk universities.
The opinions expressed in this Weblog are those of the writer and may not represent the opinions of Network World.
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Similar email was sent to my customer service email account
Yesterday I've received a similar email to yours.
It goes like this:
--------------------------------------------
Dear Sir/Mad
I'm sorry to disturb you so abrupt . We are a professional domain name registrar .
On 13th Nov. Phofiet co., Ltd sent us an application to register "thriftyguam" with suffixes "CN" & "HK" & "ASIA" & "INFO" & "BIZ" as domain names and Internet Brand. Also wants to use this name to do promotion in Google and Baidu and other search engins.
But after checking we found that the keyword is being used by your company, we don't know whether you have business in Asia or China , and don't know whether need to keep these domain names for your company . So we have to inform you before we complete registration .
We only can keep the domain names safe in our checking period , once over , we should accept their registration , So, please ask your IT manager or other person who charge of this matter to contact me as soon as possible .
I'm looking forward to hearing from you .
Yours sincerely Cosmo
Tel: +86-0513-8011 8538
Fax: +86-0513-8011 8539
website: www.domain-work.cn
---------------------------------------------
I do receive some business from China however my first instinct was to go to my hosting company and grab the "INFO", "BIZ", and maybe "ASIA" suffixes. I haven't done that as of yet but will be doing more research. Interesting enough is the email address of the individual ends with mordendomain.cn.
A flight from Taipei or Hong Kong to Guam is only about 4-5 hours.
Gil
Morden Domain not legit?
I received a similar email from Evan Wang of mordendomain.cn or domain-work.cn neither of which appear in CNNIC's list of accredited registrars available from http://www.cnnic.cn/en/index/0L/index.htm
I assume the scam here is to get sales at apparently reasonably prices for Far East domains that'll never actually get registered.
Regards
Gerry
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