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WorldwideWebGuy · 01-09-2004, 07:07 PM

On February 23, 2002, I registered the domains AmericaOuttaLine.com & AmericaOuttaLine.net (along with the .org later) --- intending to develop the domains to market an off the wall, "outta line" humorous product line of greeting cards & other items (bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc). Having done stand-up comedy for some time, & loving being able to make people laugh, I thought this would be a great business venture & opportunity. I put up a temporary site with a few funny things on it and just by word of mouth, in the year I had the domain, it got millions of visitors.

In March of 2003 (over a year later), I got a letter from an attorney claiming to represent America Online; stating that America Online wanted the domains & he included a form in the letter for me to fill out to "give" & transfer the domains to the ownership of AOL. BULLSHIT! I sent a letter back saying if AOL truly wanted the domains then I might consider selling them, but was not "giving" anything to anyone. IF America Online wanted the domains, they could've registered & secured them (and paid for them) before I did. They were not entitled to them, yet they "wanted" them & apparently just wanted me to "give" them up.

I never heard anything back from the attorney, (not by email or regular mail), nothing ... from anyone. Then, sometime in May of 2003, the domains stopped working & I visitors were finding "This Domain Can No Longer Be Found" messages when trying to go to the domain names. I found out by checking the "whois" information that somehow America Online had gotten the domains transferred to them! They had not paid for them, they had not been given permission to transfer the domains, there were no court proceedings, nothing! They had just cyber-jacked the domains away from me (FORCING their power, money, clout to get their way).

I've been very upset at the loss of these domains & have thought of just letting the event go; but the more I think about it, the more angered & hurt I become about this ... further realizing the great legal wrong AOL has done against me by criminally acting in such a way (especially when AOL tries to represent themselves as the online friendly, we're so sweet & pure image they try to represent --- failing to inform individuals that they are crooks). I don't feel they should get away with this & if they're allowed to they'll keep on doing it. I've heard of other instances where some individuals lost their domains by similar actions by AOL, yet they've been allowed to continue to do this. Noone has stood up to them! THE GIANT MUST FALL & FACE WORLDWIDE SHAME!

I've finally recently been able to find out (from my former registrar of the domains, where I had them before they were hijacked away from me) that America Online is allowed to act as a registrar themselves. I've been told it seems they abused their "power" & "tools" given to them as a registrar to get the domains transfered to themselves (without having to get permission from me, the registrant --- which was never given). Somehow they abused these privileges to sneak the domain away & allow it to be transferred to themselves.

I'm told to file a complaint with icann, which I'm going to be doing, but that it isn't likely that icann will have the balls to do anything against AOL (they haven't in the past) ... as they (America Online) should have their ability to act as a registrar jerked from them. Not only that, but they should be sued for damages & for this criminal behavior! I don't care if they do have power or money & think they're the all-above-approach online corporate god, I want to stand up & fight .... LETTING THEM KNOW THEY WILL BE MADE TO STOP SCREWING FOLKS LIKE US! I'd at least love to see them publically exposed worldwide for having done & acted in this way. I either want the domains back or I want them to pay & pay big (they should have to pay for their actions regardless).

Question is, how does someone like myself (without the power & mone of AOL) take on such an unjust giant? Does anyone on here know of an attorney that might like to publically take on this unjustice AOL has done? The publicity they'd get would be amazing. AOL has just gone too far & I want them to be held accountable. Where & how should I start this fight & how can I find someone to assist & join me? I just want to be vendicated & AOL publically made to realize they can't continue to act in this way, but I don't have a lot of money by any means (which is what AOL is probably hoping & counting on ... that I won't or can't fight). There has to be a way to get this heard & the wrong corrected, but where do I begin?

If anyone knows about getting fucked, it is a webmaster ... so I figured I'd come to the best webmasters the net has to offer (here on this forum) and ask what you'd guys suggest or where I should begin. Any info or direction would be of great help. PLEASE HELP ME ????

I can be emailed at: [email protected]

01-09-2004, 07:07 PM
WorldwideWebGuy Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19	Any help in suing AMERICA ONLINE ??? On February 23, 2002, I registered the domains AmericaOuttaLine.com & AmericaOuttaLine.net (along with the .org later) --- intending to develop the domains to market an off the wall, "outta line" humorous product line of greeting cards & other items (bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc). Having done stand-up comedy for some time, & loving being able to make people laugh, I thought this would be a great business venture & opportunity. I put up a temporary site with a few funny things on it and just by word of mouth, in the year I had the domain, it got millions of visitors. In March of 2003 (over a year later), I got a letter from an attorney claiming to represent America Online; stating that America Online wanted the domains & he included a form in the letter for me to fill out to "give" & transfer the domains to the ownership of AOL. BULLSHIT! I sent a letter back saying if AOL truly wanted the domains then I might consider selling them, but was not "giving" anything to anyone. IF America Online wanted the domains, they could've registered & secured them (and paid for them) before I did. They were not entitled to them, yet they "wanted" them & apparently just wanted me to "give" them up. I never heard anything back from the attorney, (not by email or regular mail), nothing ... from anyone. Then, sometime in May of 2003, the domains stopped working & I visitors were finding "This Domain Can No Longer Be Found" messages when trying to go to the domain names. I found out by checking the "whois" information that somehow America Online had gotten the domains transferred to them! They had not paid for them, they had not been given permission to transfer the domains, there were no court proceedings, nothing! They had just cyber-jacked the domains away from me (FORCING their power, money, clout to get their way). I've been very upset at the loss of these domains & have thought of just letting the event go; but the more I think about it, the more angered & hurt I become about this ... further realizing the great legal wrong AOL has done against me by criminally acting in such a way (especially when AOL tries to represent themselves as the online friendly, we're so sweet & pure image they try to represent --- failing to inform individuals that they are crooks). I don't feel they should get away with this & if they're allowed to they'll keep on doing it. I've heard of other instances where some individuals lost their domains by similar actions by AOL, yet they've been allowed to continue to do this. Noone has stood up to them! THE GIANT MUST FALL & FACE WORLDWIDE SHAME! I've finally recently been able to find out (from my former registrar of the domains, where I had them before they were hijacked away from me) that America Online is allowed to act as a registrar themselves. I've been told it seems they abused their "power" & "tools" given to them as a registrar to get the domains transfered to themselves (without having to get permission from me, the registrant --- which was never given). Somehow they abused these privileges to sneak the domain away & allow it to be transferred to themselves. I'm told to file a complaint with icann, which I'm going to be doing, but that it isn't likely that icann will have the balls to do anything against AOL (they haven't in the past) ... as they (America Online) should have their ability to act as a registrar jerked from them. Not only that, but they should be sued for damages & for this criminal behavior! I don't care if they do have power or money & think they're the all-above-approach online corporate god, I want to stand up & fight .... LETTING THEM KNOW THEY WILL BE MADE TO STOP SCREWING FOLKS LIKE US! I'd at least love to see them publically exposed worldwide for having done & acted in this way. I either want the domains back or I want them to pay & pay big (they should have to pay for their actions regardless). Question is, how does someone like myself (without the power & mone of AOL) take on such an unjust giant? Does anyone on here know of an attorney that might like to publically take on this unjustice AOL has done? The publicity they'd get would be amazing. AOL has just gone too far & I want them to be held accountable. Where & how should I start this fight & how can I find someone to assist & join me? I just want to be vendicated & AOL publically made to realize they can't continue to act in this way, but I don't have a lot of money by any means (which is what AOL is probably hoping & counting on ... that I won't or can't fight). There has to be a way to get this heard & the wrong corrected, but where do I begin? If anyone knows about getting fucked, it is a webmaster ... so I figured I'd come to the best webmasters the net has to offer (here on this forum) and ask what you'd guys suggest or where I should begin. Any info or direction would be of great help. PLEASE HELP ME ???? I can be emailed at: [email protected]