Domain hijacking

From Free net encyclopedia

Domain hijacking is the process by which internet domains that have expired are claimed by another owner and then used for some other purpose.

An imaginary example would be wonderwidgets.com . An individual or organisation registers the domain, and uses it for two years, but at the end of those two years forgets to renew it. The domain then becomes available for others to register. Another person registers the domain, and then adds a web site to it.

The advantages of 'hijacking' an existing domain, as opposed to registering a new one, is that some sites may already be linking to it, so that the new owner will have instant backlinks and, theoretically, instant traffic.

The process is controversial, however. A recent example involved a UK-based organisation called the Poetry Society, whose domain was 'hijacked' by a company called Ultimate Search, based in Hong Kong. Although the society managed to get their domain back eventually it ended up in a lot of confusion and embarrassment for the society.

The main issue with domain hijacking is that usually the new owner will upload content that is unrelated to the site that was there previously. For example, Ultimate Search will replace any domains they take ownership with a series of 'search results' that generate revenue for its owners but do not offer the user anything useful. Others will display a 'This site is under construction' message, but include some sneaky hidden links that search engine robots may follow.

Google recently modified its search algorithm to 'reset' the PageRank of any web sites which have changed ownership, to reduce the effect of instant backlinks. Similarly, directories like the Open Directory Project now have methods of dealing with this problem without it affecting the quality of their results.

Domain theft

Domain theft is an aggressive form of domain hijacking that usually involves an illegal act. In most cases, identity theft is used to trick the domain registrar into allowing the hijacker to change the registration information to steal control of an unexpired domain from the legitimate owner.

Some registrars are quick to set things right when these cases are discovered. However, it is well documented that some registrars will admit no fault in accepting the forged credentials and will refuse to correct the record until forced by legal action. In many of these cases, justice is not done and the hijacker retains control of the domain. The victims of such theft often do not have the resources or willingness to invest the effort necessary to regain control of their domain, which may require legal action or a lengthy and time-consuming arbitration process, especially if the hijacker and victim are in different countries.zh:域名劫持