One Thousand Five Hundred Russian Domains Are Blocked in the USAand Are Asked for the Ransom

The largest American registrar of domains GoDaddy has blocked domains of approximately 1,4 thousand clients of Petersburg Internet-hosting-provider Majordomo ostensibly because of an infringement of the agreement on the user services, CNews informs.

On June, 14th support service of Majordomo (company NetHouse) received a letter from company GoDaddy informing that domains of 1399 Majordomo’s clients had been blocked starting from this day. The reason is an infringement by Majordomo of the agreement on the user services. The ground for blocking ostensibly became complaints from Spamhouse.org (the company which is engaged in support of a database of ip-addresses of servers which have been convicted of dispatches of a spam) that Majordomo’s clients were involved in this dispatch. At Majordomo think that this statement not only have no grounds but is false. References to the complaints addressed to Spamhouse and GoDaddy were produced as proofs.

The first complaint connected with a site viptimeclub.ru which has not been a client of Majordomo since December, 2005, - they say in the Russian company. The second complaint, according to the company, also has no relation to Majordomo, the matter concerns one of the clients of company Peterhost. Majordomo considers that unchecked information prepared by Spamhouse.org found in GoDaddy the sufficient reason for blocking of almost one and a half thousand domains and the change of their DNS-servers on NS2. SUSPENDED-FOR.SPAM-AND-ABUSE.COM, NS1.SUSPENDED-FOR.SPAM-AND-ABUSE.COM.

The Russian company can’t see clearly the reasons which induced GoDaddy to go on such step. It is known that by the current moment all domains continue to stay idle and attempts to clear up situation have not crowned success. The answer to letters and calls was an offer to pay for it as the only way out from the conflict. GoDaddy suggests to pay $199 for each domain for its restoration or $50 for transition to other registrar. One more offered by GoDaddy output is to wait till the end of registration of domains on GoDaddy and register them once more time.

At the present moment Majordomo being concerned by the situation developed prepares to register the collective claim from the owners of the blocked domains among which are not only physical and significant legal entities but also state institutions of the CIS countries. Zones spb.ru and msk.ru register domains of all victims free of charge.

"Actions of GoDaddy are illegal as well as requirements of money, - the representative of one of the Russian participants of the Internet-hosting market which wished to keep the name of his company unknown noticed for CNews. - On the other hand, at the conclusion of the contract with registrar the other party automatically agrees with conditions of the offer (where the rights of the registrar certainly are treated more than widely). Such cases are not at all rare with GoDaddy, I shall risk to assume that it is their basic source of income. Any provider first of all tries to solve problems of the client and not to restore the oppressed justice. Besides, there are really only few variants. To have legal proceedings with this monster can let themselves only the companies-giants of the same scales. I hear about an arbitrariness of such scale for the first time. Former cases concerned generally one-two domains and were solved by payment of a bribe". Interlocutor of CNews added also that any participant of this segment of domestic telecommunicational market could repeat the destiny of Majordomo.

As the participants of market notice, legal proceedings with American Giant will be beyond the powers of the Russians on whose place any domestic hosting-provider can find himself.

From editorial staff: the story is, certainly, scandalous, especially excitingly it looks on a background of the scandal with “Masterhost” which has not yet calmed down which behaves with clients as if they were at least its serfs. However, all domestic participants of this market conduct themselves in similar way today. For the sake of justice it is necessary to note that not only Russian ones.

In the conditions of the modern IT-market dependence of all on all is extremely big and the temptation to use this dependence as a competitive advantage or direct source of income is also very big. In a view of stated non-adjustment of many legal questions of this segment of economy is capable to cause serious problems.

So, until recently the only place where domains in Russiawere registered was RosNIIROS – state institution. Then private registrars appeared and the question of a choice - at the state or at a private trader - began to look quite in a civilized way: the private registrar is more mobile, is much closer to the client but there always there is a risk. The state registrar won’t disappear but not all and not always there is a desire to deal with the state. It would be good…

I dare to believe that such strange situations which arose between GoDaddy and Majordomo are simply impossible if one deals with the state, even with such sickly as today's Russian. Simply due to having direct contractual attitudes between such subjects as the states steadier communications exist. Roughly speaking the USA would not tell the Russian Federation "if you don’t like it – go to the law" but the American company to the Russian company - as many times as necessary, perfectly understanding that every day and hour of delay is worse than bandit “counter”.

Why did I recollect the state?

The matter is that since this year all registrars in our country are – only private. RosNIIROS quitted this market successfully leaving after itself RU-CENTER - the company which it founded itself but particulary private. Everyone who had registered domain names on RosNIIROS (including the Communist Party of the Russian Federationwhich also faced a problem with its transfer and I personally - А.B.) were forcedly, under the threat of loss of the domain transferred to the private registration. I.e. became hostages of purely commercial relations of some subjects of business. The RussianStatesimply got out.

Such tradition exists in the USAfor a long time, even monetary emission in the USAis a private business of the Federal reserve system which is no other than consortium from a group of commercial banks.

We don’t have such traditions and to us, I mean the Russians in general, they are extremely unprofitable - our companies are weak, therefore in relations with the whales of world business to leave citizens alone with a private sector is simply beastliness on the part of the state. And like this is goes - today relations in sphere of IT-business are adjusted in many respects by the business itself, i.e. "following comprehension".

It is not necessary to explain that such attitude to a problem from the part of the state puts our sector of IT-economy as well as information resource of the country in obviously losing position. It’s like to send the 13-years girl to get education in a brothel. And nevertheless - all is like this.

Actually the Russian subjects of this market do not have any intellectual property in general - domains can be taken away, the software can be declared counterfeit and also be taken away, databases can be destroyed, techniques confiscated or withdrawn for uncertain time "for clarification". With such rear maintenance one should not be in business but in the toilet shout "It Is occupied!"

Certainly, at least in the field of registration of domains it is necessary to restore the state register and state registration, otherwise shortly not only foreign but also domestic registrars having adopted the "advanced" experience begin to extort. By the way, today the prices which registrars propose to the clients are rather free and can tomorrow increase in 10, 100, 1000 times. Not a secret that there are domains which market price is estimated already in millions dollars – is it not a prey for a raider?

It is necessary not only register the responsibility of hosting-providers before "institutions” for “terrorism" but also lead the state certification for those who gives hosting – according to the level and quality of services they can provide with. It’s necessary to prescribe responsibility for non-provision of the declared service not only in the "false" contract but also legislatively, with serious level of material compensation.

There is a set of other reasons to solve which without the help of the state participants of the market are in no condition. It looks like officials who deal directly with this problem worry not about it but about the quickest way to get enriched in "muddy water" of domestic IT-business. Probably, parlamental opposition can be engaged in creation of legislative base in the sphere mentioned. It would be very serious business. But whether they have enough brains?..

Anatoly Baranov

Chief Editor of FORUM.msk

While the material was being prepared: as a result of several roundes of the negotiations led by management of Majordomo company with representatives of GoDaddy the conciliatory conclusion which main result can be considered cancellation of blocking of 1399 domains being on Majordomo’s service was reached.

Company Majordomo insisted on payment of "only" $199 for removal of each blocking (SBL 36165, SBL 42891) that satisfied the American side and allowed to renew the work of all 1399 domains. According to the words of company representatives,  such step from the part of Majordomo doesn’t mean recognition of rightfullness of GoDaddy’s actions – i.e. the Russian company agreed on payment of ransom.

Now hosting provider searches for another registrar.