In a developing story, domain registrar Network Solutions (NSI) has been caught front-running domain names. Any domain names searched via the Whois lookup on the company's website are being immediately registered by the registrar itself, thereby preventing a registrant from purchasing the domain at any other registrar.

"The domains are likely being purchased and held in NSI ownership until the potential registrant comes back to purchase the name through NSI. If the purchase is not made at NSI within 5 days, NSI uses the same 5 day grace period that domain tasting operations use and they delete the domain. Once a search for a domain is conducted at NSI the domain name is registered and only available to be purchased by a registrant at NSI. It is not clear if NSI has increased prices on domains that have received multiple whois searches and that they are front running."

www.domainnamenews.com

Related

Following Google's crackdown on 'domain tasters' by eliminating Google AdSense for all domains less than 5 days old, ICANN has voted unanimously to eliminate the free grace period that many domain buyers have been taking advantage of. At the same meeting they also discussed Network Solutions' front running but took no action on it.