Lifting anonymity

Some ccTLD registries such as the CIFA/ACEI (.CA), AFNIC (.FR) or NASK (PL) automatically register domain names requested by private persons as “restricted.” In fact, in compliance with different registries’ policies for protecting the privacy of personal information, an owner’s contact information is unavailable by default within the WHOIS database.

In that case, the legitimate third party cannot identify the cybersquatter who requested the reservation for the contentious domain name. Fortunately, most registries provide tools for brand owners to obtain disclosure of WHOIS data.

The process varies depending on the registry, but you often have to justify the request with a prior brand right corresponding to the domain name in the country of the domain extension.

Some domain name holders call on third party providers to de-identify their WHOIS contact information when registering their domain names. They may have legitimate reasons (brand application being reviewed, spam prevention, etc.), but unfortunately, these services are often used by cybersquatters. In this way, they seek to impede the actions taken against them. In such a situation, the tools available to legitimate third parties depend on the provider’s identity.

Our legal department’s experience and our numerous industry contacts allow us to send your request to dispense with anonymity to the aforementioned registries and proxy service providers with high chances of success. To this end, our team will build a case, submit it and monitor it until the case is closed for you and the others involved.