VeriSign received a patent for erroneous redirect queries
Domain operator VeriSign received a patent for redirecting users to unregistered domains to the page-door, which can be used for promotional purposes, reports Ars Technica.
What's interesting, just a few years ago under pressure from the public VeriSign promised not to use this technology at all. However, the existence of such a patent from VeriSign provides us all the rights legally prosecute all those who carry out such operations (such as many).
The patent, entitled "Methods and devices for the implementation of the response to a request for an unregistered domain name service predefined type" describes the way in which blast-furnace operator can choose a specific identifier (URL or a specific type of requests) and display the user information, one way or another with this ID related.
In other words, if the user has entered into a search string unused address, instead notice that this page does not exist, it may be to some extraneous page uveshannoy request relevant advertising links.
The patent application was filed back in October 2000 and Brian Kartmellom Dzhotanom Freyksom, executive and technical directors of the company eNic, which in 2001 was sold to VeriSign (together, clear, with the patent application). In September 2003, VeriSign launched a service SiteFinder, which is just and redirect all users, vbivshih inquiries into the address bar to unregistered domains are either non existent in the zones. Com or. Net, to the page-door advertising, primarily, the very services VeriSign. Obviously, the patent application is precisely describe the principle of the SiteFinder.
At VeriSign, however, flew hats: the company was accused of abusing their position, which not only tries to profit from the mistakes of users, but also zagodya zastolbit themselves the right to become a registrar of all possible top-level domain names that have not yet been registered.
In the case even intervened corporation ICANN, VeriSign demanded that this practice cease. This requirement VeriSign, after a brief resistance, disobeyed, although the case and there were a claim to ICANN with the prosecution in excess of their authority. Some items have been court rejected the claim, for the remaining parties agreed out of court.
Either way, but on the same principle now there are several other companies, in particular Time Warner / Roadrunner, Cox, Earthlink, Charter and Verizon, which now VeriSign could greatly complicate life, with the most is that either the legitimate grounds: it is likely That will require the holder of a patent royalties.