While we are not privy to the details, we have received word that there has been a settlement in the litigation brought by Chan Luu against Grant Shellhammer and Online Growth. As we first reported in early October, more than 5,000 domain names were said to have been transferred by VeriSign to Uniregistrar after it was served with a sealed court order. Some of these domains had expired registrations, were no longer owned by the defendant, and had been later been bought by bona fide purchasers for value who subsequently found their domains caught up in this litigation. Later reports indicate that well over 14,000 domains were involved in the case.
Domain registrants who are still seeking the return of improperly transferred domains may do so by contacting Bob Olea, the Court Appointed Receiver, at +1-949-842-2143 or at BOB@DOMAINSALESPLUS.COM. Claimants will need to provide sufficient data for the receiver to reasonably verify their domain ownership.
When ICA first became aware of this situation last month, we stated, “ICA intends to monitor this situation closely and to actively inquire about it. We look forward to learning more about the facts of this lawsuit and how this disturbing situation came about. We will then consider what actions or reforms can be pursued to assist registrants and minimize the odds that this will recur in the future.” That continues to be our position and we continue to discuss the case with domain industry attorneys and others.