Is Bit.ly next?
As reported by TechYum, the domain for a URL shortener VB.LY, has been seized by the Libyan Government. The site touted itself as the first “sex-positive URL shortener”.
It’s official: the Libyan government has seized vb.ly. This was done with no warning. Despite the fact that vb.ly was a one-page link-shortening service, Nic.ly (the registry for .ly domain reseller registrar Libyan Spider) informed us that the content of our website was offensive, obscene and illegal according to Libyan Islamic Sharia Law. Not the domain, but the content of the website – no matter where the domain was hosted.
Here’s a screenshot of the website (from TechYum as well):
Libyan Spider [ed. the registrar] has claimed a domain that had a good year of traffic and recognition. Interestingly, on June 1, Libyan Spider/Nic.ly issued a statement that it would no longer sell domains less than four letters to non-Libyans, though those of us who had registered domains would be allowed to continue our renewals (and we renewed vb.ly after this change went into effect). I’d also like to point out that I’ve since discovered that alcohol, women showing bare arms (uncovered) and images of Christmas are also prohibited under Libyan law.
[via CircleID]
(c) 2010 DomainNameNews.com
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This Messages Appears on the Seized Domains
US Authorities announced today in a press conference held at Disney Studios in Burbank that their new initiative “Operation in Our Sites” seized nine domain names linked to websites that could be used to download pirated content. The initiative partners law-enforcement officials with representatives of the entertainment industry.
“American business is under attack from counterfeiters and pirates,” Immigration and Customs’ Assistant Secretary John Morton said at the press conference. “Internet crooks threaten the U.S. economy on a grand scale.”
Officials said that the seized sites had attracted 6.7 million visitors in a single month.The seized domain names and their registrars were:
- TVShack.net (TodayNic)
- Movies-links.tv (DirectI)
- Filespump.com (DirectI)
- Now-movies.com (GoDaddy)
- PlanetMoviez.com (eNom)
- PirateCity.org (Active 24)
- zml.com (BIZCN)
- NinjaVideo.net (eNom)
- NinjaThis.net (eNom)
Some of the domain names do not resolve, while the majority of them displays the “seized” message shown in a screenshot on the left. Not all of the registrars involved are located in the US.
[via The Wrap]
(c) 2010 DomainNameNews.com
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Categories: Department of Justice, Domain Names, download, External Articles, files, Immagration and Customs Enforcement, Legal Issues, movies, music, National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, seize, Spiral Matrix Tags:
