MySpace loses myspace.co.uk

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 29 Apr 2008 at 16:28

MySpace has had its myspace.co.uk domain seized by an appeals panel, with ownership passing back to a small ISP in Stockport.

The domain was first registered 11 years ago by Total Web Solutions, two years before the social networking site MySpace launched.

Despite this, Nominet ruled in February that although the domain had been registered for legitimate use, it should be handed over to the Fox-owned site.

"We refused to be bullied by one of the largest media organisations in the world," says the Total Web Solutions' Managing director Paul Fallon. "This has been a very stressful case for a legitimate medium sized ISP to have to take on - but we had to defend our reputation and to stand up for what was right."

Total Web Solutions also now claims that Nominet tried to "unfairly help" MySpace by initially denying the existence of emails sent between solicitors and MySpace which could potentially have helped Total Web Solution's case had they emerged earlier.

"We have been loyal members since the very start of Nominet," says Fallon. "But we were horrified by the way they behaved in this case."

The solicitor who represented Total Web Solution in the case, Jim Davies, is now standing for election to the Nominet board, questioning whether it is "wise to operate the DRS (Domain Resolution Service) from within the company."

The full proceedings of the hearing can be read on the website of Total Web Solution's solicitors.

The previously disputed domain is currently displaying a blank page.