domain usurpation

[derek-CrUh67yIh4IAvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org (Derek Atkins)]

On Wed, September 22, 2010 2:28 pm, Ethan Schwartz wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 2:21 PM, Rob Hasselbaum <rob-IdUdaS/NwSyQrzRDRVclEQ at public.gmane.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Unfortunately, there are people out there who will buy up expired domain
>> names hoping to make a profit when the previous owner realizes they
>> forgot
>> to renew. It's annoying, but legal.
>>
>>
> This happened to a friend of mine several years ago, he let the
> registration
> expire and a company immediately (same day) registered it themselves...
> after a bitter dispute in which they attempted to extort a few hundred
> from
> him, he was forced to let it go and get a new name.
>
> It's still out there "for sale"...

According to ICANN rules you're supposed to have a 30 day window from when
the domain expires until when someone else can register for it.  This is
supposed to give you a window to renew.  NOW, if you let the expiration go
beyond those 30 days then you're SOL.  You should talk to your domain
registrar.

FWIW, I *hate* domain squatters.  I've been trying to get a couple domains
for a while now but the squatters sit on them.  *grumbles*

-derek