Michael Daher, a partner in Uregister, the subject of the alert, told ZDNet Australia the furore was created by Registered Resellers who viewed the new company as a threat. The controversy stemmed from a letter sent to domain name holders offering to renew or transfer domain names to Uregister.
The alert by auDA (the Australian domain name administrator) warns: "The letter, headed "Commercial Domain Protection Advice", is both inaccurate in parts and also breaches the .au Domain Name Suppliers' Code Of Practice."
auDA said it was concerned people might be fooled into thinking Uregister can register their domain name more than 90 days before its expiry date - something which cannot be done. Daher pointed out that nowhere on the letter did Uregister offer to renew a domain name more than 90 days before the expiry date.
"I don't believe we've misled anyone," said Daher. "This has gotten really out of control." Daher points out that both the letter and Uregister's Web site warns consumers about previous scandals, and claims the company reports dubious behaviour to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
auDA also warn that Uregister is not an Accredited Registrar, nor an Appointed Reseller of any auDA Accredited Register. This means the company is not bound by the Code of Practice or auDA's published policies.
In the letter Uregister claims it is allied with an Accredited Registrar, Australian Style Pty Ltd, which owns Bottle Domains. Nicholas Bolton, a director of Bottle Domains, told ZDNet Australia that Uregister was not a reseller of .au domains. "They have not agreed to take part in a reseller agreement," he said. Daher said the application form was posted on Friday, and Bottle Domains should receive it soon.
"We did what we believed was in the code of conduct," said Daher, adding that when auDA requested they halt the mail out Uregister complied.
On the Uregister Web site is a section named 'Consumer Alert', and Daher confirmed Uregister would be publishing the auDA alert about itself on the Web site. "And in our defence we'll put up what we know about ourselves," he said, pointing out there was nothing on the letter stating it was a tax invoice, and nothing stating consumers had to register through Uregister.
Uregister was begun in August 2002 by Daher and Daniel Jumeau, with the stated aim of becoming "the leading technology and Business Solutions Provider Australia wide".
