[ga-udrp] Typo-squatting, Registrars, & the UDRP

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

There is a practice known as "typo-squatting" where a registrant will 
register multiple variations of a domain name in the attempt to cash in on 
the advertising "hits" generated by the site.  I would ask, to what degree 
are registrars responsible for encouraging this practice that leads to UDRP 
proceedings?

Milton Mueller, in his article "Rough Justice" 
http://dcc.syr.edu/roughjustice.pdf cites the "case of a typo-squatter who 
registered 244 variations on the name of the Swedish Telecommunication 
company Telia".

Currently, you can go to several major registrars and type in (for example) 
amazon.com
After you are told that the name is taken, you will be offered a choice of 
available derivatives (the list below is from Tucow's DomainDirect, but it 
could have just as easily come from also every other registrar out there):

1-800-amazon.net
1-800-amazon.org 
123amazon.com
123amazon.net 
123amazon.org
1stamazon.com 
1stamazon.net
1stamazon.org
24-7amazon.com
24-7amazon.net 
24-7amazon.org
411amazon.net 
411amazon.org
allamazon.net 
allamazon.org
amazon123.com 
amazon123.net
amazon123.org 
amazon2001.net
amazon2001.org 
amazon24-7.com
amazon24-7.net 
amazon24-7.org
amazon411.com 
amazon411.net
amazon411.org 
amazon4ever.com
amazon4ever.net 
amazon4ever.org
amazon4you.net 
amazon4you.org
amazonandmore.com 
amazonandmore.net
amazonandmore.org 
amazonbiz.net
amazonbiz.org 
amazoncenter.net
amazoncenter.org 
amazoncentral.net
amazoncentral.org 
amazonchat.net
amazonchat.org 
amazoncity.org
amazonclub.net 
amazonclub.org
amazoncompany.com 
amazoncompany.net
amazoncompany.org 
amazondirect.net
amazondirect.org 
amazonforever.net
amazonforever.org 
amazonhelp.com
amazonhelp.net 
amazonhelp.org
amazoninc.net 
amazoninc.org
amazonland.net 
amazonland.org
amazonmania.com 
amazonmania.net
amazonmania.org 
amazonmegasite.com
amazonmegasite.net 
amazonmegasite.org
amazonmusic.net 
amazonmusic.org
amazonnews.net 
amazonnews.org
amazononline.com 
amazononline.org
amazonpages.com 
amazonpages.net
amazonpages.org 
amazonplace.com
amazonplace.net 
amazonplace.org
amazonplanet.net 
amazonplanet.org
amazonquest.net 
amazonsale.net
amazonsale.org 
amazonshop.com
amazonshop.org 
amazonsite.com
amazonsite.org 
amazonstore.org
amazonsupersite.com 
amazonsupersite.net
amazonsupersite.org 
amazontech.net
amazontech.org 
amazontime.com
amazontime.net 
amazontime.org
amazonuniverse.net 
amazonuniverse.org
amazonway.net 
amazonway.org
amazonworld.net
amazonworld.org
amazonzone.net 
amazonzone.org
bestamazon.net 
bestamazon.org
buyamazon.com 
buyamazon.org
clubamazon.net 
clubamazon.org
coolamazon.net 
coolamazon.org
cyberamazon.net 
cyberamazon.org
directamazon.com 
directamazon.net
directamazon.org 
easyamazon.com
easyamazon.net 
easyamazon.org
firstamazon.com 
firstamazon.net
firstamazon.org 
go2amazon.net
go2amazon.org 
goamazon.com
goamazon.net 
goamazon.org
gotoamazon.net 
gotoamazon.org
greatamazon.com 
greatamazon.net
greatamazon.org 
justamazon.net
justamazon.org 
megaamazon.net
megaamazon.org 
moreamazon.com
moreamazon.net 
moreamazon.org
onlineamazon.com 
onlineamazon.net
onlineamazon.org 
virtualamazon.org
webamazon.net 
webamazon.org
 
Are the registrars, in effect, part of the problem?  Please note that these 
choices which arise from "string" variables can also lead to registrations 
that may later become victim to "reverse domain name hijacking" as well.  

Perhaps one question we should ask is... what percentage of the UDRP cases 
involved typosquatting and/or reverse domain name hijacking?
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