Editing Network Solutions (section)

==2008 domain name front running class action lawsuit==
{{Details|Domain name front running}}
Network Solutions offers a search engine that permits users to find out if a domain name is available for purchase.<ref name=PCOLFrontrunning/>  Unregistered domain names entered into this search engine are then speculatively reserved by Network Solutions.<ref name=PCOLFrontrunning>[http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/08/network-solutions-faces-pr-nightmare-over-domain-frontrunning/ Domain Name Wire.  "Network Solutions Faces PR Nightmare Over Domain FrontRunning"], January 8, 2008.</ref> This "reservation" can be removed by anyone immediately by contacting Network Solutions customer service hotline, or it will automatically unreserve within four days, allowing the domain to be freely registered anywhere.  Also, visitors searching for domain names on their website allow the reservation when they click "OK" on the Reservation [[Confirmation dialog box]]. Clicking "Cancel" will prevent the domain name from being reserved.

On January 8, 2008, ''Domain Name Wire'' published a story alleging that Network Solutions practices [[domain name front running]].<ref name=PCOLFrontrunning /> "If you try to register a domain at Network Solutions, but decide not to register it, you won't be able to register it anywhere else", the article says.<ref name=PCOLFrontrunning/> "Network Solutions registers the domain in its company name with the words 'This Domain is available at NetworkSolutions.com'."<ref name=PCOLFrontrunning/> Circle ID reported on January 8, 2008, that Jonathon Nevett, Vice President of Policy at Network Solutions and one of the seven members of the ICANN community who was consulted by the ICANN committee looking at registrar abuse of domain "tasting", as the availability search practice is called,<ref name=PCOLIcanncommittee/> had offered a response to the news story stating Network Solutions' policy.<ref name=PCOLCircleid/> The policy was "a security measure to protect our customers", said Nevett.<ref name=PCOLCircleid/> "When a customer searches for an available domain name at our website, but decides not to purchase the name immediately after conducting the search", Nevett added, "after the search ends, we will put the domain name on reserve."<ref name=PCOLCircleid>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/81082_network_solutions_front_running/ Circle ID.  "Network Solutions Responds to Front Running Accusations" by CircleID Reporter.  January 8, 2008.]</ref> Nevett said that if the domain was "not purchased within 4 days, it will be released back to the registry and will be generally available for registration."<ref name=PCOLFrontrunning/> But once a name was supposedly "reserved" for a potential customer, not only was it not available at any less expensive registrar, but the fee charged by Network Solutions went up to $35 instead of the original fee charged of around $10.

[[Jay Westerdal]], one of the seven members of the ICANN community who was consulted by the ICANN committee looking at domain tasting abuse,<ref name=PCOLIcanncommittee>{{Cite web |url=http://img.domaintools.com/blog/domain-name-front-running.pdf |title=ICANN. "SAC 022 SSAC Advisory on Domain Name Front Running", page 10. October, 2007. |access-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815080020/http://img.domaintools.com/blog/domain-name-front-running.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> published an article on ''Domain Tools'' on January 8, 2008, stating that Network Solutions is exposing the domains to domain tasters.<ref name=PCOLWesterdal/> The domain tasters "will snipe those domain up milliseconds after Network Solutions deletes them", says Westerdal.<ref name=PCOLWesterdal/> "It is a deplorable action that Network Solutions would announce potential domain names to the entire world", Westerdal added.<ref name=PCOLWesterdal>{{cite web|url=http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/01/network-solutions-steals-domain-ideas-confirmed/|title=Network Solutions steals domain ideas; Confirmed!|last=Westerdal|first=Jay|publisher=Domain Tools|date=January 8, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230041538/http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/01/network-solutions-steals-domain-ideas-confirmed|archive-date=30 December 2012}}</ref> On January 8, 2008, [[Tucows]], the largest publicly traded domain name registrar, published an article on its company web site titled "Registrar Reputation and Trust" criticizing Network Solutions policy.<ref name=PCOLKoole/> "Potential Registrants are effectively forced to purchase the domain from Network Solutions for a period of four days at which point the domain is dropped", wrote Tucows employee James Koole.<ref name=PCOLKoole/>  Koole says that Tucows has found a way to address the issue of domain tasting and has policies in place that uphold the rights of Registrants.<ref name=PCOLKoole/> "Tucows works to prevent domain name tasting by charging our Resellers a monetary fee on domain name registrations that are cancelled within the five-day Add Grace Period (AGP)", Koole said.<ref name=PCOLKoole/> "Tucows doesn't use WHOIS query data or search data from our API to front-run domain names", Koole added.<ref name=PCOLKoole>[http://www.opensrs.com/blog/2008/01/registrar-reputation-and-trust Tucows.  "Registrar Reputation and Trust" by James Koole] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016214716/http://www.opensrs.com/blog/2008/01/registrar-reputation-and-trust/ |date=2013-10-16 }}, January 8, 2008.</ref>

On January 9, 2008, ''CNET'' reported that Network Solutions will soon not register domains when people search for domains from the company's Whois search page, will offer only an "under construction" page for sites that it has reserved, and newly reserved pages won't be linked to the numerical Internet addresses that allow Web browsers to locate the pages.<ref name=PCOLChanges>[https://archive.today/20130130001625/http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9847684-7.html?tag=nefd.blgs CNET. "Network Solutions amends Net registration process" by Stephen Shankland. January 9, 2008.]</ref> Network Solutions will continue to register domains when people search for domains from the company's home page.<ref name=PCOLChanges/>

===Class action and resolution===
On February 25, 2008, law firms Kabateck LLP, (then Kabateck Brown Kellner), and Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack, filed class-action lawsuits, ''McElroy v. Network Solutions LLC, et. al'' and ''James Lee Finseth v. Network Solutions LLC'', against the company for front running, which was settled in favor of the [[plaintiffs]], in 2009.<ref>[https://tcattorney.typepad.com/domainnamedispute/2009/04/notice-of-class-action-settlement-in-the-matters-of-mcelroy-v-network-solutions-llc-et-al-case-no-cv.html "Notice of Class Action Settlement in the Matters of McElroy v. Network Solutions LLC, et. al, Case No. CV 08-01247 PSG (VBKx) Finseth v. Network Solutions LLC, Case No. CV 08-01537 PSG (VBKx)", Traverse Legal, April 29, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2019.]</ref>