TechCrunch recently picked up MacRumor’s report on Apple’s assumed possession of the domain name islate.com. MacRumor found that the whois information for the domain name lists “DNStination, Inc.”, a profile often used by corporate registrar MarkMonitor to “mask” domain ownership on behalf of their clients. The article also points out that MarkMonitor is the corporate registrar that Apple is known to work with. 
 
What TechCrunch didn’t include is that MarkMonitor held the name on behalf of a client as far back as October 2006.  Before that time, it was held by Eurobox Ltd.  While we can’t confirm it, chances are the domain was acquired from Eurobox.

The TechCrunch reporter decided to do a little sleuthing and found other iSlate related domains that are registered by MarkMonitor and therefore likely linked to Apple.

So here’s a lesson for brands—no matter what “masked” Whois information a registrar sets up in the Whois profile of a domain you have purchased or registered, if yours is a corporate-only registrar, it’s too easy for the press, the public, competitors and others to guess what’s going on.

If the goal is to avoid media coverage and tipping off the masses, what’s the best way for a brand to go? Definitely use a corporate registrar like MarkMonitor for your registrations.  Registering domains for big companies is their business and they know it well.  However, if you have a new brand in mind and want to keep the press, competitors, and squatters off the trail, make it more anonymous – register through a consumer retail registrar like Network Solutions or GoDaddy and use their privacy service.

Maybe based on this recent article the registrars that service the domain registration needs of brand owners will offer a “super secret” anonymous registration and go outside their own registrar to make registrations.  I think it would be a valuable service.

TechCrunch recently picked up MacRumor’s report on Apple’s assumed possession of the domain name islate.com. MacRumor found that the whois information for the domain name lists “DNStination, Inc.”, a profile often used by corporate registrar MarkMonitor to “mask” domain ownership on behalf of their clients. The article also points out that MarkMonitor is the corporate registrar that Apple is known to work with. 
 
What TechCrunch didn’t include is that MarkMonitor held the name on behalf of a client as far back as October 2006.  Before that time, it was held by Eurobox Ltd.  While we can’t confirm it, chances are the domain was acquired from Eurobox.

The TechCrunch reporter decided to do a little sleuthing and found other iSlate related domains that are registered by MarkMonitor and therefore likely linked to Apple.

So here’s a lesson for brands—no matter what “masked” Whois information a registrar sets up in the Whois profile of a domain you have purchased or registered, if yours is a corporate-only registrar, it’s too easy for the press, the public, competitors and others to guess what’s going on.

If the goal is to avoid media coverage and tipping off the masses, what’s the best way for a brand to go? Definitely use a corporate registrar like MarkMonitor for your registrations.  Registering domains for big companies is their business and they know it well.  However, if you have a new brand in mind and want to keep the press, competitors, and squatters off the trail, make it more anonymous – register through a consumer retail registrar like Network Solutions or GoDaddy and use their privacy service.

Maybe based on this recent article the registrars that service the domain registration needs of brand owners will offer a “super secret” anonymous registration and go outside their own registrar to make registrations.  I think it would be a valuable service.