On Wed, 30 Mar 2005, Jason Allen wrote:

 > brett fenton wrote:
 > 
 > > We can clear this up right now I believe. 
 > > 
 > > The domain in question is netrider.org.au, NetRegistry is the Registrar
 > > of the domain name. 
 > > 
 > > The legal entity owning the name is:
 > > 
 > > Registrant:              LS1 Owners Club of Australia
 > > Registrant ID:           ABN 53415321024
 > 
 > Which has been maliciously changed since 16:26 this afternoon from a 
 > registrant of "Netriders Australia" to what you see above, when 
 > NetRegistry was formally requested by fax from Netrider to change the 
 > contact name and supply the domain password to the new contacts.

I checked this just now at the whois at www.dnsstuff.com, and was lucky
enough to score a cached result (some HTML code removed):

Found WHOIS server for .au: whois.ausregistry.net.au.  Looking up.
WHOIS results for netrider.org.au Generated by www.DNSstuff.com
Using 46 day old cached answer (or, you can get fresh results).
[..]

Domain Name:             netrider.org.au
Last Modified:           14-Jun-2004 23:22:33 UTC
Registrar ID:            R00015-AR
Registrar Name:          NetRegistry
Status:                  OK

Registrant:              Netriders Australia
Registrant ID:           OTHER N/A

Registrant ROID:         C1704037-AR
Registrant Contact Name: Jason Fearon
Registrant Email:        ******§ls1.com.au

Tech ID:                 C1704037-AR
Tech Name:               Jason Fearon
Tech Email:              ******§ls1.com.au

Name Server:             mdbs2.globalcenter.net.au
Name Server IP:          203.89.226.26
Name Server:             ns2.ideal.net.au
Name Server IP:          203.20.241.252
Name Server:             oversteer.bl.echidna.id.au
Name Server:             hades.ls1.com.au
Name Server IP:          203.9.35.100

[.. the complete saved page available on request if it helps anyone]

 > NetRegistry contacted the incorrect contact name listed on the domain 
 > record in response to the fax. This person, or NetRegistry, have since 
 > 16:26 this afternoon modified the domain record. Obviously it is a 
 > malicious pre-emptive attack in an attempt to difuse Netrider as the 
 > legal leasee of netrider.org.au

That may be, but blaming this on Netregistry seems not to be helpful. 
The listed Registrant Contact is entitled to update most domain info,
nameservers etc, but I'd have thought changing the Registrant Name from
'Netriders Australia' to 'LS1 Owners Club of Australia' would have
required considerable due process, at least something on letterhead from
the existing Registrant organisation seeking change of Registrant Name?

 > In email responses to the NetRegistry Sales Manager this afternoon, 
 > Netrider specifically advised that the domain contact name had no 
 > authority from Netrider and any attempts from this person to claim they 
 > are a representative of Netrider is false and fraudulent. Yet, 
 > NetRegistry have still allowed the domain record to be maliciously updated.

It does seem odd if (any) contact can just edit Registrant Name data.

 > Netrider, Netrider.org.au, and Netriders Australia is a legal 
 > organisation under ABN 20 358 868 741 and with Victorian Business Name 

The previous whois record (above) didn't provide any ABN.  'Other N/A'
may have been applicable when the domain was registered; pre new-regime
(kre) rules for org.au did NOT require organisations to be incorporated,
this was one of the biggest changes to org.au for those it effected. 

 > registration and a Trademark on the Netrider name. This has all been

I doubt trademarks are relevant either, not if using the grandfathering
clauses maintaining eligibility for earlier-registered domains anyway? 

 > communicated to NetRegistry and it's Sales Manager. In addition to 
 > netrider.org.au, Netrider is also the legal leasee of netrider.com.au 
 > and netrider.net.au

I'm not sure the other domains are relevant either, nor are dig results
regarding IP addresses, with respect to AuDA policy - which you're well
advised to become much more familiar with, it seems .. you seem to have
left incorrect contact information in place long enough to be a problem.

 > > On checking ABR the ABN matches the specified business name. My
 > > understanding is from the one piece of internal communication I've seen
 > > between Jason and a member of NetRegistry is that Jason is confusing the
 > > Registrant and the Registrant/Technical/Admin contacts. 

Perhaps Brett, but it is clear that this record has been changed in the
last 46 days, and that (as I've been able to make of policy) it should
be no simple update - even by the listed Registrant Contact - to change
the actual Domain Registrant or Registrant ID data?

 > No confusion. As I stated, since 16:26 this afternoon the domain record 
 > for the registrant has been maliciously changed from "Netriders 
 > Australia" to what you outline above. The registrantID has also been 
 > maliciously changed since 16:26 this afternoon

You may do better dropping 'maliciously' etc and sticking to the facts. 
The Registrant and Registrant ID have clearly been updated recently,
presumably by the (then and still) Registrant Contact, Jason Fearon?

 > > We have procedures in place where for example if an authorized contact left an
 > > organization, an offier of the legal entity can follow a process that
 > > requests we modify the appropriate contacts.

I gather that's exactly what Jason (Allen) is here trying to initiate,
albeit perhaps not in the best way, and after not having done so soon
enough to prevent the Registrant data being altered?

 > As per the fax sent to NetRegistry at 16:26 this afternoon, which has 
 > resulted in the malicious change to the domain record.

Coincidences are not necessarily causes.  One to test AuDA's policies?

Cheers, Ian