What are the rules?

[WaftyCrank]

Let's say you sold a domain name to someone and they paid.
Let's say you completed all nominet paperwork and sent it off (back when it was just paperwork)
Let's say the buyer never submitted this or changed the ownership to themselves
Let's say 2 years passed and it came for the domain to be renewed or dropped and you allow the renewal date to go by but then renew the domain again.

Who's the owner?

 

[doodlebug]

My opinion is that the buyer is responsible for the name change however I would think you had a duty to inform the buyer to change the details, if you give reminders then fair enough but if you knowingly let this happen then it could be seen as bad practice.

Either way you are still the current registrant.

By the way Nominet own it just as they own every single UK domain in existance, nobody ever owns a domain, you simply lease it under licence from Nominet

 

[mat]

I try and contact the buyer before it is going to expire to let them know.

If it is then still left to expire I wont register it. You have taken money for the domain name, it should officialy be "out of your hands", and re-registering as tempting as it is, in my opinion isnt the right thing to do. Forget about it, like you would once you have sold it, let someone else pick it up.

 

[cc976a]

Not right to renew really - not 'yours' to renew. If you did and the intention is not to give straight to the owner (which then becomes pointless from a resell / develop angle) you could be forced to give up anyway.

Do-able but not ethical.

If it drops and you re-register then different story - is it likely to drop or is someone likely to catch?

There's always the option to ask someone to try and catch it for you if it could be popular or valuable