2004.01.15 15:55 "Re: [Tiff] http://www.libtiff.org/", by Mike Williams

I must say I'm astonished that it's even possible to hijack a site this way,

He seems to run a business involved in trading domain names. While he is the current registrant, was he the person who hijacked the domain? Did someone else do the hijacking and then just sell it on to Markus? What was the exact sequence of events when the domain registration was lost?

for this reason. Do I understand correctly that he

• took the site simply for putting some links on it? Presumably so as to increase Google scores and such too?

In part, at least for his own domains and his business of trading them. My guess he will happily sell it on when someone will pay enough.

• is making money by having people 'donate to LibTiff', purely for his own private business?

It would seem so - looking at the html the payment looks to go webmaster@dopromo.com which is his main domain. (Interestingly, dopromo.com shows gif.org is up for sale for 12,000 euro but no sign of libtiff being for sale - yet).

I'm no longer convinced we should only regain what's ours. This man is commiting crime and fraud, while making a mockery of all open data format, open source and on-line community spirit. He should be reported and sued. Is there a computer crime department in the German police? I know Belgium has such a department, and we're neighbours, so it's not unlikely.

I still believe making noise is the right way. Volume may matter more then individual efficienty. Andrey, how about it? I'm sure if you ask we're all willing to massively post complaints about abuse to his ISP, German computer crime police if it exists, the organisations this man is a member in, etc... Anyone related basically, up to and including his parents, wife and children if we can find them. That should be a nice start.

Posting something to slashdot.org may be an interesting starting point - the famous slashdot effect may make him sit up and notice.

Also, the site is hosted by Network Operations Center Inc. in the States, but it appears to be SPAM hoster. I imagine they are pretty immune to complaints.

TTFN

Mike

It takes about ten years to get used to how old you are.