Bogus WHOIS records to be a federal crime

[bascule]

The Washington Post[/url]]
The "Fraudulent Online Identity Sanctions Act," sponsored by Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.), would add as much as seven years to prison sentences handed out to anyone committing fraud through a Web site registered under a false name or contact in formation. And it would permit copyright owners to seek larger monetary damages from people who falsify their registration information to run Web sites that distribute copyrighted material without permission.

I wouldn't mind this so much if the WHOIS database allowed you to keep certain information confidential. As is you're forced to enter bogus information if you want any privacy.

[skroo]

I wouldn't mind this so much if the WHOIS database allowed you to keep certain information confidential. As is you're forced to enter bogus information if you want any privacy.

Enter a non-US address and you're set. Granted, you're still falsifying the records, but what are they going to do in terms of confirming that you really don't live at Mailbag 23, Postal Stop 14, Kwamebele Road, Kenya?

[Freaky]

Also you can use a service like Domains by Proxy that will cloak their information in your place. Of course this doesnt clear ya of someone depanding info (courts) from them but it stops normal people from getting your whois and spamming you.

[renderman]

I'm curious if the US will try and extend thier reach to include country TLD's

Notice once again that it's the RIAA and MPAA dictating law changes again

[Qu|rk]

With that in mind...

If that's the case, wonder when Microshaft is going to get hammered for their falsified whois info - 20+ entries to be specific. I speculate it is due to the mydoom that they're expecting, but that shouldn't make them immune to said things.

Quirk-

[Mr. Peabody]

If that's the case, wonder when Microshaft is going to get hammered for their falsified whois info - 20+ entries to be specific. I speculate it is due to the mydoom that they're expecting, but that shouldn't make them immune to said things.

Quirk-

I don't see microsoft getting charged for defrauding it's consumers via their websites. I don't see the big issue here, I'll continue to leave the false information on certain domains of mine as such. I'm not trying to rip people off with them.

[Grifter]

I don't see microsoft getting charged for defrauding it's consumers via their websites. I don't see the big issue here, I'll continue to leave the false information on certain domains of mine as such. I'm not trying to rip people off with them.

I'm with Mr. P on this one. I'm going to keep the fake info in my WHOIS data till someone tells my mommy. Basically they are saying "If you're going to rip people off, at least let them know who you are."

If I ever started ripping people off using the internet, I think my last concern would be whether or not I might get into trouble for falsifying my WHOIS data.