Do you own a
.ORG domain name?

If you’re a .ORG domain-name holder, you understand the value that .ORG brings to your enterprise. Whether yours is a noncommercial entity or a business promoting charitable or philanthropic activities, your .ORG domain name conveys credibility. In fact, in the minds of most Web surfers, sites that sport a .ORG domain name are associated with groups that people turn to for trusted information.

Your .ORG domain name also has value—both in monetary terms and in terms of the message you send by having a .ORG identity. Chances are you wouldn’t give away your domain name to a group or an individual who promotes products and services that are counter to your mission, nor are you likely to sell your .ORG domain name to businesses that sell products or services you deem inappropriate. That’s why PIR, the official managers of the .ORG registry, wants to help make sure your .ORG domain name doesn’t inadvertently fall into the wrong hands.

The process of obtaining expired domain names has become sophisticated, automated, and increasingly popular. And the consequences to the original .ORG domain holders can be serious.

Registering recently expired domains has resulted in a number of cases where expired domain names are registered and utilized in a fashion that is counter to the mission and intention of the original owner. In one extreme case, the Web site of a rape crisis center was converted to a hyperlink haven for sex toys and subscriber-based pornographic sites.