edgrayspeaks.com - Cyber Squatter Holds Christian Author's Name Hostage
Shakespeare once said, "He who steals my purse steals trash... , but he who robs me of my good name, robs me of that which ...makes me poor indeed."
Atlanta, GA - August 25, 2008 - So what's in a domain name, you ask? Everything's in a name! You see, Ed Gray, renowned speaker, writer and host of the nationally syndicated radio feature Power Minute and author of the best-selling Christian book, 40 Days to a Life of G.O.L.D. (God Ordained Life Development) had his URL (Domain Name) www.edgrayspeaks.com stolen by a Cyber Squatter which means a hostile takeover of yours or your company's website.
Since 1991, hard work has helped Gray achieve national prominence. For over seven years he was a popular columnist for the 9th largest US Daily Newspaper, the Detroit News. He is heard daily on over 80 radio stations across the country, and is a best selling author and nationally known speaker. He has branded his work in his URL name: edgrayspeaks.com. But that URL has been taken hostage by a Cyber Squatter for an outrageous ransom.
How did this happen? Well, as a consumer, we hire a company to host our site and handle the annual URL renewals. We assume we have done everything we are supposed to do, just to find out that there are Cyber Squatters lurking throughout the internet waiting for any host company to be late on renewing sites. Within hours they can buy these sites for as little as $9 and demand as much as $40,000 to have it returned (almost the amount of ransom for Mr. Gray's site)!
Unfortunately, this unethical activity is happening all the time. So what can you do to protect "your good name"? Gray gives us a few tips in hopes of preventing Cyber Squatters from taking advantage to the unsuspecting.
* Follow up with your host company to ensure the domain renewal is paid on time. Don't wait for them to contact you. Or, handle the domain renewal yourself. Set it up for automatic renewal and select "Protected Registration". This protects you in the event the credit card on file changes or for some reason you do not receive the renewal notice.
* Register your URL (domain) as a trademark with the US Patent Office, if possible. Use of a trademark without permission may constitute an infringement.
* Hire a Domain Attorney. There are laws in place for internet use and to prevent abuse. Allow someone to help you that is an expert in the field. Don't go it alone.
Gray's work will continue, as he fights for the return of his name. His alternate contact info is www.edgrayunlimited.com. One biblical writer said, "We fight not a war of flesh and blood, but of principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places". One of the places we must learn to protect ourselves is in cyberspace. Your name is your brand and your brand is your livelihood.
Media:
For more information contact: Ed Gray, Phone: 770.384.1084 Cell: 770.900.5406, Fax: 770.384.1086 email: edgray81@msn.com Website: www.edgrayunlimited.com
Atlanta, GA - August 25, 2008 - So what's in a domain name, you ask? Everything's in a name! You see, Ed Gray, renowned speaker, writer and host of the nationally syndicated radio feature Power Minute and author of the best-selling Christian book, 40 Days to a Life of G.O.L.D. (God Ordained Life Development) had his URL (Domain Name) www.edgrayspeaks.com stolen by a Cyber Squatter which means a hostile takeover of yours or your company's website.
Since 1991, hard work has helped Gray achieve national prominence. For over seven years he was a popular columnist for the 9th largest US Daily Newspaper, the Detroit News. He is heard daily on over 80 radio stations across the country, and is a best selling author and nationally known speaker. He has branded his work in his URL name: edgrayspeaks.com. But that URL has been taken hostage by a Cyber Squatter for an outrageous ransom.
How did this happen? Well, as a consumer, we hire a company to host our site and handle the annual URL renewals. We assume we have done everything we are supposed to do, just to find out that there are Cyber Squatters lurking throughout the internet waiting for any host company to be late on renewing sites. Within hours they can buy these sites for as little as $9 and demand as much as $40,000 to have it returned (almost the amount of ransom for Mr. Gray's site)!
Unfortunately, this unethical activity is happening all the time. So what can you do to protect "your good name"? Gray gives us a few tips in hopes of preventing Cyber Squatters from taking advantage to the unsuspecting.
* Follow up with your host company to ensure the domain renewal is paid on time. Don't wait for them to contact you. Or, handle the domain renewal yourself. Set it up for automatic renewal and select "Protected Registration". This protects you in the event the credit card on file changes or for some reason you do not receive the renewal notice.
* Register your URL (domain) as a trademark with the US Patent Office, if possible. Use of a trademark without permission may constitute an infringement.
* Hire a Domain Attorney. There are laws in place for internet use and to prevent abuse. Allow someone to help you that is an expert in the field. Don't go it alone.
Gray's work will continue, as he fights for the return of his name. His alternate contact info is www.edgrayunlimited.com. One biblical writer said, "We fight not a war of flesh and blood, but of principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places". One of the places we must learn to protect ourselves is in cyberspace. Your name is your brand and your brand is your livelihood.
Media:
For more information contact: Ed Gray, Phone: 770.384.1084 Cell: 770.900.5406, Fax: 770.384.1086 email: edgray81@msn.com Website: www.edgrayunlimited.com
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