The domain was initially registered at internetbs.net, a low-cost registrar located in the Bahamas. Unfortunately this register was not aware of protections of free speech seen in the United States. They bought into the complaint within fifteen minutes without even allowing us the benefit of offering a defense. Nor did they understand that the role of any registrar is not to police content of any web site.
But rather than argue with them, we quickly moved the registration to a more knowledgeable USA-based registrar who said they would not interfere with a web site absent a court order or an order from ICANN, the organization responsible for adjudicating domain name disputes.
We weren't surprised to see Espada and Ms. Reyes' campaign of thuggery and intimidation followed us ... not only to our new registrar, but to our upstream Internet Service Providers (ISP). Note: Richard St. Paul is a Republican City Council member for the City of New Rochelle, and reportedly on the payroll of both the NY State Senate and Espada's personal management company, a clear conflict of interest.
Subject: Unauthorized use of public figure name/image To: abuse@name.com, support@he.net CC: richardstpaul@yahoo.com From: nreyes@senate.state.ny.us Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 13:13:41 -0400 Dear Name.com and Hurricane Electric, Inc., Your companies either have registered the domain name pedroespada.com or host the website www.pedroespada.com. Please be informed that this domain name and website is an unauthorized and defamatory use of the name and image of NYS Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr., and an abuse of your contracted agreement with your client, who I believe is associated with May First Technology in New York. Please consider this email a formal request to have the domain name suspended and the content immediately removed. I have included the domain information and IP hosting address that I have obtained from Who.Is in this email below my signature. I have also included below the email conversation with the domain registration company previous to Name.com, which I think you will find informative. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Ms. Norreida I. Reyes Director of Multi-Media Office of the Senate Majority Leader Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. Capitol Building Room 420 Albany, New York 12247 ph: 518.455.3398 cell: 518.424.4854 fx: 518.426.6858 nreyes@senate.state.ny.us
