FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names • Hacker News Board

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#11

Post by bjonathan » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:56 PM UTC

j79 wrote: post #6

Viewing Google cache, I noticed ub.com about us page: All financial transactions are processed by Hoop & Javelin Holdings Ltd., Vincenti Buildings, Suite 522, 14/19 Strait Street, VLT1432 Valletta, Malta, owner of this website. Can the FBI seize the domain because it's a .com TLD? Or, because transactions were occurring in the States?

it's happening quite often that big poker sites have some of their funds confiscated. Usually they dont communicate about it and just change the payment provider they use to collect US money.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#12

Post by mycroftiv » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:56 PM UTC

This is a disaster. A very sad day for the internet. We are entering into pastor Niemoller territory here: first they came for the file-sharing websites, next they came for the online gambling websites, and I would guess that Bitcoin is probably next in line, and following that, Magic: the Gathering online and the MMORPGs.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#13

Post by ramidarigaz » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:56 PM UTC

InclinedPlane wrote: post #8

I for one am incredibly glad! Nothing is a more serious menace to our society and our way of life than ... online gambling. I'm glad that in this time of unprecedented natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, and financial crisis our government still has its priorities straight.

/sarcasm

Looks like you might need it.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#14

Post by nika » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:56 PM UTC

j79 wrote: post #6

Viewing Google cache, I noticed ub.com about us page: All financial transactions are processed by Hoop & Javelin Holdings Ltd., Vincenti Buildings, Suite 522, 14/19 Strait Street, VLT1432 Valletta, Malta, owner of this website. Can the FBI seize the domain because it's a .com TLD? Or, because transactions were occurring in the States?

The DHS (and now FBI) believes that all .com domain names are "located in the USA". It is not hard to get a judge (generally they are pretty ignorant of technology) to go along with this. Therefore, even if the registrar and the company are overseas, the FBI is able to sieze the domains.

Since I doubt the US government will start respecting international law (and ICAAN is international agreements, to which the US government has agreed) the only solution to this will be a viable alternative DNS system.

This is a serious threat to any startup... even though you're not engaged in gambling, they are constantly expanding the "crimes" they will use to sieze domains.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#15

Post by thehodge » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:56 PM UTC

Another interesting thing to note is that most of these are not US companies (I doubt any of them are, my guess would be a US based registrar)

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#16

Post by vnorby » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:56 PM UTC

j79 wrote: post #6

Viewing Google cache, I noticed ub.com about us page: All financial transactions are processed by Hoop & Javelin Holdings Ltd., Vincenti Buildings, Suite 522, 14/19 Strait Street, VLT1432 Valletta, Malta, owner of this website. Can the FBI seize the domain because it's a .com TLD? Or, because transactions were occurring in the States?

They shouldn't be able to seize them at all. No transactions were occurring in the US, which (at least by the poker sites' arguments) makes them legal businesses.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#17

Post by ig1 » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:57 PM UTC

As what happened with the guys run the porn redirector under the Libya domain, if you're using a domain/registrar which is regulated under laws which make your website illegal then you're just asking for trouble.

It's just basic common sense: Use domains/registrars which fall under the legal authority of a country in which your website is legal.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#18

Post by eof » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:58 PM UTC

Wow this is huge.

I used to play online poker for a living, I had a decent chunk of cash locked up for almost a year when they came down on online poker previously (UIGEA) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAFE_Port_Act#Internet_gambling...

It's worth noting that these are NOT American companies. It doesn't look like anyone (players) has had their assests seized; but this is bad news for a lot of people.

It also appears people are still playing.

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#19

Post by dpifke » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:58 PM UTC

Someone came up with a Firefox add-on to automatically use alternate domain names when one tries to access one seized by the US Government:

http://torrentfreak.com/firefox-add-on-undoes-u-s-government...

I'm reminded of the John Gilmore quote, "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it."

Re: FBI seized PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, UB.com,... domain names

#20

Post by cdr » Fri, Apr 15, 2011, 5:58 PM UTC

j79 wrote: post #6

Viewing Google cache, I noticed ub.com about us page: All financial transactions are processed by Hoop & Javelin Holdings Ltd., Vincenti Buildings, Suite 522, 14/19 Strait Street, VLT1432 Valletta, Malta, owner of this website. Can the FBI seize the domain because it's a .com TLD? Or, because transactions were occurring in the States?

They can (in the "they have the capability to" sense of can) because it's a US-controlled TLD. They've being doing seizures like this for about a year with smaller fry.

They don't a care a bit if a site is entirely foreign-owned and entirely legal in the country of ownership.