EasyDNS

easyDNS Technologies Inc. is a Canadian Internet service provider which supplies DNS and web hosting services.

History

easyDNS was incorporated in 1998 by co-founders Mark Jeftovic, Colin Viebrock and John Schmidt. It began as a pure managed DNS provider. In 2000 when ICANN opened domain registrations to competition it entered the domain registration space by becoming a Tucows/OpenSRS reseller. In 2001 when the .CA TLD transitioned to CIRA it became a CIRA certified registrar. In 2003 it became directly accredited under ICANN as a registrar. In 2005 Mark Jeftovic bought out his partners John Schmidt and Colin Viebrock.

The company has since entered the web hosting and email provider space.

In 2014 easyDNS acquired Zoneedit, another of the early DNS providers from Endurance International Group and continues to operate it as a stand-alone business unit.

Controversies

WikiLeaks

In 2010, due to confusion with the similarly named EveryDNS, EasyDNS was widely reported to have cut off DNS service to WikiLeaks. EasyDNS subsequently was approached by WikiLeaks and agreed to host three domain names for WikiLeaks.[1]

Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit

In October 2013 a request from the UK Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit requested they redirect torrentpond.com to an IP address controlled by the PIPCU.

This request was refused due to having no legal basis.[2][3] EasyDNS suggested that registrars that complied with the PIPCU's requests may have violated ICANN's transfer policies.[4] and filed a request for enforcement with ICANN.[5] Following this request, three domains suspended by Public Domain Registry were ordered to be transferred to EasyDNS.[6]

Illegal pharmaceutical sales and fatality

In 2014, EasyDNS was at the centre of controversy due to its policy of refusing to take down web pages for unlicensed online pharmaceutical companies accused of selling controlled substances without a prescription. EasyDNS CEO Mark Jeftovic referred to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as a "batch of clowns" after it sent EasyDNS and other registrars a letter ordering them to take down the websites unlicensed pharmacies without court orders and to prevent those domains from transferring to other registrars. Doing so would put registrars in violation of their ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreements.[7]

EasyDNS clarified its policy after a man died after taking a "controlled substance" codeine phosphate purchased without a prescription from airmailchemist.com, an online drug seller registered through easyDNS Technologies Inc. easyDNS was not aware of airmailchemist’s presence on the system, and had not been informed by ICANN of the circumstances around the man’s death until contacted by a reporter.[8] Upon learning of the death, easyDNS immediately initiated contact with the FDA and added a requirement that online pharmacies be licensed by one of three online pharmaceutical accreditation agencies.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Defenders of WikiLeaks Swarmed Wrong Target". New York Times. December 10, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ Whatever Happened to "Due Process" ?, EasyDNS, 2013-10-08
  3. ↑ Orlowski, Andrew (11 October 2013). "Canadian operator EasyDNS stands firm against London cops". The Register. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  4. ↑ Jeftovic, Mark. "Registrars that complied with "shakedown" requests may now be in violation of ICANN Transfers Policy". EasyDNS. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Jeftovic, Mark. "TDRP proceedings initiated in response to UK police shakedown". Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Andy. "Registrars Can't Hold 'Pirate' Domains Hostage Without Court Order". Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "NABP To Registrars: you Must Takedown and Seize Any Domain We Tell You To".
  8. ↑ "Icann, Regulators Clash Over Illegal Online Drug Sales". Wall Street Journal. October 27, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ "EasyDNS changes take-down policy after man dies". August 15, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
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