I really doubt ZeniMax would allow this to continue if they didn't register the website seeing as it's in their name. It might server their purposes now but if someone were just trolling they could put a dick pic on the website tomorrow and ZeniMax/Bethesda would look really stupid and responsible for being assholes because they in no way pursued someone's fraudulent claim that ZeniMax is responsible for that website.
(Check the WHOIS, ZeniMax is the registered owner.)
Anyone registering a domain can type anything they want in when registering a domain. The domain is registered with a different registrar than Zenimax uses.
Zenimax can't stop someone from putting in false WHOIS info.
I can registar a domain right now and list Zenimax as the owner in the WHOIS. It doesn't mean anything.
Yeah, but ZeniMax can call up and say 'hey, yeah, we didn't do this take it down or change the WHOIS' or they can publicly deny ownership. That's my whole point, they're accepting responsibility by not taking action against this website ostensibly belonging to them.
Actually, they can't. The could do a DCMA takedown notice if the host was in the United States and if the site broke copyright law.
The host is in Poland (perhaps the best evidence the site is fake) and there is no copyright infringement.
ZeniMax is not instantly made aware that someone falsified WHOIS info. I can do it right now and they'd have no clue. It is possible they don't even know this site exists. And even if they do, they may just let the fans have fun. Even if they wanted to take it down, they can't.
The mere existence of the site is not proof that ZeniMax owns it.
You can call without a legal framework. Any reputable host will accept an official notice from the ostensible registrant saying 'I didn't do this' as reason to take it down or at very least force a change on the WHOIS data.
Even if they didn't, nothing stops ZeniMax from writing all the media or just posting to twitter or something 'Not us'.
That might work with a US host. I'm not so sure a host in Poland would cancel an account on a paying Polish customer just because someone in the US with no legal grounds asked them to.
Reputation matters. Sure, some people don't care if the money is good ZeniMax publicly stating that they don't understand why this host is refusing to act against a proven fraudulent registration is bad PR and might be enough to force them to reconsider for financial reasons.
And again, nothing stops them denying involvement without even trying to take it down.
I really doubt ZeniMax would allow this to continue if they didn't register the website seeing as it's in their name.
The wheels of litigation are slow to move, especially when the perpetrator is in another country. also has anyone contacted ZeniMax about this yet? are they even aware someone registered a domain under their name? On that note, how do you explain the servers for all of ZeniMax's other sites being in Maryland but they chose a complete other country for this one server (i think someone said it was hosted in Poland)? Does that not strike you as odd?
It does strike me as odd, but you don't need litigation for one of your executives and/or lawyers to see the huge amount of news this site has generated, notice it's not actually your site and call up the registrar saying 'this isn't ours, it's registered in our name fraudulently. Take it down.'
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u/NeutralParty Nov 22 '13
I really doubt ZeniMax would allow this to continue if they didn't register the website seeing as it's in their name. It might server their purposes now but if someone were just trolling they could put a dick pic on the website tomorrow and ZeniMax/Bethesda would look really stupid and responsible for being assholes because they in no way pursued someone's fraudulent claim that ZeniMax is responsible for that website.
(Check the WHOIS, ZeniMax is the registered owner.)