Former RCL director: It was me who cancelled their domain names

Former London biz Retro Computers Ltd’s sales agent Nick Cooper has admitted he is the man who bought two of the company’s domain names and pointed them at sites critical of the company. He is currently being sued by it over an unrelated matter. Yesterday we reported that RCL had lost control of the two domains, zxvega.co.uk …

[wolfetone]

Coming Soon in 2019

Micro Men 2: Retro Agro

In all seriousness, this complete saga would make a great TV film.

[Brenda McViking]

Re: Coming Soon in 2019

I hear it's relatively easy to crowdfund half a million for an idea like that

[Sykowasp]

So let's get this straight.

One guy wanted to get his name disassociated from the domain names that technically he should no longer have had any right to since leaving the company that owns them.

Nominet (a useless entity in general) told him to cancel them rather than transfer the ownership?!

He cancelled them, and the other guy picked them up as he had a watch on them.

These are fully grown men apparently.

[Anonymous Coward]

"One guy wanted to get his name disassociated from the domain names that technically he should no longer have had any right to since leaving the company that owns them."

If his details were those still held by the registrar, then he was well within his rights to do what he wanted with them. The article states he tried to get RCL to take his name off the registration details and they didn't, so I don't think he's done anything that a "grown" man shouldn't.

As for the other guy redirecting the domain names, he obviously shares the same kind of sense of humour as me ...

[jtaylor]

No choice, really

It might be hard to transfer a domain to an entity that won't participate in the transfer. If he contacted RCL and asked them to do their part to take control of the domains (which would be easy to prove), then he should be in the clear. He simply released the asset after being warned it might be a liability.

This is why Boards get Directors and Officers insurance: if your name is there (or on an asset), you can be individually liable on behalf of the organization. If he were no longer shielded by the company, he really had to get his name off the list.

[Captain Scarlet]

Very odd

I would like to see the previous WHOIS as to who was down as the domain owner, I can't see why it would be an issue to correct domain ownership (As Nominet has a number of ways of correcting domain entries).

[AIBailey]

Re: Very odd

The whole Vega Plus saga could be described as "odd", and this seems par for the course.

Apparently, RCL keep changing the Indiegogo owner name back to Paul Andrews as well, despite him repeatedly telling them (Indiegogo) that he's not responsible for it anymore. They change it back, then RCL change it back again. RCL seem to be utterly inept, and considering the amount of bullshit they're spreading, would be better setting up a new campaign to produce fertiliser.

I'm not a backer, and gratefully so in this instance.

[Anonymous Coward]

We can verify that it does sell tapes for ZX Spectrum games

This is one of those sites where I really couldn't be sure if it was a spoof or not.

Looking at http://bumfungaming.com/shop/index.html, the very first tape they have for sale is entitled "Crapbert Buttslut", probably the best game title ever.

Other classic titles include "Dead Flesh Boy", "Husband Chores", "Chicks & Bricks", "Reductio Ad Nihilum", "A Game About Squares" and "Monty Mole and the Temple of Lost Souls"

[wolfetone]

Re: We can verify that it does sell tapes for ZX Spectrum games

"A Game About Squares"

Imagine my sadness when it turned out to be a game involving cricles.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: We can verify that it does sell tapes for ZX Spectrum games

I was so gutted when Jet Set Willy, Manic Miner and Horace goes skiing wasn't on sale :(

[PH2]

It just gets worse...

The longer this saga goes on, increasingly both sides are looking worse off....

[Francis Boyle]

Re: It just gets worse...

RCL are looking worse: the others are looking fucking brilliant.

[Anonymous Coward]

You can't beat a bit a bum fun ... apparently

[Spartacus Mills]

anyone whose been following George Bum's youtube channel 'FUNKYSPECTRUM' knows he's been calling out RCL as dodgy dealers over the Vega+ debacle for the best part of a year now. his xmas special (done in the style of a radio play) was a laugh... not sure I'd want to be stuck in a lift with him though.

[DropBear]

Wait, there are people you WOULD want to get stuck in a lift with?!? Who, Sharon Stone...?

[Spartacus Mills]

insert 'BASIC' Instinct joke...

[Horaced]

Bummer

Too bad RCL. You lost at internet and other stuffs.

Endless excuses and implausible lies won't wash with Her Majesty's inland revenue, either. (Your filings are overdue, dears!).

[gnasher729]

Lots of legal fun

So if I get this right: Former director somehow has control about a domain name, officially cancels the domain, then buys the domain as a private citizen, and uses it to damage the company.

That should be a lot of fun in the courts and I'd predict that he'll end up with a lot of damages to pay. It would also mean that one former director is a stupid twit, so until I see any evidence that the remaining directors are any different, I'd assume the same about them as well. So that company will not end well.

[Francis Boyle]

Re: Lots of legal fun

If that happened they'd have to reintroduce the farthing so he could pay the damages.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Lots of legal fun

Unfortunately, you didn't get it right. There are two different people, a Director who got the domain names cancelled because they were still in his name, despite no longer working for the company, and a sales guy who bought the domains.