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The strange case of the .ASIA auctionsDATE_FORMAT_ENTRY

Did Pool, auction operator for the .ASIA Sunrise, rig some of the auctions to secure valuable names for itself or its CEO Richard Schreier?

Both Pool and .ASIA registry DotAsia have had to go into major damage control after being accused of auction rigging by Thomas Rucker and his company Madunia. On his website, Rucker claims that Schreier built up a complex network of shadow companies (see photo) to preempt the .ASIA Sunrise auctions and secure valuable names like porn.asia, insurance.asia or girls.asia.

In an email sent to DomainNews.com, Schreier responded by revealing that Rucker may be not squeaky clean himself: "We believe the actions taken by Thomas Rucker and Madunia Modellbau GmbH are a retaliation by Reucker/Madunia as a result of their exclusion from certain DotAsia auctions (which Reucker/Madunia itself discloses on the "notes" section of the website). This exclusion was the result of the investigation by Pool.com and the DotAsia Organisation into possible bid rigging (…) This investigation is proper and warranted. We will resist all efforts to interfere in this investigation or otherwise undermine the integrity of the .ASIA auctions."

The plot thickens…

Faced with claims by Rucker that he too was involved, DotAsia CEO Edmon Chung also responded through a couple of press releases. DotAsia Communications Manager Pavan Budhrani sent Domaines.info the latest one this morning. In it, Edmon is quoted as saying: "I can assure all .ASIA registrants and auction participants that our processes and systems are not compromised. Measures are in place, including arrangements specifically addressing conflict of interest situations and arms-length organisations with Pool.com, such as data confidentiality and escrow procedures."

Will this be enough to really put everyone's minds at ease? I'm not so sure. Is there any truth in these allegations? I honestly don't know. I can say that for those .ASIA auctions that INDOM was involved in, we have not detected any foul play at this stage.

I've said before that I don't like registry-run auctions, but it's also useful to remember that whatever the system used, all new extension launches seem to be plagued with allegations of improper conduct at one point or another. It happened for .EU (no auctions used). It happened before that for .BIZ (auctions) or .INFO (no auctions).

The thing is, new extension launches have become so complex and domains themselves such a valuable commodity that it seems almost inevitable that some mud-slinging from people have who failed to secure the names they wanted will ensue. It doesn't mean there's any truth in those accusations, but it doesn't mean that they are not true either.

Let's just hope DotAsia does what is necessary to get to the bottom of this and, hopefully, prove that their Sunrise auction process was not gamed by Pool or anybody else.

http://www.stephanevangelder.com/arc...-auctions.html