Don't register or host your domain in the U.S. if it's controversial — part 3

I wrote about this issue previously in 2008 and again in 2009. If your web site is at all controversial, have it both registered and hosted offshore. Whistle-blowing site Wikileaks learned this the hard way in 2008 when Swiss Bank Julius Baer, was able to seize their domain registration in court after Wikileaks published information that was embarassing to the bank.

This week, Microsoft and Network Solutions locked the domain name of another whistle-blower site, Cryptome.org. Cryptome had published some embarassing Microsoft documents. Microsoft retaliated by filing a DMCA case against Cryptome. By law, Cryptome is allowed to file a counter-claim, at which point the service provider is required to restore the controversial material and the case needs to go to court to be settled. But when Cryptome filed their counter-claim, Network Solutions shut down their domain.

For the full story, see Site Leaks Microsoft Online Surveillance Guide, MS Demands Takedown Under Copyright Law.

For now, the forbidden documents are hosted at WikiLeaks.