Terms of Use
The conditions under which this reference is published, and the limits that come with it
Acceptance of These Terms
By accessing hartzer.net you agree to these terms. If you do not agree with them, the appropriate response is to stop using the site.
These terms apply to the whole site: the guides, the reference entries on threats and controls, the indexes and the pages you are reading now. They may be revised at any time, and a revision takes effect when it is published here. Continued use after publication constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
The Content Is Informational Only
Everything on this site is published for general information. It describes how domain name registration, security, theft, recovery and dispute mechanisms work in general terms. It is not legal advice, it is not technical advice directed at any particular system, and it is not a substitute for a qualified professional examining the specific facts of a specific situation.
Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship, a consultant-client relationship, or any other professional relationship. No confidentiality or privilege attaches to your reading of this site or to anything you send through it. This site takes no engagements; reading a page, relying on a page or contacting the site does not retain anyone and does not preserve any right or deadline.
Where a situation calls for representation, these pages say so. Take that literally rather than as a formality.
Accuracy, Currency and Change
The material here is written against primary sources and is believed accurate when published. It will still go out of date, and in this field it goes out of date in ways that matter.
- ICANN policy changes. The consensus policies governing transfers, registrar obligations and dispute procedures are revised through ICANN's policy development process, and revisions alter both timing and available remedies.
- Registry and registrar practice changes. Grace period handling, lock offerings and verification procedures differ between registries and are changed by their operators without notice to anyone outside the contracted parties.
- Dispute provider rules change. Supplemental rules, filing procedures and fee structures at dispute resolution providers are revised on their own schedules.
- Case law develops. Court decisions on domain names as property, on jurisdiction and on statutory claims continue to shift, and they shift differently in different jurisdictions.
No commitment is made to update any page, and no page should be assumed current merely because it is still online. Verify anything time-sensitive against the authoritative source before acting on it. If you find something here that is wrong or stale, the contact form is the right place to say so.
No Warranty and Limitation of Liability
This site and everything on it is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. No warranty is given that the site will be available, uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, neither Bill Hartzer nor Hartzer Consulting is liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages arising out of or connected with your use of this site or your reliance on anything published on it — including, without limitation, lost profits, lost data, loss of a domain name, loss of a legal right or remedy, or a missed deadline. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions or limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.
Content, Citation and Acceptable Use
The text, structure and original graphics on this site are the property of their author and are protected by copyright. Quoting a passage with attribution and a link to the source page is welcome — this site exists to be cited. Republishing pages in whole or in substantial part, presenting the material as someone else's work, or reproducing it as training or reference content stripped of attribution is not permitted.
You also agree not to use this site in ways that interfere with it: no attempt to gain unauthorized access to the site or its hosting infrastructure, no automated collection at a rate that degrades service for others, no use of the contact form to transmit unsolicited commercial messages or malicious content, and no use of the site for any unlawful purpose.
Where this site links to an outside source, that link is a citation. Outside sites are not under this site's control, their content is not endorsed by publishing a link to it, and their own terms and privacy practices govern your use of them.
Severability and Entire Agreement
If any provision of these terms is held unenforceable, that provision is to be limited or severed to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions continue in full effect. A failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it.
These terms, together with the privacy policy and the disclaimer, constitute the complete terms on which this site is made available. They govern the site alone; they do not govern, modify or supplement any separate professional engagement, which would be subject to its own written agreement.