Godaddy Litigation
These instances highlight various legal and ethical challenges GoDaddy has encountered, particularly concerning domain management, cybersecurity, and consumer relations.
Godaddy Litigation 101
1. Zoobuh v. Better Broadcasting et al.
Summary: In this case, the court held that using privately registered domain names with deceptive header information constitutes falsification or misrepresentation of the sender's identity, violating the California Code.
Source: Justia Law
2. GoDaddy $850 Million Tax Pact Buyout Suit
Summary: This lawsuit centers on an $850 million payment GoDaddy made to company founders to buy them out of certain tax receivable agreements. The case has been progressing in the Delaware Chancery Court.
Source: Law360
3. United Cutlery and Bud K Alleging Copyright Infringement
Summary: Bud K's cybersquatting complaint stems from allegations that Wholesale Gallery registered the domain name “budk.net” through GoDaddy.com and used that domain name to redirect the general public to a competing website.
Source: The National Law Review
4. Antitrust Lawsuit Over Exclusion of Tech Company
Summary: GoDaddy faced an antitrust lawsuit alleging exclusion of a technology company from its platform. The court ruled that GoDaddy must face the lawsuit, denying its motion to dismiss.
Source: Law360
5. Fraudulent Subdomains (April 2019)
Summary: GoDaddy removed over 15,000 fraudulent subdomains after a cybersecurity researcher discovered a scam where criminals used compromised websites to sell products through affiliate marketing programs.
Source: Wikipedia
6. Security Breaches
October 2019: A security breach affected 28,000 hosting accounts, compromising usernames and passwords.
November 2021: Unauthorized access to GoDaddy's Managed WordPress hosting environment impacted up to 1.2 million customers, exposing email addresses, passwords, and SSL keys.
February 2023: GoDaddy disclosed ongoing security incidents where customer websites were intermittently redirected due to unauthorized access.
Source: Wikipedia
7. Deletion of FamilyAlbum.com (December 2006)
Summary: GoDaddy deleted the domain FamilyAlbum.com due to allegedly invalid WHOIS information, leading to criticism over its domain management practices.
Source: Wikipedia
8. Shutdown of RateMyCop.com (March 2008)
Summary: GoDaddy faced backlash for shutting down RateMyCop.com, a site where individuals could comment on their interactions with law enforcement officers, citing excessive server load as the reason.
Source: Wikipedia
9. Namecheap Rivalry (December 2011)
Summary: GoDaddy was accused by competitor Namecheap of violating ICANN rules by providing incomplete information to hinder domain transfers, which GoDaddy denied.
Source: Wikipedia
10. COVID-19 Fake Employee Bonus (December 2020)
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, GoDaddy conducted a phishing test by sending employees emails promising bonuses, which turned out to be a test. The company faced criticism and later apologized to its staff.
Source: Wikipedia
11. Deplatforming Clients in Protest (January 2021)
Summary: GoDaddy deplatformed the web forum AR15.com following the U.S. Capitol attack, stating the site failed to moderate content promoting violence.
Source:Wikipedia
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