I know I havent posted here in ages, but please excuse the rant as I just want general opinions. I work for o2, and 3 years ago I registered a couple of .co.uk domain names. For the last 18 months, they have pointed to nothing. About 6 weeks ago, O2 started a project where they started buying up all domain that had any reference to O2 for brand protection. I got an email, at my work, asking if I was the same person who owned the domains, and would I consider transfering them to O2. I replied that I was the same person who owned them, but I had no intention of transfering them. I had no intention of using them again, but I didnt want to transfer them on principle - I owned them. A couple of weeks ago I was called into a disciplinary meeting regarding them, and was basically told that if I didnt transfer them to O2, then they would take disciplinary action. Basically, hand them over or get fired! Im curious what other peoples opinions are regarding this, because it infuriates me that they are allowed to do this. Pha3
IMO if you own them they are yours to do whatever you want to. They have no right to tell you to hand them over or your fired. I'm not sure where you are but where I'm from there is a place called burau of labor, I would call them and find out your legal stance in this situation.
As long as you are not misrepresenting the company in the websites then there is nothing they can do (as far as I know). This is just bully tactics, and I'm pretty sure if they did take disciplinary action, you would be able to take them to an industrial tribunal. You registered the domain for your own use, tough luck to O2 if they didn’t have the foresight to register them first.
Spiral - Nope, I didnt know they were going to want them - I had a small user forum on them for a while, but to be honest, there were a range of views expressed, both good and bad. Theo - ihateo2.co.uk and ihate02.co.uk
You are absolutly right. Tell O2 that if they fire you, you will take them to court. And you WILL win because what O2 is doing is against the law. They cannot fire an employee for this reason, besides they would have to give you a verbal warning, then a written warning and then a final written warning. But the main point is that it is illegal to do so. Its a shame not a lot of people know about this law. LMAO!
The names do put a slightly different slant on things. But as long as you don’t include any commercially sensitive or privileged information on the sites I don't see a problem. As long as you don't print anything that could be construed as libel. The fact that the name is I hate 02, and you make it known that you as webmaster could be covered in your terms and conditions, something akin to whilst in the companies employ you will not represent the company in a defamatory maner. But even then I believe that it would be determined by the sites content.
Im already on my 2nd final written warning - that was for non compliance of the uniform policy - god forbid I have my tongue piercing in whilst working, considering I have to take out 12 piercings before I start each shift! Yoda - There is no content associated with the domains - they dont point to any web servers!!
Since you're already on your 2nd final written, I'd sell them the domains or resign. Even if they can't sack you for the domains, if you don't sell, they're going to be looking for the slightest little thing...
Are you a member of a union? Go see your rep if so, they will be able to tell you if o2 have any ground for a disciplinary or not. ------------------------- Not a hard choice: loosing two domains your not going to use, or loosing your job. hmm.
Im a member of the CWU, and they advised that I surrender the domains - it just infuriates me that O2 can do this. Ive had to agree not to register any other O2 related domains. I wonder if ihatetheformerbtcellnet.co.uk is free!!!
Nuts to that, don't hand them over. Even if you do, you'll always be known by managers as the guy who 'hates O2', and will likely be penalised for it. No I say tell them to try and sack you, and watch in glee as you take them to various courts. I reckon you could get this on El Reg actually, they always like this kind of stuff, maybe some other tech/news places.
I'm not being funny, but if I were your boss and you'd registered domains slagging off the company you worked for I'd do whatever was legally in my power to have you at least disciplined for it; already I see it as grounds for misconduct. Any sane employer is going to find whatever option they have in both employment law and your contract to make an example of you with. Whether they're right or wrong in their actions, what you've done is disrespectful to your employer and they have every right in taking offence. Obviously there's a certain degree of 'by the book' procedure which needs to be followed, but they're still people with opinions after all and I'm certain there's a bunch of pissed off higher level managers with you in their sights due to this. I suspect the outcome would have been different if you'd registered ilove02.co.uk.
can you not just sell them to them and make a few ££ from it ? or just give them away to a m8 that has no conection with 02
Either demand £1million for them, the other option is to sell them onto someone else who will refuse to sell them, O2 have no power to do anything!
yea, demand a goodly amount for them. £2500 each sounds nice. Not unreasonable, (like £1,000,000 might be) but not something they'll cough up happily.
That's a good idea actually. Change the ownership to a mate. If O2 ask again, say "I don't own those domains." Simple.
There is actually a legal item with transferring domains, its a tactic Microsoft seem to use most often. They may ask you if you are willing to transfer the domain at the price you paid for it, or refuse. If you write back, asking for x amount of money, then you are in breech of some kind of Internet law (I don't know the exact name of it), and you legally have to transfer the domain for nothing. Stupidly sneaky, but its the tactic some companies use
You may be stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one. It's entirely possible that they are fully within their rights to demand these domains. I worked for a company that had a clause in the policy you signed when you were hired that basically said that anything you worked on, created, etc... on a work PC was the property of the company. I had a friend that found this out the hard way. He wrote an application for a friend that would block certain keystrokes on a keyboard. It was for a Kiosk. In any case, the "higher-ups" in the company found out, and realized that they could sell this to some of our clients. They went to my friend and asked for the source code. He initially refused, until they threatened termination. It wasn't until he was shown the clause specifically that he finally surrendered the code. Personally, I would have said I didn't have the code anymore, but that's just me.
