Sigmund Solares

Sigmund J. Solares is the CEO of New Orleans, Louisiana based Intercosmos Media Group, Inc., an Internet domain name registrar which does business as directNIC and Domain Contender. Intercosmos Media Group has sister companies of alternativeidentity.com, Zipa LLC. ( [http://zipa.com zipa.com] ) and New Orleans Leftover Data Centers, Inc.( [http://www.noldc.com noldc.com] ). Intercosmos Media group focus primarily on Domain name sales. Its site company Zipa focuses on web hosting, managed hosting services, colocation, commercial bandwidth services, and becoming a regional peering point.

urviving Hurricane Katrina

Sigmund Solares and his New Orleans-based company, Intercosmos Media Group, were the focus of international media attention for their blogging during Hurricane Katrina, as well as their ability to keep a data center running in the middle of one of the worst natural disasters to hit the United States. A team of employees reported encountering looters, scouting throughout the city to secure supplies and assets in the lawless days after the storm, and captured many scenes on camera from their offices at the corner of Poydras and St. Charles.

Controversy

Solares has been the focus of controversy because his business has been accused of cybersquatting and trademark infringement, using its status as a registrar to acquire domains for little or no cost the instant they expire and then selling them back to the original owners. The WIPO has [http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2002/dbiz2002-00190.html ruled against them] in over 200 domain name disputes, although it has also [http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2002/dbiz2002-00099.html upheld their claim] in a few others.

External links

* [http://www.zipa.com/ Zipa (www.zipa.com)]
* [http://www.directnic.com/ directNIC (www.directnic.com)]
* [http://www.domaincontender.com/ Domain Contender (www.domaincontender.com)]
* [http://www.parked.com/ Parked.com (www.parked.com)]