Microsoft's registration of the domain expired on 23rd October,
and was immediately purchased by an un-named individual, said The
Register. The purchaser contacted Microsoft to make arrangements to
transfer back the domain. However, it appears that Microsoft
largely ignored the purchaser until contacted directly by The
Register, which asked why the hotmail.co.uk site was registered to
a private individual.
Microsoft has yet to comment on the matter. However, it is
understood that the company has now sprung into action and the
transfer should be completed in the next few days.
This is not the first time that Microsoft has been caught out by
a domain name renewal. In 1999 Microsoft forgot to renew its
Passport.com domain, only to be rescued when a private individual
kindly re-registered the domain in the name of Microsoft.
Renewal mistakes are far from uncommon – only last month Vivendi
Universal forgot to renew its MP3.com domain, to be saved when
musician Steve Cox paid the renewal fee of $35 out of his own
pocket.
A common reason for such renewal mistakes is that the individual
named as the contact for communications with the domain name
registrar has left an organisation and their e-mail account has
been closed. As a result, the registrar e-mails warning of the need
for renewal are never received.
The Register's report can be found here
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