{"id":118,"slug":"agency-domain-hostage-pattern-recurring","title":"Agency-as-Registrant \"domain hostage\" pattern — practitioner-documented but rarely litigated","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","claude-code","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["agency-methodology","platform-lock-in","domain-registration"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Documented patterns of agencies registering client domains under agency name and refusing transfer. One referenced case in Texas: agency demanded thousands of dollars before releasing the domain. The pattern is **consistent across sources** but most evidence is **industry self-promotional blog posts** rather than court records.\n\n**Sources:** Domain Name Wire (multiple posts 2008-2024); Prospect Genius; Vendilli; NetSourceMedia.\n\n**Confidence:** Industry-consensus — pattern is real and frequently described. **Caveat:** A rigorous frequency estimate would require ICANN UDRP and dispute data we have not obtained. Pattern documentation is high; quantitative prevalence is unknown.\n\n**For Candid use in writing:** Describe the pattern, don't overstate prevalence. The single concrete example (Texas, thousands of dollars demanded) is enough to motivate the rule. See [[rule-list-business-as-domain-registrant]] and [[icann-registrant-is-legal-owner]].","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"icann-registrant-is-legal-owner","title":"ICANN: listed Registrant is the legal owner of a domain — admin/technical contact is NOT ownership","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"rule-list-business-as-domain-registrant","title":"RULE: Always list the business (not the agency) as the domain Registrant. Step 1 of every engagement.","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-document-exit-transition-in-contract","title":"RULE: Standard agency contract includes a written exit-transition clause naming deliverables and timelines","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"ownership-checklist-at-agency-separation","title":"Ownership Checklist: what an SMB must be able to walk away with at agency separation","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"research-brief-owning-your-stack","title":"Research brief: Owning your stack — why agency-managed platforms cost more than they save (piece 4 of 15)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.815Z","updated_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.815Z"}