RAFA Academy Was There, Now It's Not?

Website Disappeared After MartyG Reports Inquired

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It is too soon to know for sure, but the new RAFA Academy in Hurricane, Utah may have more immediate problems than the legacy of Diamond Ranch Academy (D.R.A.).

Four days ago MartyG Reports covered the “grand opening” of RAFA Academy on D.R.A.’s former grounds:

MartyG Reports inquired with the Utah Department of Licensing and Background Checks (D.L.B.C.) on February 28 as to whether RAFA was licensed.

MartyG Reports also sent an email to the registered attorney for the Rafa Nadal Academy, a tennis school named after the 22-time grand-slam champion Rafa Nadal Parera. MartyG Reports advised the attorney that a “RAFA Academy” had begun operating in Utah, despite the distinct, pre-existing Rafa Nadal Academy’s existing U.S. trademark.

Shortly before the close of business today, the D.L.B.C. responded to MartyG Reports, confirming that it, too, had not found a license for “RAFA Academy.”

The D.L.B.C. also notified MartyG Reports that the new RAFA Academy’s website was unreachable and asked, “perhaps they have since closed?”

MartyG Reports has now confirmed that, not only is RAFA Academy’s website unreachable, but that its domain name servers are no longer listed publicly. Why might this be? According to law firm HWL Ebsworth:

Domain names are managed by domain registries, which delegate the reservation of domain names to registrars. Anyone is then able to register a domain name from the registrar. It is possible to contact the registrar of the domain name registration to have them suspend, cancel or transfer the domain name if the infringing conduct breaches the registration agreement and registrar’s terms of use. However, while such policies usually provide that the registrar may suspend, cancel or transfer a domain name if the registrar’s terms of use have been breached, experience has shown that even where breaches are blatant, registrars can be unwilling to take action.

The registrar for rafaacademy.org is or was GoDaddy.

Maybe this time GoDaddy, faced with a widely popular tennis pro with deep pockets, decided to take action?

If so, then RAFA Academy may need a new name, L.L.C., website, S.E.O., license application and marketing materials.

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