Following the death of businessman and entrepreneur David L. Kaufman in July 2021, his widow and estate representative, Patricia Garland, maintained control over his digital assets, including the premium domain AIR.com. The domain had long been secured within Kaufman’s Network Solutions account, and in January 2022, Garland formally notified the registrar of her husband’s passing to safeguard the account under the estate’s management.
Sometime after that communication, an unknown individual, identified in court filings as “John Doe”, illegally gained access to the registrar account.
Using unauthorized credentials, the intruder manipulated the records and transferred AIR.com out of the estate’s account, effectively severing Garland’s ability to access or manage it. The thief then altered the registrant and technical contact information, concealing ownership behind privacy protection and moving the domain beyond the estate’s control.
The theft came to light when Garland discovered that AIR.com no longer appeared in the Network Solutions dashboard, prompting legal counsel to investigate. A review of registry data revealed an unauthorized update dated April 5, 2025, confirming that the domain had been hijacked and re-registered under a concealed identity, triggering a federal lawsuit to recover the stolen property.
The domain AIR.com was more than a digital address; it was the cornerstone of Kaufman’s company, Allied International Resources, whose name formed the very acronym “AIR.”
For nearly three decades, he used it as his business hub, professional email domain, and brand identity. Its short, three-letter structure made it exceptionally valuable; independent appraisals placed its worth at over $1 million USD. Upon Kaufman’s death, the Estate inherited all rights and interests tied to the domain as part of his intellectual and digital property portfolio. Under US. law, those rights cannot be extinguished by theft or unauthorized transfer, as stolen property cannot convey valid title, even to a buyer acting in good faith.
In its findings, the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that the Estate of David L. Kaufman remains the rightful owner of AIR.com, a domain originally registered in 1994.
The court confirmed jurisdiction over the asset, given that the .COM registry (VeriSign) is headquartered in Virginia, and acknowledged that the Estate properly served notice via publication and email as required under federal law.
With no defendant response, the court entered default judgment and accepted the estate’s evidence: Historic registration records, receipts, and consistent domain use, proving Kaufman’s ownership. The unauthorized transfer following January 2022, and the registry change on April 5, 2025, were deemed illegitimate acts of theft.
Upholding the long-standing legal doctrine that a thief cannot pass title, the court ordered that AIR.com be transferred back to the Estate through VeriSign and GoDaddy.
The decision not only restores control of a premium, seven-figure domain to Kaufman’s heirs but also reinforces a broader precedent: Domain names are legally protected property, subject to the same principles that govern ownership, theft, and recovery in the physical world.
The Estate was represented by the Wiley law firm whose attorneys notified the public about the domain’s recovery. Special thanks to IP attorney John Berryhill for providing a copy of the court’s documents.
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