Monthly Archives: August 2009

Fri 21st August 2009
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Google Launches Official “Caffeine” Search Site - Last week we told you that Google was changing its organic search algorithm, which it has labeled “Caffeine”. Now Google has released an official  site where you can see what results  a search term will return in the new Google Caffeine search: You can click here and see how your site(s) will rank in the new Google Search Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Domain Name Expiration Practices are Under Review - ICANN working group asks for input on current domain expiration practices. The recently launched Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group is seeking public input on domain expiration policies. Specifically, the working group is charged with answering these questions: 1. Whether adequate opportunity exists for registrants to redeem their expired domain names; 2. Whether expiration-related provisions in typical registration agreements are clear and conspicuous ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Non-Profit Urban Logic Guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking - Arbitrator faults non-profit for harassing domain owner. Palo Alto-based non-profit Urban Logic, Inc. has been found guilty of reverse domain name hijacking in a domain dispute at World Intellectual Property Organization. The non-profit uses UrbanLogic.org. But, as you might expect, a number of people looking for the non-profit or sending an email actually type in UrbanLogic.com. UrbanLogic.com is owned by Peter Holland, who ran a consulting business at the domain ... read more ...
Thu 20th August 2009
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
eHotel.com Ordered Transfered In WIPO - The domain name eHotel.com was transferred pursuant to a WIPO complaint filed by “ehotel” owned by AG of Berlin (“AG”). The panel found that “AG” possessed “both German and Community trademarks that comprise the terms “eHotel Services” and “eHotel” respectively.” “Each is in respect of services that cover the making of travel arrangements. “The Domain Name can only be sensibly understood as the English word “hotel” prefixed with the letter “e”, together with the ... read more ...
 
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Former TRAFFIC Keynote Speaker Corcoran, Lands Right In The “Shark Tank” - In case you haven’t seen it, ABC new reality show the Shark Tank, has a domain connection. The show allowed people who own a business, or a product, pitch it to 5 very successful and wealthy businessmen, call the Sharks,  and attempt to sell a piece of the business product or idea, for cold hard cash. The cool part of the show is that the 5 sharks actually invest their own money into the ventures or products. One of the five sharks on the show is Barbara Corcoran,  who started The Corcoran Group, ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Epik Acquires DNKO Auction Platform, First Auction on Friday - Epik moves into auctions with acquisition of DNKO platform. Domain company Epik has acquired domain auction platform DNKO.com, and is launching its first auction as Epik tomorrow. Epik is Rob Monster’s new domain name venture that was launched around the time of Domain Roundtable. DNKO is a relatively new auction platform. The platform launched a couple months ago after being discovered on NamePros. Always interested in the domain auction space, Monster saw ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
For National Car Rental, Green Means Stop Using Your Domain Name - Car rental company gets greedy with domain arbitration. Vanguard Trademark Holdings USA LLC, the trademark affiliate of National Car Rental, has been busy filing domain arbitration cases lately. One of those caught my eye today: GreenMeansGo.com, filed with World Intellectual Property Forum. It caught my eye because “Green Means Go” is a common and generic phrase. Alas, that doesn’t keep a trademark holder from trying to grab the domain. The company actually ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Sedo Releases New Domain Parking Features - Sedo releases new domain parking features to boost revenue. As domain parking revenue falls, parking companies have to focus on what they can control. They can’t control algorithm changes at Google and Yahoo, but they can improve optimization. This week Sedo rolled out major changes to its parking platform, designed to boost overall revenue. 2 Click Landers – Sedo now offers two-click landers for each of its templates. This means the first page will not have ... read more ...
Wed 19th August 2009
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Rick Latona “Lead Generation” Domain Auction List Released - Rick Latona released the domains it will be auctioning off in its upcoming “Themed CPA/Lead Gen/Affiliate Marketing” Auction,  which will  be held online only,  from August 21st 8am EST through August 28th, 2009, at 8pm EST. Here is the initial list of domain names which are for sale at this auction: AffiliateArbitrage.com $2,500 AffiliatesOnline.co.uk $4,000 AirlineRewardCard.com $400 AirlineRewardCards.com $400 AirlineRewardsCard.com $400 AirlineRewardsCards.com $400 AirlineRewardsCreditCard.com $400 AirlineRewardsCreditCards.com $400 AllergyPills.com $5,000 AntiStaticSprays.com $300 BackInjuryAttorneys.com $1,000 BeautyCream.com $4,500 BrooklynDiners.com $5,500 CelluliteGels.com $500 CellulitisCream.com $500 ChestRubs.com $300 ColdAndFlu.com $7,500 ColoricCalculators.com $300 Commissions.net $5,000 CouponAdvisor.com $4,250 CPAArbitrage.com $900 CrashDiets.com $9,000 DHASupplements.com $500 Diet.co.za $150,000 DietaryBlog.com $2,800 DietingForum.com $1,250 DietProgram.co.uk $3,000 FaxOnDemand.com $2,500 FertilityPill.com $6,500 FileBankruptcy.com $150,000 Financing.net $40,000 GasRewardsCards.com $400 GasRewardsCreditCard.com $400 GasRewardsCreditCards.com $400 GrantPrograms.com $7,000 Herbalist.net $3,000 HerbalOils.com $5,000 HolidayGreeting.com $7,500 HotelRewardCard.com $400 HotelRewardCards.com $400 HotelRewardCreditCard.com $400 HotelRewardCreditCards.com $400 HotelRewardsCards.com $400 HotelRewardsCreditCard.com $400 HotelRewardsCreditCards.com $400 iLiability.com $1,000 IncomeTaxConsultant.com $2,000 InsuranceRates.ca $9,500 iReported.com $500 LadiesLingerie.com $35,000 LeadGeneration.org $1,000 MajorDepression.com $7,500 ManhattanDiners.com $7,500 MegaSoy.com $1,000 NeckInjuryAttorneys.com $1,000 Nervousness.com $4,500 NutritionalSupplements.co.uk $5,000 OnlineGambling.co.za $11,000 PPLArbitrage.com $400 ReadyLeads.com $6,250 RespirationFlowMeters.om $300 RevenueShare.com $49,000 SkinnyPill.com $8,500 SkisOnline.com $3,000 SkiSports.com $3,000 SlenderSoy.com $1,000 SnoringMedicines.com $300 SprayAirFreshners.com $300 TaxTips.net $1,500 UsedSmartPhones.com $4,500 VaporPatches.com $300 VisionTest.com $1,800 VitaminJuice.com $3,500 WartRemoval.com $15,000 WartRemover.com $7,500 WheySupplements.com $500 According ... read more ...
 
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
FlowBee Files Suit Against Google For Selling PPC Ads To Competitors - Flowbee is the latest company to file suit against Google for selling sponsored search ads to competitors under its trademarked keyword. The suit filed in federal district court in Corpus Christi, Texas argues that people are confused when they search for Flowbee and see a “sponsored” ads for competitors. “On information and belief,” the company asserts in its complaint, “many consumers incorrectly believe that Flowbee ‘sponsors’ these ‘sponsored links.’ “ This is of course just ... read more ...
 
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
AOL Asks A Court To Order Advertise.com To Stop Using It’s Own Name - In its lawsuit filed against Advertise.com today in federal court, AOL demanded not only damages, but also for the court to order advertise.com, to change its company name and stop using the term advertise.com The suit asks the court to grant to AOL: “””A.   Preliminarily and permanently enjoining and restraining Advertise.com, and all entities under its control, as well as its parents, subsidiaries, licensees, owners, directors, officers, partners, assigns, related entities, predecessors, ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Porsche Sets Eyes on Boxter.com - Car company wants Boxter.com (typo) domain name. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has filed a complaint with World Intellectual Property Organization to get the domain name Boxter.com. Boxster is one of the company’s popular cars. I remember back in the bubble days earlier this decade it seemed like most cars pulling out of tech company garages in Austin were Boxsters. A couple years later you could buy them on the cheap. Boxter.com is currently a parked page showing ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN
FreshDrop Adds BuyDomains and AfternicDLS - FreshDrop to include NameMedia domains in its powerful domain search tool. FreshDrop, a search tool primarily used for finding valuable expiring domain names, has inked a partnership with NameMedia. This will allow FreshDrop to include BuyDomains and AfternicDLS domains within FreshDrop, making it very easy for domain investors to scan these domain databases to find gems. FreshDrop is one of the few subscription-based domain products I subscribe to. It has helped ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Google Adsense Fine Tunes Ads - Google tweaks to hit Adsense network next week. Google is rolling out upgrades next week to how it contextually targets ads in its Google Adsense program. According to a post on the company’s Inside Adsense blog: Our machines are very good at the matching process, but there are still a few cases where their definition of relevance differs from our human definition of relevance. In these few cases, the system might end up serving ads that don’t seem immediately ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, Rain.com Comes Under Attack - Rain.com enters arbitration. If it seems like it has been raining frivolous domain arbitration disputes lately, then this should catch your eye: someone has filed to get the domain name Rain.com. You read that correctly — Rain.com. The case was filed Tuesday at National Arbitration Forum. Unlike WIPO, National Arbitration Forum doesn’t list the name of the complainant until a decision has been rendered. But we know plenty about the domain owner, hosting company ... read more ...
Tue 18th August 2009
Written by The Domains in EN
AOL Claim To Ad.com Is Based More On A Pending Trademark: The Inside Story - DomainNameWire.com broke the news today that the owner of Ad.com,  Marcos Guillen filed a lawsuit against Directi and Skenzo for refusing to close on the purchase of the domain name Ad.com at the Moniker.com TRAFFIC show auction. I have know about the situation for quite a while, and even alluded to it yesterday in my nominations for Domainer of the year. As way of background,  AOL bought advertising.com back in 2004 for $435 Million dollars. This is where this problem started. AOL claim on the ... read more ...
 
Written by The Domains in EN
MSNBC Buys Everyblock.com - MSNBC.com acquired EveryBlock.com, a Chicago-based Web site that collects local news and public information on a block-by-block level for 15 cities, , including New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Boston,  in an all cash deal. The purchase price was not disclosed, but the Wall Street Journal estimated the deal was worth several million dollars. EveryBlock has local news stories, searchable by address, ZIP code and neighborhood. EveryBlock.com was founded  in 2007, with a $1.1 million ... read more ...
 
Written by The Domains in EN
All You Need Is One Domain, To Understand The Value Of Domains: Guitars.co.uk - A story in thecoventrytelegraph today demonstrates that you only need to own 1 domain to understand the value of domains. The owner of the domain Guitars.co.uk turned down an offer of $45K, plus a percentage of future profits saying that he would need at least $170K for the domain. “The domain name has given me an international presence on the web I’d otherwise struggle to get”. “So anything less than £100,000 ($170K) just wouldn’t be feasible.” “He’s not had to spend a penny in ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Oversee.net Sues Skenzo, Oversee and Guillen Explain Their Sides - I don’t see this as a trademark issue. AOL’s claim of a trademark in a domain name I have owned since 1997, and I’ve been using it before for pay links and advertising, years before AOL claims of first use: example 1 example 2 AOL filed their trademark application after I agreed to list the domain name with Moniker for auction in September 2008. The ad.com auction was announced by Moniker on September 5, 2008… Then, AOL rushed to file their trademark application on September 24, 2008, ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
AOL Sues Advertise.com for Trademark Infringement - AOL stretches its trademarks beyond belief. Apparently AOL thinks it owns every domain name that is some variation of “Advertising”. The company just filed a lawsuit against Advertise.com. Advertise.com was formerly known as ABCsearch.com until it bought the domain name Advertise.com for an undisclosed price earlier his year. The lawsuit claims: …Advertise.com recently commenced use of the virtually identical and confusingly similar designation Advertise.com ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Virgin Media Joins Typosquatting Club - Virgin ISP starts typosquatting. European internet service provider Virgin Media is the latest ISP to start an error redirect service typosquatting operation. On an F.A.Q. on its web site, the company writes: We are introducing this new service that we hope our customers will find useful. It’s designed to help you find the websites you’re looking for more easily. We think it offers a better customer experience and more convenience, but if you disagree, you can ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Ad.com Sale Falls Through, Lawsuit Filed - Seller files suit after $1.4M deal falls through. Ad.com owner Marcos Guillen has filed a lawsuit against Directi and Skenzo for backing out of its auction purchase of Ad.com. The sale caught mainstream attention when Skenzo bought the domain at Moniker’s TRAFFIC auction in Silicon Valley this past April for $1.4M. But immediately after the sale, issues started popping up. The exact circumstances leading to the failed purchase are not clear, although they are apparently ... read more ...
Mon 17th August 2009
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
TRAFFIC Award Nominations Are Opened: Here Are Our Picks - The TRAFFIC show organizers announced this morning that nominations are opened for its annual awards: Here is the official announcement: “””It’s that time of the year!  Time to sharpen your pens, so to speak, and give us your nominations for the Sixth Annual T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Awards to be presented at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. NEW YORK 2009!  The oldest and most coveted awards in the Domain Industry. We have added a new category this year – Best Domain News Blog (but don’t nominate RicksBlog.com ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Zeal.com Directory to be Reborn - Former Looksmart web directory gets new life. Domain name broker NameMedia has brokered the sale of the storied domain name Zeal.com for $50,000. Zeal.com was formerly a human-powered directory run by Looksmart. Looksmart purchased Zeal in 2000 for $20M. It was once seen as a potential rival to Open Directory. The domain was purchased by Kenneth Yeh, a former volunteer editor of Zeal. On a message on the Zeal.com domain, Yeh writes: I know that many of you Zealots ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Dark Blue Sea Hires Advisor, Defeats Board Resolutions - Domain company wins board battle but hires outside firm to consider strategic options. Dark Blue Sea has hired an advisor to explore the company’s strategic options, and has won a challenge to its board makeup. The company, which operates domain registrar and parking company Fabulous, hired mid-market advisory firm Allier Capital to help it “explore a range of strategic options”, the company announced. The company has been shopping around its service businesses ... read more ...