Author Archives: DomainNameWire

About DomainNameWire

Domain Name Wire is a blog that deals with the domain name sector. The blog covers a range of domain related topics ranging from issues concerning expiring domains, monetization, domain registries and registrars, ICANN, policy, law etc. The blog began in March, 2005, after Mr. Allemann had dropped out of meetings to become involved in domain portfolio company, iREIT. The project began as a hobby to keep him involved in the domaining business, and then became his full-time business.

Mon 4th June 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Wow: new TLD conflict already hits UDRP - Complaint filed against a .med backer. Here’s an interesting UDRP case that attacks an applicant for the .med top domain name. The domains in this dispute are aboutdotmed.com, supportdotmed.com, and thedotmed.com. The complaint was filed by DotMed.com, Inc. I wrote about DotMed.com back in January when I revealed 115 trademark applications for potential top level domains. The respondent is HEXAP, which is working with AFNIC to secure the .med domain name. What ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Angie’s List sues ServiceMagic over Google ads - Company sues lead generation firm over competitive AdWords ads. Angie’s List (NASDAQ: ANGI), the subscription based service to find contractors, has filed a lawsuit against lead generation company ServiceMagic over ads it purchased on Google Adwords. According to the complaint, ServiceMagic is buying Google AdWords ads for the term “Angie’s List”. Here’s an ad I saw when searching today. Angie’s List is on top, followed by a witty ad from ServiceMagic: The ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Obama debate sues web site over Barack Obama merchandise - Obama campaign files lawsuit over Obama merchandise featuring “rising sun” logo. Obama for America has filed a second lawsuit against DemStore.com and Washington Promotions Printing, Inc., which allegedly sell merchandise including the campaign’s “rising sun” trademark. (A quick look at DemStore.com confirms this.) The suit (pdf) was filed in U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, on June 1. Obama for American previously filed a suit against the defendants ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
More sum about changes to Go Daddy’s 60 day lock - Why the new policy is in place and what it means for you. Last Friday I wrote about how Go Daddy had put into place a way to remove the dreaded 60 day transfer lock activated when you make a change to the registrant name on a domain name at the registrar. Over the weekend I looked at comments on that post and re-read ICANN’s new inter-registrar transfer policy. Here’s what the policy has to say about this sort of transfer lock (3.6): Express objection to the transfer ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
It’s Craig Newmark vs. “Craig Solomon” in this humorous domain dispute - CraigsList or CraigsLists? Craigslist has filed a domain name dispute against the owner of CraigsLists.com (notice the extra ‘s’), a site purportedly run by one Craig Solomon. Whereas Craig Newmark’s Craigslist offers classified ads, Craig Solomon’s CraigsLists.com says: “To see Craig Solomon’s lists of the best online resources, just click on the links below. My information is updated daily to give you the best results possible. Yours truly, Craig” But ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
ICANN releases new tip turn domain applicant guidebook - Latest and greatest version of applicant guidebook just released. About 2,000 new top level domain applications have been submitted. But we’re not done yet, folks. Today ICANN released another version of its gTLD Applicant Guidebook. With the application period closed, the latest version turns the focus to the objection period. Changes mostly related to the Governmental Advisory Committee. It strikes language “The ICANN Board is also expected to provide a rationale ... read more ...
 
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Google creates domain corroboration easier with eNom and Go Daddy - eNom and Go Daddy customers can verify ownership from web based interface. Google has just introduced a speedier way to verify your domain ownership for use with certain Google tools. You have to verify that you own a particular domain name in order to use some Google services with the domain, e.g. seeing search queries for your web site in Webmaster Tools. Until now the process has been kind of difficult for people without technical skills. The new service allows ... read more ...
Fri 1st June 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Here are TLDH’s 68 tip turn domain applications - TLDH applies for 68 top level domains on its own behalf. Top Level Domain Holdings has submitted 92 applications for top level domains. It submitted 68 applications on its own behalf and an additional 24 with partners or for others. TLDH is the company that picked up Peter Dengate Thrush after he left ICANN’s board. It owns Minds + Machines. Here are the company’s own 68 applications. 1. abogado 2. .app 3. .art 4. .baby 5. .beauty 6. .beer 7. .blog 8. .book 9. ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
New TLD Battle: .Eco vs. .Green - TLDH hedges its bets with .green bid. On May 7 I tweeted: The answer is “yes”. Top Level Domain Holdings, one of the companies embroiled in a battle over .eco, has applied for .green. It could merely be a calculated bet by TLDH given the potential for a hold up on .eco. .Eco has long been contested, has a trademark fight, and is now in court. I don’t know with certainty that this is an attempt to “hold off” the most visible .green applicant, DotGreen ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
DNW’s new TLD roundup: a good, a bad and a funny - From brands to portfolio players, here’s a look at what we know so far. The “big reveal” of who applied for what top level domains isn’t until June 13. But that didn’t stop a lot of companies from making their own announcements over the 36 hours since the application window closed. Here’s my roundup and analysis: Google Google announced four domains it is applying for, but AdAge reports the company is applying for upwards of 50 domain names. The announcement ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Amercia.com domain, featured on Mashable, adult for auction during Flippa - Amercia, land of the free. There’s an amusing story over at Mashable about the Chinese owner of the domain name Amercia.com, a typo of America.com. His story of why he bought the domain is heartwarming, but it’s worth noting that he owns at least 39 domain names. So think what you want. The owner bought the domain in 2009 for $100. He received an occasional offer on the domain. But then recently he claims he received four inquiries about the domain within 24 hours, ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Flippa adds accurate Google Adsense revenue - Web site buyers can gain more confidence in revenue numbers. Flippa, a marketplace for web sites and domain names, has added a tool to verify Google Adsense revenue numbers for web sites. We all see sites for sale that claim huge Adsense revenue numbers. But how do you know if the person is telling the truth? It’s easy to fake stats. (That was the point behind DNWStats, by the way.) The new tool allows Flippa sellers to authorize Flippa to snag the numbers through ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Go Daddy creates routine to discharge 60 day send lock - GoDaddy.com offers way to remove 60 day lock on domain transfers after certain registrant changes. Update: Read more about Go Daddy’s new transfer lock policy here. Ah, the dreaded 60 day lock. Go Daddy has taken quite a bit of flack over the years for rejecting transfers to other registrars if you changed certain registrant information within the previous 60 days. But under a new policy, customers will have a formal way to request the sixty day hold be removed. ... read more ...
Thu 31st May 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
What do we consider about this Vevo.xxx decision? - Vevo snags triple xxx domain nam. Vevo.com, a music video site backed by Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media, ust won a UDRP case for the domain name Vevo.xxx. But I find the facts of the case troubling, because it’s hard to provide any proof that the domain was registered in bad faith. The domain Vevo.xxx only resolves (or did resolve) to a registrar holding page. How can you prove anything about the registrant’s intent based ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Something tells me a egghead skill subdivision won’t like .sucks - .Sucks will be the new TLD opponents’ case-in-point. When I saw Michael Berkens’ post this morning about the four top level domains Momentous Corp is applying for, I did a double take. .Sucks? Yep. It’s no joke. The applicant describes .sucks like this: Since its inception, the internet has been a forum for debate and criticism. As the web has evolved we’ve seen it increasingly facilitate organization of the masses. Whether it be in the name of protest, products, ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
College Hunks and Strong Students quarrel in justice after UDRP - A muscular lawsuit. This lawsuit creates and amusing visual. Strong Students Moving, Inc. has sued (pdf) College Hunks Hauling Junk after the former lost a domain to the latter through a UDRP case. Shaun Robinson of Strong Students Moving, Inc. alleges that he registered the domain name collegehunksmoving.com while he was negotiating with College Hunks Hauling Junk to form a new business venture. The business deal didn’t go through, and earlier this year College ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Directi relates for 31 tip turn domains - Radix, a Directi company, makes big investment in top level domains. Directi Group (see disclosure) announced today that is has applied for 31 top level domain names through its new company Radix. I believe this makes it one of the biggest “portfolio” applicants for new TLDs. The company has committed over $30 million to the new top level domain business. In a press release, Directi co-founder Bhavin Turakhia said: Today’s internet addresses are uncategorized ... read more ...
 
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Google announces tip turn domain applications including .lol, .docs - Vint Cerf releases some details about company’s new TLD strategy. Google today announced limited details about some of its top level domain applications. The announcement fittingly came from former ICANN Chairman and current Google Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf. Cerf said the TLDs the company applied for fall into four categories: 1. Trademarks, e.g. .google 2. Domains related to core businesses, e.g. .docs 3. Domains “that will improve user experience, ... read more ...
Wed 30th May 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Monte Cahn invests in and joins DomainHoldings - Another familiar face turns up at Domain Holdings. Monte Cahn, best known in the domain industry for founding domain registrar Moniker, has invested in Domain Holdings and taken a role with the company. Cahn has joined Domain Holdings as an Executive in Residence and Advisor to the Board. As Executive in residence, Cahn will work with the company on a day-by-day basis. He will become involved in overall strategy as well as domain brokerage/sales and domain monetization. Cahn ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Domain bonds doing really good this year - Tucows more than doubles and other domain stocks also on a tear. It has been a decent year for the NASDAQ so far. But returns on domain stocks have been exceptional. Consider Tucows (TCX), which opened the year at 75 cents. It has more than doubled to $1.52 at today’s open. The company continues to buy back stock, but I also think there’s overall enthusiasm for its domain business and the prospects of its mobile phone offering Ting. Demand Media, which owns eNom, ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
What domains Taco Bell, Overstock.com, Enterprise, and others bought this week - Big companies make domain name purchases. This past week has been a great one for end user sales. I’ve identified 23 end user sales (there are of course more, but these are the ones that stuck out). There are big name brands in this report, so read on… Sedo McGraw-Hill Companies bought WorkforceAccess.com for $2,500. The name of a new publication? Raw TV Ltd, which owns RawTelevision.co.uk, bought Raw.co.uk for GBP 15,000 Enterprise Holdings, Inc., which owns ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Oversee.net’s fifth worker earnings to DomainSponsor role - Mike Song, an early Oversee.net employee, has returned to the company as an account manager. Song was hired by the company in 2003 after it launched the DomainSponsor domain parking service. He was the fifth employee of the company. He later held positions in operations and portfolio acquisitions with DomainSponsor. Song left Oversee.net in 2008 to join MediaTrust, according to his LinkedIn profile. At MediaTrust he was a manager of business development. He will report ... read more ...
 
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John Berryhill’s Farmville gets bigger with Elk.com victory - Pigs, ants, elephants, and elk. Domain name attorney John Berryhill has an animal fetish. When it comes to UDRPs, anyway. Berryhill has successfully defended Pig.com, Ant.com, and Elephant.com. Now you can add Elk.com to that list. I first wrote about this nonsense case back in March. Now the decision has been handed down in favor of the domain owner — with a finding of reverse domain name hijacking. The case was brought by is ELK Accesories Pty Ltd., which has ... read more ...
 
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Go Daddy relates for .home and .casa tip turn domains - Go Daddy applies for .home, .casa, and .godaddy top level domains. Domain name registrar Go Daddy has applied for the .home and .casa top level domains, CEO Warren Adelman disclosed to Domain Name Wire. These two domains are in addition to .GoDaddy. Adelman said the domains were chosen in part because they have multiple meanings with big market opportunities: they can be used in both a real estate context and personal context. From a real estate perspective, Go Daddy ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Web.com rigourously announces bid for .web - Web.com formally announced .web application. Web.com, parent company of Network Solutions and Register.com, formally announced its bid for the .web top level domain today. Of course, we’ve known about the company’s plans since at least October of last year. The company has been taking pre-reservations on its web site. The company also applied for a trademark on .web (that will be rejected) and said it’s been using it in commerce since last June. I suspect ICANN ... read more ...