Method and system for monitoring domain name registrations

• US 20020129013A1
• Filed: 12/31/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invention Depot Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Invention Depot Incorporated
• Inventors: Thomas, C. Douglass
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/302 Administrative registration, e.g. for domain names at internet corporation for assigned names and numbers [ICANN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Improved approaches to domain name monitoring are disclosed. The monitoring of domain names, e.g., registrations therefor, is beneficial to holders of similar domain names, trademark owners, and competitors. Such monitoring can be automatically performed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring domain name registrations, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a request to monitor a name;

(b) searching a database of domain name registrations to identify one or more registrations of domain names that match the name being monitored; and

(c) notifying the requestor of the identified one or more registrations.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said notifying (c) is performed by electronic mail.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the name pertains to a domain name.

4. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said searching (b) searches a plurality of databases of domain name registrations.

5. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the name to be monitored is an identified string of characters.

6. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein said searching (b) identifies those domain name registrations that are for domain names that include the identified string of characters.

7. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said searching (c) searches recent registrations.

8. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said notifying (c) comprises:

(c1) producing a notification message pertaining to the identified one or more registrations; and

(c2) forwarding the notification message to the requester.

9. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the notification message includes at least registrant, date of registration and contact information for each of the identified registrations.

10. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving (a) comprises receiving monitoring request data from a requestor, the monitoring request data being provided through interaction with a web site accessible via the Internet.

11. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(d) sending warning messages to registrants of the identified one or more registrations.

12. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein said sending (d) of the warning messages is done automatically for the requestor or on specific request by the requestor.

14. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein said notifying (c) is performed by electronic mail.

15. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more registration databases are associated with one or more registrars.

16. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein the name pertains to a domain name.

17. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein the name to be monitored is an identified string of characters.

18. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 17, wherein said searching (b) identifies those registrations that are for domain names that include the identified string of characters.

19. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein said searching (c) searches recent registrations.

20. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13,

wherein the name to be monitored is a character string, and

wherein the identified one or more registrations of domain names that are similar to the that of the name are those that include the character string.

21. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein said notifying (c) comprises:

(c1) producing a notification message pertaining to the identified one or more registrations; and

(c2) forwarding the notification message to the requestor.

22. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 21, wherein the notification message includes at least registrant, date of registration and contact information for each of the identified one or more registrations.

23. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein said registering (a) comprises receiving registration data from the requestor, the registration data being provided through interaction with a web site accessible via the Internet.

24. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein said method further comprises:

(d) sending warning messages to registrants of the identified one or more registrations.

25. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 24, wherein said sending (d) of the warning messages is done automatically for the requestor or on specific request by the requestor.

26. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein said method further comprises:

(d) monitoring activation of a website at the domain names of the identified one or more registrations.

27. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 26, wherein said method further comprises:

(e) informing the requestor of the activation of a website at the domain names of the identified one or more registrations.

29. A system as recited in claim 28,

wherein said domain monitoring server operates to periodically search the domain name registration database for matching or similar domain name registrations, and

wherein said domain monitoring server operates to receives the monitoring information provided by at least one requestor through interaction with said domain monitoring server via a network and to store the monitoring information to said monitoring database.

30. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein said domain monitoring server forwards the registration report to the requestor over the network as electronic mail message, the registration report including at least registrant, date of registration and contact information for each of the identified matching or similar domain name registrations.

13. A computer-implemented method for monitoring domain name registrations, said method comprising:

(a) registering a name to be monitored for a requestor;

(b) searching at one or more registration databases to identify one or more registrations of domain names that are similar to that of the name to be monitored; and

(c) notifying the requester of the identified one or more registrations.

28. A system for monitoring domain name registrations stored to a domain name registration database utilized by a registrar of domain names, said system comprising:

a monitoring database that stores monitoring information, the monitoring information specifying at least one requestor and at least one domain character string to be monitored for the requestor; and

a domain monitoring server operatively connected to said monitoring database, said domain monitoring server operates to search the domain name registration database for matching or similar domain name registrations to that of the at least one domain character string, produce a registration report identifying those of the matching or similar domain name registrations, and forward the registration report to the requestor.