System and method for providing a one-time payment to secure the rights to a domain name

• US 20040148238A1
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: North American Interconnect LLC (NAI Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: North American Interconnect LLC (NAI Group LLC)
• Inventors: Claude, Vincent A., Marquez, William J., Bookstaff, Blake
• Application Number:
  US10/715,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148238A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary techniques for securing rights to a domain name for an extended time period. A customer provides domain registration information and a one-time registration payment to a registrar. The registrar may invest at least a portion of the one-time registration payment and use at least a portion of the return on the investment to pay for subsequent registrations of the domain name with a domain name registry so that the domain name remains registered to the customer for the time period requested and paid for by the customer. Any portion of the investment returns in excess of the registry payment made to the domain name registry may be reinvested, disbursed as profit, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for registering a domain name comprising:

receiving a registration payment from a customer;

investing at least a portion of the registration payment;

registering a domain name specified by the customer with a domain name registry for a first registration period; and

registering the domain name with the domain name registry for at least a second registration period using at least a portion of a return on the investment of at least a portion of the registration payment funds as payment to the domain name registry.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the registration payment is used as payment to the domain name registry for the first registration period.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first registration period and the second registration period each are not more than a maximum registration period allowed by the domain name registry, and wherein a sum of the first registration period and the second registration period is greater than the maximum registration period.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the return on the investment is reinvested.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the return on the investment is disbursed as profit.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising advertising via a third party.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the registration payment is invested in one of a group consisting of:

a stock;

a bond;

a mutual fund;

a certificate of deposit (CD);

an annuity;

a perpetuity;

a precious metal;

a real estate holding;

a real estate investment trust (REIT); and

a venture capital investment.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein a value of the registration payment is based at least in part on an equation:

9. A method for registering a domain name comprising:

receiving a registration payment from a customer;

investing at least a portion of the registration payment in at least one investment; and

registering a domain name specified by the customer with a domain name registry for a continuous series of registration periods, wherein payment for registering the domain name with the domain name registry is provided at least in part from an investment return on the at least one investment.

10. The method as in claim 9, further comprising disbursing at least a portion of the investment return as profit.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the registration payment is invested in one of a group consisting of:

a stock;

a bond;

a mutual fund;

a certificates of deposit (CD);

an annuity;

a perpetuity;

a precious metal;

a real estate holding;

a real estate investment trust (REIT); and

a venture capital investment.

12. The method as in claim 9, wherein the continuous series of registration periods is perpetual.

13. The method as in claim 9, wherein a value of the registration payment is based at least in part on an equation: