Domain name acquisition and management system and method

• US 20060161683A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Raymond, Bayles, Len Albert, Wiener, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the present invention can accept an indication of a domain name or set of domain names from interested entity. The desired domain names are names that an interested entity desires to register through a domain name registration system or systems, such as that operated by a registry-accredited registrar. The system can closely monitor the domain name registry or registrar databases used to provide domain name resolution or registration over a distributed network, such as the Internet, and determine the expiration or availability of the name or names supplied by the interested entity. When a desired domain name appears to be available, the system can register or re-register the domain name through a domain registration service. If there is more than one interested entity for a domain name, the system can also facilitate an auction for the domain name.

Claims

1. A computerized system for facilitating an auction of a domain name, the system comprising:

a demand database for storing a representation of demand for a domain name;

a network front end for receiving from each of at least one interested entity, via a network, a corresponding indication of demand for the domain name and recording each of the at least one interested entity and the corresponding indication of demand in the demand database as the representation of demand for the domain name;

means for comparing the representation of demand in the demand database to a predetermined threshold demand, and, in response to a favorable comparison, communicating to a registrant of the domain name a proposal for an auction of the domain name among the at least one interested entity.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the network is the Internet; and

the front end is a Web server hosting a Web page with a form for receiving the indication of demand.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the means is a computer-executable auction procedure.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the representation of demand quantifies the number of the at least one interested entity.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the representation of demand aggregates a monetary value ascribed to the domain name by each of the at least one interested entity.