Systems and methods for domain name registration by proxy

• US 20060271668A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rechterman, Barbara J., Coffman, Joshua T., Parsons, Robert R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment

Abstract

A system and method of proxy domain name registration permits a would-be domain name registrant anonymity. A registrar affords customers the opportunity to use the proxy registration. If the customer seeking registration of a domain name requests, the registrar obtains contact information needed for registration from a proxy entity established for this purpose. The registrar completes the registration of the domain name with the appropriate registry (i.e. “.com, .net” etc.). The contact information published in WHOIS is that of proxy entity. Contractually the customer is afforded control over the domain name. Emails intended for the customer are received by the proxy entity who may filter them if the customer requests. Emails sent by the customer are sent to the proxy entity who in turn sends them to the indicated addressee.

Claims

1. A method of providing proxy registration of a domain name including:

(a) receiving from a registrar a request to take ownership of a domain name registration as a proxy,

(b) receiving from the registrar contact information of a customer of the registrar seeking proxy registration of the domain name,

(c) sending to the registrar proxy contact information for use by the registrar in registering the domain name with a registry, and

(d) storing the contact information of the customer.

2. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 1, further comprising receiving electronic communications addressed to the domain name.

3. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 2, further comprising sending electronic communications from the domain name, absent identification of the customer.

4. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 1, further comprising sending customer contact information to a registrar upon notification of cancellation by a customer.

5. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 1, further comprising blocking at least some electronic communications to the domain name.

6. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 5, wherein blocking at least some electronic communications comprises blocking all electronic communications to the domain name.

7. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 5, wherein blocking at least some electronic communications comprises blocking electronic communications selected from the group consisting of SPAM, unauthorized bulk email, unauthorized commercial email, pornography, virus, worms and trojan horses.

8. The method of providing proxy registration according to claim 1, wherein the contact information of a customer is contact information for a customer that can be any of an individual, a business and another entity.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contact information of a customer is contact information of an individual.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contact information of a customer is contact information of an entity.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) are performed are performed during the same communication session between the computer installation and the customer.

11. A method for performing a proxy registration of a domain name for a customer, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a domain name, a proxy registration request and personal customer information from a customer,

(b) storing the personal customer information, wherein the personal customer information is not made publicly available, and

(c) registering the domain name with a registry using proxy information, wherein the domain name and the proxy information are made publicly available.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(d) receiving a cancel proxy registration request from a customer, and

(e) updating the domain name registration information with the registry using the personal customer information, wherein the domain name and the personal customer information are made publicly available.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(d) contractually granting legal rights in the domain name to the customer.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the domain name, the proxy registration request and personal information from the customer are received from the customer via an interactive web site.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the domain name is registered using proxy information by communicating the domain name and the proxy information to the registry via the Internet.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the proxy information includes a proxy email address, further comprising the steps of:

(d) receiving an email addressed to the proxy email address, and

(e) forwarding the email to the customer.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

(f) filtering the email prior to forwarding the email to the customer.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

(g) receiving email filtering instructions from the customer in order to customize the filtering of the email.

20. The method for performing a proxy registration of a domain name for a customer according to claim 11, wherein receiving and storing personal customer information is receiving and storing personal customer information from customers that are individuals, businesses and other entities.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein the customer is an individual.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein the customer is an entity.

23. The method according to claim 11, wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) are performed via a computer installation.

24. A proxy domain name registration system comprising:

(a) means for receiving a desired domain name and a proxy registration request from a customer,

(b) means for receiving and storing actual personal contact information from the customer, and

(c) means for communicating a registration request, the desired domain name, and an owner proxy personal contact information differing from the customer'"'"'s actual personal contact information to a registry.

25. The proxy domain name registration system according to claim 24, further comprising:

(d) means for storing the proxy personal contact information, whereby actual personal contact information corresponding to a proxy registrant can be retrieved.

26. The system according to claim 24, further comprising means for sending to a customer email addressed to that customer'"'"'s proxy contact information.

27. The system according to claim 24, further comprising means associating in computer memory a customer'"'"'s proxy and actual contact information.

28. The system according to claim 24, further comprising means enabling the customer to signal a command to cancel proxy registration.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the means enabling the customer to signal a command to cancel includes means responsive to the customer'"'"'s signal of the command to cancel for automatically causing transfer of ownership to the customer by the registrar.

30. The system according to claim 24, further comprising means for passing email along to the customer.

31. The system according to claim 30, further comprising means for blocking one or more categories of email from reaching the customer.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the categories of email are selected from the group consisting of SPAM, unauthorized bulk email, unauthorized commercial email and pornography.

33. The proxy domain name registration system according to claim 24, wherein the means for receiving and storing personal contact information from the customer is able to receive and store personal contact information of any of an individual, a business and another entity.

34. The system according to claim 24, wherein the customer is an individual.

35. The system according to claim 24, wherein the customer is an entity.