DEMAND BASED DOMAIN NAME AUCTIONABILITY

• US 20100115043A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Raymond, Bayles, Len Albert, Wiener, Ron
• Application Number:
  US12/616,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115043A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 method for identifying a registered domain name as auctionable is provided. The registered domain names may be pulled from a database of desired domain names, such as a collection of domain names that one or more interested entities have requested to register using a domain name registration system. Requesting a domain name may be probative of demand for the domain name. Accordingly a domain name receiving a threshold level of interest may be tagged as auctionable. For example a domain name may be tagged as auctionable when a total number of interested entities is at least equal to a minimum threshold of interested entities. Tagged domain names may be acquired by an escrow agent when a current registration expires and auctioned among interested entities. In addition, the owner of a tagged domain name may be notified to see whether the domain name can be auctioned before expiration.

Claims

1. A method for initiating an auction, driven by demand-side interest for a domain name, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one entity indicating interest in a domain name;

comparing the indicated interest of the at least one entity to a predetermined threshold interest;

and if the indicated interest at least equals the predetermined threshold interest, informing a current registrant of the domain name of an auction potential represented by the at least one entity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicated interest is quantified by a monetary value ascribed to the domain name by the at least one entity, and the threshold interest is quantified as a desired minimum monetary value ascribed to the domain name by the registrant.

3. A method for auctioning a succeeding registration of a domain name that has a current registration, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one entity desiring a succeeding registration of a domain name after a current registration of the domain name expires;

registering a succeeding registration of the domain name to an escrow agent after the current registration expires;

holding an auction among the at least one entity to determine a winning entity;

and transferring the succeeding registration from the escrow agent to the winning entity.

4. A computer program stored on machine readable medium for identifying a registered domain name as auctionable comprising:

first code for retrieving the registered domain name from a database of desired domain names;

second code for determining whether the registered domain name has one or more interested entities;

third code for comparing a total number of interested entities to a minimum threshold of interested entities;

and fourth code for tagging the domain name as auctionable when the total number of interested entities is at least equal to the minimum threshold of interested entities.

5. A method for identifying a registered domain name as auctionable comprising:

determining a level of interest in the registered domain name based on whether one or more entities are seeking a succeeding registration of the registered domain name;

comparing the level of interest in the registered domain name to a threshold level of interest;

and identifying the registered domain name as auctionable when the level of interest in the registered domain name at least equals the threshold level of interest.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising notifying the one or more entities seeking a succeeding registration that the registered domain name is auctionable.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

registering a succeeding registration of the registered domain name to an escrow agent after a current registration expires;

conducting an auction of the registered domain name among the one or more entities to determine a winning entity;

and transferring the succeeding registration from the escrow agent to the winning entity.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising notifying a registrant of the registered domain name that the registered domain name is auctionable.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising retrieving the registered domain name from a database of desired domain names.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the level of interest includes a total number of entities seeking the succeeding registration, and the threshold level of interest includes a minimum number of entities seeking the succeeding registration.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the level of interest includes a monetary value ascribed to the registered domain name by the at least one entity seeking a succeeding registration, and the threshold level of interest includes a minimum monetary value ascribed to the registered domain name by a registrant.