TURNKEY RESELLER PROGRAM FOR REGISTERING DOMAIN NAMES

• US 20100250353A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Michael, Coffman, Joshua, Fitzpatrick, Shawn, Maxson, Chip
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.160
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A reseller program may be used to increase the number of Customer desired domain names that are registered by a Registrar. There are two main embodiments of this reseller program. In the first embodiment, Resellers guide Customers to a Registrar web site through the use of advertisements, links in various web sites and/or links from search engines. The Registrar web site communicates directly with the Customer and registers the Customer desired domain names and compensates the Reseller for guiding the Customer to the Registrar web site. In the second embodiment, Resellers have their own reseller web sites that communicate directly with the Customers and communicate the desired domain names to the Registrar web site so the Registrar web site can register the Customer desired domain names. In this embodiment, the Customer may compensate the Reseller and the Reseller may compensate the Registrar for the services rendered.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

A) hosting an administration web site on at least one server computer communicatively coupled to a network, said administration web site providing a reseller with a selection of options for generating a custom layout of a registrar'"'"'s web site;

B) receiving from said reseller, by at least one of said at least one server computer, at least one option selected from said selection of options for generating said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site;

C) receiving from a customer, by at least one of said at least one server computer, a request for said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s website;

D) responsive to said request for said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s website, transmitting to said customer, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site;

E) registering, via said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site, a domain name to said customer;

F) identifying, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said reseller; and

G) compensating said reseller, by at least one of said at least one server computer, for said domain name registered to said customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving step C) comprises receiving a request for content at a uniform resource locator uniquely associated with said reseller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said identifying step F) comprises identifying said reseller by said uniform resource locator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection of options for generating said custom layout comprise a predetermined selection of colors, fonts, graphics, images, advertisements, or pricing information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection of options for generating said custom layout is configured to allow said reseller to provide a custom selection of colors, fonts, graphics, images, advertisements, or pricing information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said registrar'"'"'s web site is further configured to receive said domain name and a plurality of registration-related information from said customer, determine the availability of said domain name, collect a fee from said customer, register said domain name with a registry, associate said customer with said reseller, and compensate said reseller.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting said reseller into a reseller program via said administration web site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said customer was guided to said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site by an action of said reseller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said action of said reseller comprises placing advertisements or links on a web site.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said action of said reseller comprises placing said uniform resource locator in an Internet search engine.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said action of said reseller comprises placing said registrar'"'"'s web site or said custom layout for said registrar'"'"'s web site in an Internet search engine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said administration web site is further configured to provide said reseller an option to receive the compensation of step G) as an electronic payment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said administration web site is further configured to provide said reseller an option to register said domain name via a proxy service, wherein a proxy contact information is made publicly available, while said customer receives legal rights in said domain name.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein said administration web site is further configured to provide said reseller an option to register said domain name via a proxy service, wherein a proxy contact information is made publicly available, while said customer receives legal rights in said domain name.

14. A method, comprising:

A) selecting, from an administration web site accessible via a computer communicatively coupled to a network, at least one option from a selection of options for formatting a custom layout of a registrar'"'"'s web site providing domain name registration functionality via said registrar;

B) transmitting to said registrar, via said administration web site, said at least one option for formatting said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site;

C) publishing, to a plurality of customers via said network, a link to said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site; and

D) receiving compensation from said registrar for a domain name registered to at least one of said plurality of customers via said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said publishing step C) comprises publishing a uniform resource locator resolving to said custom layout of said registrar'"'"'s web site, said uniform resource locator being uniquely associated with a reseller.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said selection of options for formatting said custom layout comprise a predetermined selection of colors, fonts, graphics, images, advertisements, or pricing information.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said selection of options for formatting said custom layout is configured to receive a custom selection of colors, fonts, graphics, images, advertisements, or pricing information.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said registrar'"'"'s web site is further configured to receive said domain name and a plurality of registration-related information from said customer, determine the availability of said domain name, collect a fee from said customer, register said domain name with a registry, associate said customer with said reseller, and compensate said reseller.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising accepting said reseller into a reseller program via said administration web site.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said step C) is accomplished by publishing said uniform resource locator in an advertisement or a link on a web site.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said step C) is accomplished by placing said uniform resource locator in an Internet search engine.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said step C) is accomplished by placing said registrar'"'"'s web site or said custom layout for said registrar'"'"'s web site in an Internet search engine.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said administration web site is further configured to provide said reseller an option to receive the compensation of step D) as an electronic payment.

25. A method, comprising:

A) accepting a reseller into a reseller program;

B) generating a reseller web site for said reseller, said reseller web site being communicatively coupled via an applications programming interface to a registrar web site configured to register domain names with an appropriate registry;

C) allowing said reseller web site to register one or more domain names for one or more customers via said registrar web site; and

D) collecting a fee from said reseller web site when a domain name is registered for a customer via said registrar web site.