Registry-integrated internet domain name acquisition system

• US 7,039,697 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bayles, Len Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US10/016,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709223-225, 709/228, 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/200
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 integrates a domain name monitoring and acquisition service with a registry system. The monitoring and acquisition service can receive a request from a registrar to acquire a domain name. The monitoring and acquisition service also can receive a pending delete notification from the registry for a domain name having a registration that is about to be deleted. The pending delete notification can be received before the registry issues a public delete notification or purges the domain name, at which point the domain name is registrable by the first-responding registrar. If the domain name that is the subject of the pending delete notification has a corresponding acquisition request received by the monitoring and acquisition service, the monitoring and acquisition service can request acquisition of the domain name for the requesting registrar.

Claims

1. A domain name registry system comprising:

a registry database containing a current registration record for a domain name, the current registration record having an expiration date;

a registry management system, having access to the registry database, to delete the current registration record after the expiration date, to issue a public delete notification, and to add a new registration record for the domain name;

a single acquisition database containing an acquisition request from a specific registrar to acquire the domain name as soon as practicable following the expiration date and preceding the public delete notification; and

an acquisition engine to receive from the registry management system a pending delete notification, the pending delete notification preceding the public delete notification, to access the acquisition request from the acquisition database, and to request the registry management system to add the new registration for the specific registrar before the registry management system purges the desired domain name.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an acquisition front end to receive the acquisition request from the specific registrar and to store the acquisition request in the acquisition database.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the acquisition front end is a Web server, and further comprising a Web page hosted by the Web server to receive the acquisition request from the specific registrar.

4. An integrated domain name acquisition system comprising:

an acquisition database containing an acquisition request from a specific registrar to acquire a domain name as soon as practicable to follow a preceding registration for the domain name;

an acquisition front end system to receive the acquisition request from the specific registrar and to store the acquisition request in the acquisition database; and

an acquisition engine integrated with a registry system to receive from the registry system a pending delete notification for the domain name, the pending delete notification preceding a public delete notification, to access the acquisition request from the acquisition database, and to request acquisition of the domain name for the specific registrar before the registry system purges the desired domain name.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the acquisition of the domain name is a registration of the domain name.

6. A method for acquiring a soon-to-delete domain name, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a registrar a request to acquire a desired domain name;

receiving from a registry a pending delete notification for the desired domain name, the pending delete notification preceding a public delete notification; and

responsive to the received pending delete notification, requesting acquisition of the desired domain name for the registrar before the registry purges the soon-to-delete domain name.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the acquisition is a succeeding registration for the desired domain name.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the acquisition includes placing the desired domain name on registration hold.

9. A method of domain name acquisition comprising:

receiving from a registrar a request to acquire a desired domain name;

storing the request in a database;

receiving from a registry system a pending delete notification for the desired domain name, the pending delete notification preceding a public delete notification, the pending delete notification being received before the registry system purges the desired domain name;

correlating the pending delete notification to the request stored in the database; and

requesting acquisition of the desired domain name for the registrar before the registry system purges the desired domain name.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of, prior to the requesting acquisition step:

acknowledging to the registry system receipt of the pending delete notice; and

receiving from the registry system notification that the desired domain name has been deleted.

11. A method for domain name management comprising the steps of:

receiving from an interested entity an expression of interest in a currently registered domain name on behalf of a new registrant;

storing the expression of interest;

detecting that the domain name registration has expired; and

prior to deletion of the expired domain name registration from the registry, and prior to a public delete notification, requesting a new registration of the domain name in the name of the new registrant to succeed the expired domain name registration.

12. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the step of auctioning the new registration among interested entities.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said detecting step comprises receiving a delete pending notification from the registry.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the request to monitor the domain name registration is received from a registrar.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the request to monitor the domain name registration is received from a registrar on behalf of its customer.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of requesting a new registration is triggered by electronic notification from the registry that deletion of the domain name is pending.

17. A method for domain name management comprising the steps of:

receiving from an interested entity a request to monitor a domain name registration maintained by a registry;

monitoring a current status of the domain name registration;

detecting that the domain name registration has expired; and

prior to deletion from the registry, and prior to a public delete notification, requesting a new registration of the domain name to succeed the expired domain name registration.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said monitoring the current status of the registration includes establishing a link into the registry.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said monitoring the current status of the registration includes receiving updates from the registry.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said monitoring the current status of the registration includes effecting queries into the registry database.