Domain name management system and method

• US 7,472,160 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Raymond, Bayles, Len Albert, Wiener, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US11/747,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/207, 709/219, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 system for Internet domain name management comprising:

(a) a domain name registry system for administering the allocation of Internet domain names within a specific domain;

the registry system including domain name registration records stored in a database as part of the Internet shared registration system;

(b) a domain name registrar system authorized to communicate directly with the registry system via an electronic communications channel using a predetermined transmission protocol, for maintaining and updating registration information for domain names hosted by the registrar;

(c) a domain name acquisition system, the acquisition system comprising at least one computer that executes a web site front end that receives requests from customers wanting to register selected domain names that are already registered to another entity, the acquisition system further maintaining a customer database for storing information associated with each customer who makes a request to register a selected domain name;

the acquisition system further implementing a communications interface for electronic communication with the registrar system using a predetermined protocol; and

the acquisition system further executing an event decoder software routine arranged in communication with the registrar system and or the registry system for monitoring communications between the registrar system and the registry system;

the domain name acquisition system further including means for;

taking a predetermined action as soon as practicable after a predetermined event is detected in the monitored communications;

wherein the predetermined event is a delete command from the registrar to delete one of the selected domain names stored in the customer database; and

the predetermined action is re-allocating the selected domain name to the corresponding customer who requested the registration by sending an instruction from the domain name acquisition system to the registrar via the electronic communications interface;

wherein the instruction is sent to the registrar before actual deletion of the specific domain name from the registry, so that the domain name does not become available to the public for a new registration.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the event decoder routine is capable of processing information about real time events that are communicated through push or pull communication strategies with the domain registrar system or the registry system via the electronics communication interface.