Turnkey reseller program for registering domain names

• US 7,644,117 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• 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: Coffman, Josh, Zimmerman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdullahi; Salad
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US10/616,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,373 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/245, 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

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 system for utilizing a reseller program on a computer network, the system allowing a Customer to register a domain name via a Registrar and comprising:

A) means for accepting a Reseller into the reseller program;

B) means for creating a registrar web site for receiving the domain name from the Customer and registering the domain name with a Registry, the registrar web site comprising a custom layout, the custom layout comprising advertisement banners, pricing information or other information specifically selected by the Reseller;

C) means for allowing the Customer to register the domain name via the registrar web site, wherein the Customer was guided to the registrar web site from an action by the Reseller;

D) means for collecting a fee from the Customer that registers the domain name;

E) means for compensating the Reseller that guided the Customer to the registrar web site that registered the domain name; and

F) means for creating an administration web site configured to allow the Reseller to enter the reseller program, and configured to customize, by the Reseller, the registrar web site for the Customer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the action by the Reseller includes advertisement.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for registering the domain name via a proxy service, wherein proxy contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the action by the Reseller includes creating a link to the registrar web site from a second web site.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the registrar web site accepts domain names from the Customer, accepts information regarding the Customer, checks on availability of the domain name, collects a fee from the Customer, registers the domain name and other available domain names for the Customer, associates the Customer with the Reseller and compensates the Reseller based on actions of the Customer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the administration web site offers an option to the Reseller to receive an electronic payment from the Registrar based on activities of the Customer of the Reseller.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the administration web site offers an option to the Reseller to offer registering the domain name via a proxy service, wherein proxy contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the administration web site offers an option to the Reseller to display a report showing commission payments during a selected time period.

9. A computer implemented process for allowing a Customer to register a domain name via a reseller program, comprising the steps of:

A) accepting a Reseller into the reseller program;

B) creating, by a computer, a registrar web site for registering the domain name with a Registry, said registrar web site comprising a custom layout, the custom layout comprising advertisement banners, pricing information or other information specifically selected by the Reseller;

C) allowing the Customer to register the domain name via the registrar web site, wherein the Customer was guided to the registrar web site from an action by the Reseller;

D) collecting a fee from the Customer that registers the domain name;

E) compensating the Reseller that guided the Customer to the registrar web site that registered domain name; and

F) creating an administration web site configured to allow the Reseller to enter the reseller program, and configured to customize, by the Reseller, the registrar web site for the Customer.

10. The computer implemented process of claim 9, further comprising the step of allowing the domain name to be registered via a proxy service contact information, wherein the proxy service contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

11. The computer implemented process of claim 9, wherein the action by the Reseller includes placement of the registrar web site in a search engine.

12. The computer implemented process of claim 9, wherein the action by the Reseller includes creating a link to the registrar web site from a second web site.

13. The computer implemented process of claim 9, wherein the registrar web site accepts the domain name from the Customer, accepts information regarding the Customer, checks on availability of the domain name accepted from the Customer, collects a fee from the Customer, registers the domain name or other available domain names for the Customer, associates the Customer with the Reseller and compensates the Reseller based on actions of the Customer.

14. The computer implemented process of claim 9, wherein the administration web site offers an option to the Reseller to receive electronic payments from the Registrar based on activities of the Customer.

15. The computer implemented process of claim 9, wherein the administration web site offers an option to the Reseller to offer registering the domain name via a proxy service, wherein proxy contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

16. The computer implemented process of claim 9, wherein the administration web site offers an option to the Reseller to display a report showing commission payments during selected time periods.