Systems and methods for domain name registration by proxy

• US 7,814,141 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rechterman, Barbara J., Coffman, Joshua T., Parsons, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US12/617,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-219, 709223-229, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment

Abstract

A system and method of proxy domain name registration permits a would-be domain name registrant anonymity. A registrar affords customers the opportunity to use the proxy registration. If the customer seeking registration of a domain name requests, the registrar obtains contact information needed for registration from a proxy entity established for this purpose. The registrar completes the registration of the domain name with the appropriate registry (i.e. “.com, .net” etc.). The contact information published in WHOIS is that of proxy entity. Contractually the customer is afforded control over the domain name. Emails intended for the customer are received by the proxy entity who may filter them if the customer requests. Emails sent by the customer are sent to the proxy entity who in turn sends them to the indicated addressee.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

(a) a registrar installation comprising;

(i) means for receiving at least one customer domain name registration request from at least one customer,

(ii) means for communicating at least one registrar domain name registration request to a registry, the at least one registrar domain name registration request comprising at least one domain name,

(iii) means for communicating the at least one domain name and at least one customer information regarding the at least one customer to a proxy installation, and

(iv) means for storing at least one domain name registrant contact information,

(b) the proxy installation comprising;

(i) means for receiving and storing the at least one customer information communicated to the proxy installation by the registrar installation, and

(ii) means for communicating at least one proxy information to the registrar installation,

(c) the registrar installation being responsive to receipt of the at least one proxy information by;

(i) submitting the at least one registrar domain name registration request to the registry, and

(ii) storing the at least one proxy information in the means for storing the at least one domain name registrant contact information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the proxy installation further comprises means enabling the at least one customer to signal a command to cancel a proxy registration.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the means enabling the at least one customer to signal the command to cancel comprises means responsive to the at least one customer'"'"'s signal of the command to cancel for automatically causing the registrar installation to transfer registration of the at least one domain name to the at least one customer.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the proxy installation comprises means for passing at least one email along to the at least one customer.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising means for blocking one or more categories of email from reaching the at least one customer.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the categories of email comprise at least one of SPAM, unauthorized bulk email, unauthorized commercial email, or pornography.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the at least one customer domain name registration request from the at least one customer comprises means for receiving the at least one customer domain name registration request from the at least one customer comprising at least one of an individual, a business, or an other entity, and the means for communicating the at least one domain name and the at least one customer information regarding the at least one customer to the proxy installation comprises means for communicating the at least one customer information regarding the at least one customer comprising the at least one of the individual, the business, or the other entity.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one customer comprises an individual.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one customer comprises an entity.

10. A system comprising:

(a) a registrar computer installation establishing a registrar web site;

(b) a proxy computer installation;

(c) at least one interactive registrar page on the registrar web site enabling a customer to request a registration of at least one domain name;

(d) a message on at least one of the at least one interactive registrar page prompting the customer to indicate whether a proxy registration of the at least one domain name is desired;

(e) a field on at least one of the at least one interactive registrar page for the customer to enter the at least one domain name;

(f) a connection at the registrar computer installation for communicating to the proxy computer installation;

(i) a request for at least one proxy information for use in registering the at least one domain name to a proxy having a name, and

(ii) at least one customer information of the customer;

(g) the proxy computer installation comprising a first database for storing in association the at least one domain name and the at least one customer information;

(h) a connection at the proxy computer installation for communicating the at least one proxy information to the registrar computer installation;

(i) the registrar computer installation comprising a second database for storing in association the at least one proxy information and the at least one domain name; and

(j) a connection at the registrar computer installation for sending to a domain name registry a request for a registration of the at least one domain name.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a communication input at the proxy computer installation for receipt of communications for the customer.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the communication input at the proxy computer installation comprises a proxy web site having at least one interactive proxy page enabling the customer to indicate cancellation of the proxy registration of the at least one domain name.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the proxy computer installation is adapted to communicate a request for cancellation of the proxy registration of the at least one domain name to the registrar computer installation when cancellation of the proxy registration of the at least one domain name is requested by the customer, and to forward to the registrar computer installation the at least one domain name and the at least one customer information of the customer, the registrar computer installation being responsive to the request for cancellation of the proxy registration from the proxy computer installation to replace in the second database of the registrar computer installation the at least one proxy information with the at least one customer information.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a proxy email server adapted to receive at least one email, the at least one proxy information comprising a proxy email address, the registrar computer installation publishing the proxy email address in association with the at least one domain name, whereby an email intended for the customer is directed to the proxy email server.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least one interactive registrar page enables a request for registration by the customer comprising at least one of an individual, a business, or an other entity, and the connection at the registrar computer installation for communicating to the proxy computer installation communicates the at least one customer information of the customer comprising the at least one of the individual, the business, or the other entity.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the customer comprises an individual.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the customer comprises an entity.

18. A method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a computer installation from at least one customer via a computer network communicatively coupled to the computer installation, at least one request to register at least one domain name,

(b) offering, by the computer installation, the at least one customer at least one proxy registration of the at least one domain name,

(c) receiving, by the computer installation, at least one proxy registration request for the at least one domain name from the at least one customer,

(d) forwarding, by the computer installation, the at least one domain name and at least one customer information regarding the at least one customer to a proxy,

(e) receiving, by the computer installation, at least one proxy information from the proxy, and

(f) registering by proxy the at least one domain name with a registry.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

requesting the at least one customer information from the at least one customer requesting the at least one proxy registration, and transferring to the proxy for storage by the proxy the at least one customer information in association with the at least one domain name registered by the at least one proxy registration.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

storing the at least one proxy information in association with the at least one domain name registered by the at least one proxy registration.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

directing to the proxy electronic communications addressed to the at least one domain name registered by the at least one proxy registration.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising providing a cancellation procedure to the at least one customer.

23. The method according to claim 22, in response to receiving a request from the at least one customer to use the cancellation procedure, transferring registration of the at least one domain name registered by the at least one proxy registration to the at least one customer.

24. The method according to claim 22 further comprising:

retrieving the at least one customer information from the proxy, and transferring the at least one customer information to the registrar at which the at least one domain name is registered.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one customer comprises at least one of an individual, a business, or an other entity.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one customer comprises an individual.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one customer comprises an entity.

28. The method according to claim 18, wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

29. The method according to claim 18, wherein steps (e) and (f) are performed during the same communication session between the computer installation and the at least one customer.

30. A computer program comprising a computer readable medium storing computer readable code executable by a computer and comprising:

(a) a first program for defining a web site comprising a first programming for;

(i) receiving from a customer at the web site a customer request to register at least one domain name,

(ii) offering to the customer at the web site an option to register the at least one domain name by proxy, and

(iii) receiving at least one customer information regarding the customer,

(b) a second program for communicating with a registry comprising a second programming for;

(i) communicating the at least one domain name and a registrar request to register the at least one domain name to the registry, and

(c) a third program for communicating with a proxy comprising a third programming for;

(i) requesting at least one proxy information for use in association with at least one registrant information.

31. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the third program for communicating with the proxy entity comprises an additional programming for receiving the at least one registrant information in association with the at least one proxy information.

32. The computer program of claim 31, further comprising a further programming to store the at least one proxy information in association with the at least one domain name.

33. The computer program of claim 32, wherein the at least one proxy information comprises an identity of the proxy.

34. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the at least one proxy information that is stored comprises at least one contact information for the proxy.

35. The computer program of claim 34, wherein the at least one contact information for the proxy comprises an email address for the proxy.

36. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the third program for communicating with the proxy comprises an additional programming for forwarding the at least one customer information to the proxy.

37. The computer program of claim 36, wherein the at least one customer information comprises contact information for the customer.

38. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the contact information of the at least one customer information comprises an email address for the customer.

39. The computer program according to claim 30, wherein the web site receives the customer request and the at least one customer information from the customer that comprises an individual, a business, or an other entity.

40. The computer program according to claim 30, wherein the customer comprises an individual.

41. The computer program according to claim 30, wherein the customer comprises an entity.

42. Programming comprising a computer readable medium storing computer readable code executable by a computer and further comprising:

(a) communications programming enabling the computer to receive;

(i) a domain name;

(ii) a request for at least one proxy domain name registrant information for the domain name, the at least one proxy domain name registrant information being for a proxy entity having a name; and

(iii) at least one customer information for a customer that has requested a proxy domain name registration of the domain name;

(b) a database;

(c) programming to store in the database the at least one customer information in association with the domain name;

(d) programming to retrieve the domain name and the at least one customer information; and

(e) further communications programming enabling the computer to send to a registrar the at least one proxy domain name registrant information to be used in registering the domain name in the name of the proxy entity.

43. The programming according to claim 42 further comprising:

web site programming to establish an interactive web site for communication with the proxy entity.

44. The programming according to claim 43, wherein the web site programming comprises a web page for receiving a request for cancellation of the proxy domain name registration.

45. The programming according to claim 44, further comprising programming responsive to the request for cancellation of the proxy domain name registration to cause retrieval of the at least one customer information associated with the proxy domain name registration to be cancelled, and subsequently, to cause additional communications programming to send to the registrar the at least one customer information that is retrieved.

46. A system comprising:

(a) a computer installation establishing a web site;

(b) at least one interactive page on the web site enabling a customer to request a registration of at least one domain name;

(c) a field on at least one of the at least one interactive page for the customer to enter the at least one domain name;

(d) a message on at least one of the at least one interactive page prompting the customer to indicate whether a proxy registration of the at least one domain name is desired;

(e) a computer installation programming operative in response to the customer'"'"'s indication of a desire for the proxy registration of the at least one domain name to associate at least one proxy information regarding a proxy domain name registrant with the at least one domain name, the proxy domain name registrant having a name;

(f) a database for storing in association with at least one customer information of the customer the at least one domain name and the at least one proxy information, and

(g) a connection at the computer installation for sending a request for registration of the at least one domain name to a domain name registry.