Turnkey reseller program for registering domain names

• US 20050021588A1
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• 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, Josh
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 reseller program for allowing a plurality of Customers to register one or more domain names via a Registrar, comprising:

A) means for accepting a plurality of Resellers into a reseller program;

B) means for creating a registrar web site for registering domain names with an appropriate Registry;

C) means for allowing a plurality of Customers to register one or more domain names via the registrar web site, wherein at least one of the plurality of Customers was guided to the registrar web site from actions by one of the plurality of Resellers;

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

E) means for compensating each Reseller that guided a Customer to the registrar web site that registered a domain name.

2. The reseller program of claim 1, wherein the registrar web site has the ability to accept domain names from the Customers, accept information regarding the Customers, check on availability of the domain names, collect a fee from the Customers, register available domain names for the Customers and compensate the plurality of Resellers based on the actions of the Customers.

3. The reseller program of claim 1, wherein the actions by one of the plurality of Resellers include advertisement.

4. The reseller program of claim 1, further including means to register domain names via a proxy service, wherein proxy contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

5. The reseller program of claim 1, wherein the actions by one of the plurality of Resellers include creating a link to the registrar web site from another web site.

6. A reseller program for allowing a plurality of Customers to register one or more domain names via a Registrar, comprising:

A) a registrar web site adapted for receiving selected domain names from a plurality of Customers and for registering the selected domain names with an appropriate Registry; and

B) an administration web site adapted for allowing Resellers to enter the reseller program and allowing each Reseller to customize the registrar web site for their Customers.

7. The reseller program of claim 6, wherein the registrar web site has the ability to accept domain names from the Customers, accept information regarding the Customers, check on availability of the domain names, collect a fee from the Customers, register available domain names for the Customers, associate Customers with a Reseller and compensate the plurality of Resellers based on the actions of their associated Customers.

8. The reseller program of claim 6, wherein the administration web site offers the option to the Resellers to receive electronic payments from the Registrar based on activities of the Resellers'"'"' Customers.

9. The reseller program of claim 6, wherein the administration web site offers the option to the Resellers to offer registering domain names via a proxy service, wherein proxy contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

10. The reseller program of claim 6, wherein the administration web site offers the option to the Reseller to display a report showing commission payments during selected time periods.

11. A process for allowing a plurality of Customers to register one or more domain names via a reseller program, comprising the steps of:

A) accepting a plurality of Resellers into a reseller program;

B) creating a registrar web site for registering domain names with an appropriate Registry;

C) allowing a plurality of Customers to register one or more domain names via the web site, wherein at least one of the plurality of Customers was guided to the web site from actions by one of the plurality of Resellers;

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

E) compensating each Reseller that guided a Customer to the web site that registered a domain name.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the registrar web site has the ability to accept domain names from the Customers, accept information regarding the Customers, check on availability of the domain names, collect a fee from the Customers, register available domain names for the Customers and compensate the plurality of Resellers.

13. The process of claim 11, further including the step of allowing domain names to be registered via a proxy service having contact information, wherein the proxy service contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

14. The process of claim 11, wherein the actions by one of the plurality of Resellers include placement of the registrar web site in a search engine.

15. The process of claim 11, wherein the actions by one of the plurality of Resellers include creating a link to the Registrar web site from another web site.

16. A process for allowing a plurality of Customers to register one or more domain names via a turnkey reseller program, comprising:

A) creating a registrar web site adapted for registering domain names with an appropriate Registry;

B) creating an administration web site adapted for allowing Resellers to enter the turnkey reseller program and allowing each Reseller to customize the registrar web site for their Customers;

C) registering a Reseller into the turnkey reseller program;

D) selling products or services to a Customer of the Reseller; and

E) compensating the Reseller based on the products or services purchased by the Customer.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the registrar web site has the ability to accept domain names from Customers, accept information regarding Customers, check on availability of the domain names accepted from Customers, collect a fee from Customers, register available domain names for Customers, associate Customers with a Reseller and compensate the plurality of Resellers based on the actions of their associated Customers.

18. The process of claim 16, wherein the administration web site offers the option to the Resellers to receive electronic payments from the Registrar based on activities of their associated Customers.

19. The process of claim 16, wherein the administration web site offers the option to the Resellers to offer registering domain names via a proxy service, wherein proxy contact information is made publicly available while the Customer receives legal rights in the domain name.

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