Domain name control based social website account authentication

• US 8,751,586 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adelman, Warren, Jilg, Justin, Lee, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRABIK, SARAH E
• Application Number:
  US12/549,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/219, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods of the present inventions allow for verifying the authenticity of social website accounts. An example embodiment of a domain name control based social website account authentication method may comprise the steps of receiving a request (that may include a business name and a business email address) to verify the authenticity of a social website account, determining whether the domain name used by the business email address is registered to and under control of the business, and—if so—certifying the authenticity of the social website account.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

A) a domain name registrar receiving, by at least one server computer communicatively coupled to a network, a request from a social website to verify whether a social website account for said social website is non-fraudulent, said request comprising a business name for a business and a business email address for said business, said business email address comprising a domain name;

B) said domain name registrar determining whether said domain name is registered to and under control of said business; and

C) responsive to a determination that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business, said domain name registrar certifying to said social website that said social website account is non-fraudulent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said social website comprises a micro-blogging website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said social website comprises a software application selected from the group consisting of a micro-blogging application, a chat application, a forum application, a social networking application, a blog application, and an instant messaging application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said software application comprises a server-side software application.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said software application comprises a client-side software application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step B) comprises the steps of:

i) analyzing a WHOIS data for said domain name;

ii) identifying an administrative contact from said WHOIS data;

iii) contacting said administrative contact; and

iv) receiving confirmation from said administrative contact confirming that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said WHOIS data comprises an administrative contact email address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said contacting step iii) comprises sending an email message to said administrative contact email address.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said administrative contact email message comprises a hyperlink.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said receiving step iv) comprises receiving an HTTP request originating from said hyperlink.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step B) comprises sending an email message to said business email address, said email message comprising at least one instruction for verifying that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said email message comprises at least one instruction to modify a CNAME record for said domain name.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining step B) further comprises determining that said CNAME record was modified according to said at least one instruction by analyzing a DNS record for said domain name.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said email message comprises at least one instruction to upload an HTML file to a webpage resolving from said domain name.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said email message further comprises said HTML file.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said email message further comprises a file name for said HTML file.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining step B) further comprises determining that said HTML file has been uploaded to said webpage.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said confirmation is obtained by determining that said HTML file has been uploaded to said webpage.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said certifying step C) comprises notifying said social website that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said certifying step C) comprises transmitting a certification seal to said social website.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said certifying step C) comprises validating said social website account via said social website'"'"'s application programming interface.

22. A method comprising the steps of:

A) a social website sending, by at least one server computer communicatively coupled to a network, a request to a domain name registrar to verify whether a social website account for said social website is non-fraudulent, said request comprising a business name for a business and a business email address for said business, said business email address comprising a domain name;

B) said social website receiving from said domain name registrar confirmation that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business; and

C) said social website certifying on said social website that said social website account is non-fraudulent.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said social website comprises a micro-blogging website.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said social website comprises a software application selected from the group consisting of a micro-blogging application, a chat application, a forum application, a social networking application, a blog application, and an instant messaging application.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said software application comprises a server-side software application.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said confirmation is obtained by:

i) analyzing a WHOIS data for said domain name;

ii) identifying an administrative contact from said WHOIS data;

iii) contacting said administrative contact; and

iv) receiving confirmation from said administrative contact that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said WHOIS data comprises an administrative contact email address.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said contacting step iii) comprises sending an email message to said administrative contact email address.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said administrative contact email message comprises a hyperlink.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said receiving step iv) comprises receiving an HTTP request originating from said hyperlink.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein said confirmation is obtained by sending an email message to said business email address, said email message comprising at least one instruction for verifying that said domain name is registered to and under control of said business.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said email message comprises at least one instruction to modify a CNAME record for said domain name.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said confirmation is obtained by determining that said CNAME record was modified according to said at least one instruction by analyzing a DNS record for said domain name.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said email message comprises at least one instruction to upload an HTML file to a webpage resolving from said domain name.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said email message further comprises said HTML file.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said email message further comprises a file name for said HTML file.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein said certifying step C) comprises displaying an indicia of certification on said social website.