Name Squatting

[cw1865]

I recently put out an inquiry to a domain that is currently registered under a private registration. The actual domain name is simply parked with no contact information on it, so I had no alternative but to see the Who Is record. In any case, he's asking 6 figures for the domain name which to be frank isn't worth the price even if the site is developed and selling.

At present, he's just squatting on the domain (and has every right to), but at some point in time he probably told his registrant that he wouldn't even entertain any offers less than 6 figures. I'd give the guy 10K+ for the domain, but I can't get an offer through to him. Is there any way around the privacy registrations?

[kgun]

1. No comments. I read the post yesterday, but do not.
2. Know the concept "Name Squatting". Please explain.
3. General remark: How do you value a company or a web site?

[gwhite]

you might do a search on Sedo and some of the other big name auction/for sale sites and see if he has it listed there. With Sedo you can make an offer on any site listed.

[cw1865]

1. No comments. I read the post yesterday, but do not.
2. Know the concept "Name Squatting". Please explain.
3. General remark: How do you value a company or a web site?

Checked out SEDO and the .net version of the domain is listed but not the .com

In its most malicious form, I think you have heard of it. Say you take the name 'cnnnew' or 'bbcnews' or something like that and you're hoping to trade off of CNN's / BBC's trademark, that would be squatting. In this case, I have no legal recourse to the name, it does not violate a trademark or anything like that, the term is generic - 'briefcases' - but whoever has it isn't doing anything with it, its just sitting in a parked mode with adsense ads on it.

In this case, the domain name is intellectual property in virtually its purest form (I doubt this thing is getting any serious traffic).

Internally, I don't have much time to value it. I go to my adsense account and I see how much estimated traffic is expected to be generated from an adsense ad for the term briefcases in the US market. Google says 227-300 hits per day. I take that number and I multiply by a DISCOUNTED conversion rate of .75%. So, at worst I am looking at 1-3 sales per day off of this thing.

Problem is that for what he's asking, you would think that you were buying a stand alone business that already had sales, already had goodwill, etc.

At the end of the day though, his price is his price, he can ask whatever he wants for it. I'm just annoyed because he has it set up in a way that I can't negotiate with them.

[kgun]

Yes, there may still be great value in the name, espeically if you own "abcd.com" and the "abcd" company does not exist today, but in some years.

I think I once heard an estimate that 50 % of the companies that will exist in 20 years do not exist today.

If you want to buy a domain name, the intrinsic value of that name (brand), must be incorporated into the present value calculation.

Example:

1881 dot no is a very important site here. (1881 a very important telephone number).

A person I know had required a similar name (related to a comany's telephone number) and recently won a case in court (so long?).

Dot as is very important here too. AS = Short for Ltd. = Short for ASia. AS domains have to be required for at least 2 years as far as I know.

So what would be the case if you ordered

MultiFinanceIT dot as

and I have owned the dot com version for some years?

Is that Name Squatting?

[alexsimon]

I recently put out an inquiry to a domain that is currently registered under a private registration. The actual domain name is simply parked with no contact information on it, so I had no alternative but to see the Who Is record. In any case, he's asking 6 figures for the domain name which to be frank isn't worth the price even if the site is developed and selling.

At present, he's just squatting on the domain (and has every right to), but at some point in time he probably told his registrant that he wouldn't even entertain any offers less than 6 figures. I'd give the guy 10K+ for the domain, but I can't get an offer through to him. Is there any way around the privacy registrations?

I think you should read what squatting is, and what not.

If you have a trademark on the name, file a UDRP.

If not, did you know that some domains make 5 figures a month just from parking revenue? Is that squatting? Why put up a site, when the name makes profit.

For whatever reason people instead of searching for a word type that word.com in their browser.

On another hand if he would have asked $x.xxx he would not be a squatter, because his expectation is not exaggerated? Domains are like property, would you call a person who buys land a landsquatter just because he does not use that land (build houses on it?). I guess no.

[kgun]

If not, did you know that some domains make 5 figures a month just from parking revenue? Is that squatting? Why put up a site, when the name makes profit.

Do you have proof of this?

[alexsimon]

Do you have proof of this?

They are not mine.

But if you read domain forums, you will know that some do. I am not a webmaster but a domainer, and premium domains make that much. For example poker.com makes $4000 - $5000 a day from what I heard, that is why it got an 8 figure offer to buy.

[kgun]

That means more valuable than business.com that was bought for USD 10 million some years ago.

[alexsimon]

That means more valuable than business.com that was bought for USD 10 million some years ago.

Business.com was bought for $7 millions, and resold with the site for more than 300 millions.

And yes, Poker.com got a $17 million bid but it was not sold for that at the Moniker auction. Sex.com sold though for 12 millions and last year Computer.com for $2.1 million.

This year's highest sale was iReport.com for $750k, but it was not because of the type in traffic.