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TRC.com Sets Auction Record at Sav.com

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TRC.com expired at the end of November 2024. The domain name was apparently registered at a domain registrar that doesn’t have a deal with an expiry auction platform, so it was fully deleted from the registry. As a result, drop catching auction platforms competed to catch the domain name once it made it through the expiration cycle.

Sav.com caught the domain name, and TRC.com was entered into a ten day auction. After a great deal of extended bidding, the auction for TRC.com closed at $100,000. There were 304 bids placed by 22 different bidders.

Consider Removing “WHOIS” from Domain Name Contracts

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I use several different domain name purchase or sale agreements depending on the situation. Each of these agreements references “WHOIS” as a means of confirming ownership of a domain name before or after a sale.

With the sunsetting of WHOIS in favor of the new RDAP, it might make sense for domain investors, brokers, and escrow agents to update their contracts. This was the advice of IP attorney John Berryhill, who works extensively within the domain name industry:

He subsequently some of the larger companies in the space adjust their purchase agreements:

As WHOIS records become obsolete and no longer a requirement for domain registrars, referencing WHOIS in a purchase agreement as a means of confirming ownership will be outdated. It may also “open up a can of worms,” as John put in his post.

I hadn’t thought about this until seeing John’s post, but I am going to send my purchase agreements to John for modification. I also think it’s a good idea to have him (or other attorney) give these agreements a once-over every once in a while to ensure they remain protective of my company and align with its needs.

I Appreciate Having a Broker as a Counterparty

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I appreciate being able to discuss the sale of a domain name with a domain broker representing a third party. Not only does this give me some insight into who the prospective buyer is, but it also reduces some of the friction in a negotiation.

The best part of working with a broker as a counterparty to a negotiation is the buyer has already been educated. A broker isn’t going to take on a buyer with unrealistic price expectations. The buyer is essentially prequalified to discuss a deal. The buyer may not have the full budget, but there will be much less tire kicking.

Gong.com UDRP Should be RDNH

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The Gong Show was a television talent show on ABC in the late 1970s. Contestants would perform a variety of acts while being judged by a panel of celebrity guests. If a judge found an act particularly bad, they could hit a large gong, abruptly ending the performance.

It’s too bad there isn’t a gigantic gong at the World Intellectual Property Organization! A UDRP was filed against Gong.com at WIPO. It is case #D2025-0500. Without doing much research, I think this UDRP should be a case of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH).

First and foremost, “gong” is a descriptive term. A gong is a large, flat, circular percussion instrument, typically made of metal, that produces a loud sound when struck with a mallet. That, alone, in my opinion, should be enough to doom this UDRP. However, there is more…

Top 5 Domain Names in 2025 Super Bowl Commercials

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The Super Bowl was played last night, and a great deal of attention was on the Super Bowl commercials. In the recent past, domain names played a more minor role in the commercials, but that was not the case this year. There were quite a few standout domain names that played a prominent role.

I counted five exceptional domain names that were featured in Super Bowl commercials this year. I posted the commercials with the domain names below. I also posted a poll on X to see which domain name people like best:

Samba.com Now Forwarding to Samba.tv

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Three weeks ago, Samba.com sold for $143,000 in a NameJet expiry auction. Samba.com is an exceptional domain name, and there are many branded companies that would benefit from owning it. At $143k, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that an aggressive domain investor acquired the domain name to be a portfolio asset. That doesn’t appear to have happened.

Samba.com now redirects to Samba.tv, the primary domain name of Samba TV, an analytics company specializing in television audience insights. Backed by substantial venture funding, Samba TV’s technology is integrated into numerous smart TVs, allowing advertisers to deliver more relevant ads and personalize content recommendations based on viewing habits.

Recent Posts

TRC.com Sets Auction Record at Sav.com

5
TRC.com expired at the end of November 2024. The domain name was apparently registered at a domain registrar that doesn't have a deal with...

Consider Removing “WHOIS” from Domain Name Contracts

0
I use several different domain name purchase or sale agreements depending on the situation. Each of these agreements references "WHOIS" as a means of...

I Appreciate Having a Broker as a Counterparty

10
I appreciate being able to discuss the sale of a domain name with a domain broker representing a third party. Not only does this...

Gong.com UDRP Should be RDNH

1
The Gong Show was a television talent show on ABC in the late 1970s. Contestants would perform a variety of acts while being judged...

Top 5 Domain Names in 2025 Super Bowl Commercials

3
The Super Bowl was played last night, and a great deal of attention was on the Super Bowl commercials. In the recent past, domain...