Don’t Get Caught in the Legal Crossfire

Elliot Silver
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Despite the fact that it is 2016 and the laws regarding cybersquatting on well known brands are well established, some people still seem a bit too cavalier when it comes to owning infringing domain names. My guess is that some people either don’t know about the protections given to brands or they believe the risk/reward analysis is in their favor.

This morning, Andrew Hazen called attention to a lawsuit that was filed by fashion brand Christian Dior. According to the article in World IP Review, in addition to injunctive relief and the transfer of the infringing domain names, “It is also seeking an account of all profits made by the defendants in their unlawful acts, and statutory damages for wilful counterfeiting for each use of the Dior trademarks ($2 million per infringement, tripled) and $100,000 for each domain name.”

The company, like many other large brands, is

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I Like to Close Deals Quickly

Elliot Silver
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After coming to terms on a deal, I like to close as quickly as possible. I’ve experienced enough times where a buyer or seller changes his or her mind, and I know that the more quickly a deal closes, the better.

People outside of the domain business often have questions about the closing process, and I provide them with in-depth details about the transaction. I try to give as much information as possible, while making it clear that the process is not complicated or difficult. I don’t want the other party, who may be busy with other day-to-day tasks, to feel that the process is cumbersome or going to take too much time to complete.

I am very responsive to

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My Purchases Feel Better Than My Sales

Elliot Silver
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I almost always seem to feel more excited when I buy a domain name then when I sell a domain name. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very good feeling to lock down a profitable sale, but this feeling usually pales in comparison to reaching a purchase deal on a domain name I really like.

When I agree to sell a domain name, I often feel like I am leaving money on the table. Whether this is true or not is something that can only be known in time if the buyer resells the domain name, but it is a feeling I regularly have when I sell domain names. I understand the probability of selling a domain name, and I am regularly willing to sell a domain name if it makes financial sense for my company, even if the deal isn’t perfect. My philosophy is that if my margin is decent, I don’t mind leaving some meat on the bone for the next guy.

When I am buying a domain name and

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What Types of Domain Names Are You Buying?

Elliot Silver
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I am almost always looking to buy domain names in the aftermarket. I send offers and inquiries daily, and I participate in domain auctions on a variety of auction platforms on a daily basis.

Scott Rosenbaum suggested that I publish an article asking people to share what types of domain names they are buying these days, and I think that is a good idea. This will give me and other readers the opportunity to see what types of domain names other people are buying right now.

Here are four types of domain names I am always looking to buy:

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5 Deal Closing Incentives

Elliot Silver
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When negotiating a domain name purchase, I regularly encounter a bit of turbulence. Usually it happens when I make some sort of best and final offer and/or the domain name owner makes a best and final offer and we are left far enough apart that there is a material difference in our positions.

I thought about several ways I have been able  to close deals that I want to share with you. Sometimes, none of these will work, especially when there is a considerable gap between valuations and offers.  In addition, I have found that even smaller concessions can be helpful, especially when it comes to someone who seems to refuse to budge on a number out of principle.

Here are 5 deal closing incentives that I have used to varying degrees of success:

Add a few extra $ – When your offer is fairly close to the seller’s price, it may make sense to offer a bit more money. If the deal is good, a few percentage points won’t likely hurt. I won’t spend more than my comfort level, but I can generally find a bit more money if it means closing a deal.

Promise immediate payment – Although this is always a given for me, I let the seller know that I will pay right away. This may get them to think that other people might not pay right away or would need to line up financing (especially if the domain owner isn’t too familiar with domain name sales). Knowing that they will have a nice wire transfer into their bank account within a day or two can be a powerful incentive to closing a deal.

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$5,000 Domain Name Offers

Elliot Silver
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I recently received a few $5,000 offers for domain names I own. Based on several factors including the  email addresses, the information in the emails, and a couple of other things, I believe these are mass emails sent to many domain owners. My opinion is that the sender goes through all of the affirmative responses and decides which to pursue and which to ignore.

I assume some people are very happy to get a $5,000 offer for a domain name only to be let down when they don’t receive a response. I also assume some people get annoyed by these $5,000 offers because their domain names are worth much more than $5,000. Others find them annoying because nobody responds when they wish to begin a discussion, as a $5,000 opening offer is usually enough to at least open a dialog.

One takeaway from this is that

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