Posting will be very light (if at all) today, as my friend and I are finishing up the directory for Lowell.com. While development has taken longer than I thought it would, I think that is the case with every website.
Podcast with Ed Keay-Smith (Oz Domainer)
Last night I had the opportunity to speak with a new friend across the world, Ed Keay-Smith from OzDomainer.com. It’s amazing how people can connect on the Internet. Ed sounded like he was next door, and we had a conversation like we’ve known each other for years. When you have a chance, please check out the podcast. I discussed how I started in the industry, how I think the Snowe legislation could impact all domain owners (and how people can help), and I discussed my new experience in developing my domain names.
If you have any questions after you listen, feel free to post them here or on Ed’s blog, and I will be happy to respond. BTW, I hate how my voice sounds on answering machines, on microphone, and now on podcast 🙂
Podcast with Ed Keay-Smith
Are You Spending More or Less on Domain Names?
In light of the downturn in the US economy and the potential Snowe legislation on the horizon, I am wondering if you are spending more or less on domain names that you have in the past. Results of recent domain auctions would indicate that people may be spending less on domain names at this moment, but I am wondering whether it’s a sign of the times or if the auction market has become saturated, and sales only appear to be down when they really aren’t.
Over the last few months, I think I have been investing about the same on domain names than I did in the past. I have been focusing less on the second tier names and more on the top quality domain names for development. Instead of buying 10 or so average to good domain names per month, I have been buying 3-5 better domain names for somewhere around the same price. I don’t know if this is a reflection of economic conditions or fear of the potentially damaging legislation, but I have been buying less names, although the amount I have been spending is around the same.
I am always buying high quality domain names that I can develop. Well, on second thought,
Report: Snowe Bill "Trademark Legislation on Steroids"
From ComputerWorld:
“An antiphishing bill that was introduced in the U.S. Senate last week could end up being used by large holders of trademarks to unfairly wrest legitimate domain names away from small businesses and individuals, according to a trade group that represents domain name investors and so-called direct search companies.“
Check out ComputerWorld for the entire article.
I have spent thousands of dollars developing my domain names in addition to the cost of acquiring these names, and this bill has the potential to make it easy for companies to take them from me without much trouble. I have been careful acquiring domain names that do not infringe on the marks of other companies, but in the end, I could get burned because of this legislation. Â It simply isn’t fair to small-time entrepreneurs like myself.
From what I can tell, the Internet Commerce Association is our best chance at getting the bill changed. They have a great staff working to protect the rights of people in the domain industry, and we need to support them. Please consider becoming a member of the ICA or making a (tax deductible) contribution. Now is the time we need to step up and organize.
ICA Auction: Get Your Bids In
There are just under 24 hours to go in my auction for PuertoRicanVacation.com, which currently has a high bid of $300. All funds from this auction will go to the ICA to help protect the rights of domain investors. The auction is being held on Nameade, a new domain auction website. They are giving the ICA $1,000 on top of the high bid price for the domain name. This will be a win/win for all.
The auction ends on Wednesday, March 5th at 3pm.
Cuba-Related Websites Shutdown; Domains Taken
In this morning’s New York Times, there’s an article about an English travel agent who owned several Cuba-related domain names which were shut down by his registrar eNom, due to their listing on the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While owning and operating these websites on his own soil is legal, since they were being managed by eNom, a US-based domain registrar, eNom had to take possession of the domain names and essentially put the owner out of business.
While I am not going to debate the merits of this decision by the Treasury Department, I do think it is important for everyone to take a few moments and check to see where their domain registrar is located. Just a few months ago, a similar situation occurred with Internet gaming giant Bodog, whose domain names were taken and awarded to a litigant who filed suit in the US. While the situation was different then, it still shows that a US government decision or a ruling in a US court could potentially lead to losing domain names.
When doing business in another country, it is important to know that country’s laws related to your business. Â Since many non-Americans who own domain names are doing business with American-based companies, it is important to know US law when it comes to domain names and online activities. If you should have any questions related to domain name law, I urge you to contact an attorney.