Internet domain name acquisition pending deletion

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the present invention integrates a domain name monitoring and acquisition service with a registry system. The monitoring and acquisition service can receive a request from a registrar to acquire a domain name. The monitoring and acquisition service also can receive a pending delete notification from the registry for a domain name having a registration that is about to be deleted. The pending delete notification can be received before the registry issues a public delete notification or purges the domain name, at which point the domain name is registrable by the first-responding registrar. If the domain name that is the subject of the pending delete notification has a corresponding acquisition request received by the monitoring and acquisition service, the monitoring and acquisition service can request acquisition of the domain name for the requesting registrar.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 016,498 filed Nov. 1, 2001, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 245,102, filed Nov. 1, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser No. 60 / 248,341, filed Nov. 13, 2000, all incorporated herein by this reference.COPY NOTICE [0002]©2000-2006 SnapNames.com, Inc. A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR § 1.71(d)-(e) (2000). TECHNICAL FIELD [0003] This invention pertains to distributed computer network node naming resolution processes and, more specifically, to registration of Internet domain names....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This solution simplifies the registration process, reduces the need for constant pinging of databases, and provides a reliable, efficient way for domain name retailers to offer automatic registration services, eliminating the costly and uncertain race for newly available domain names, thereby ensuring customers can secure desired domain names without technical expertise.

Problems solved by technology

However, because an entity must have a presence in the United Kingdom to register a name in the “.uk” TLD, that domain is not a global TLD.

Volume is key, however, so much effort and money is spent on advertising and various relationships with other sites to attract “traffic.” The leading registrars today each process on the order of a few million registrations or renewals per year.

The trouble is that popular, easy to remember or easy to recognize names are relatively limited in number.

The challenge arises in that many users or entities are “watching” for availability of the very same names at the very same registries.

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