It’s a while since we rounded up recent domain name news for you. So here goes. First, a couple of items we found particularly interesting:
- Over at Circle ID, they explained how much money companies spend on reclaiming disputed domain names from cybersquatters and the like. We’re surprised that lots of these disputed domains (around 3,000) subsequently get left to expire. If you’re willing to fight for ownership, is renewing the domain really all that much hassle? Full story >
- On the subject of domain name disputes, ICANN (the organisation in overall charge of managing the internet’s domain name system) wants to know what you think about the way domain names currently expire. Do you think you’re given enough time to renew your domain names? Would you change how the process works? Get more information and submit a response >
And some other stories you might have missed:
- Al Gore and Mikhail Gorbachev are reportedly battling for the rights to run a new .eco domain extension. For the sake of political unity, can’t they just share? More details >
- The number of .cn (for China) domains registered has been dropping – possibly because people who registered their domains during a seriously-cheap promotion have decided not to renew. Read more >
- Microsoft has bought the domain office.com. We don’t know what they paid – but it was probably a lot. Should make a nice home for their forthcoming free version of Microsoft Office though.
- According to DN Journal, the domain name dropshippers.com sold recently for $1.5m. At that price, it wouldn’t quite squeeze into our all-time top ten, but it’s not that far off either. Full story >
- And on Domain Name Wire, they’ve discovered that Porsche, makers of the Boxster, have filed a complaint to try and gain control of the misspelt domain name boxter.com. More details >
What domain name stories have we missed over the summer? Leave a comment and let us know what’s caught your eye.
Plenty of people have argued that record companies have been a bit left behind by the internet. Maybe that’s true. But lots of bands have certainly grasped the full potential of the web, using it to market themselves in innovative ways that simply wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago.
