Overstock wins RFP for single letter .biz domain name.
In the first material sign that the release of one and two character .biz domain names could be a boon for the .biz top level domain, Overstock.com has won the RFP for the O.biz domain name. The company will launch a B2B site for businesses to buy goods online at the domain name.
According to a press release, O.BIZ will primarily focus on restaurant, office, and hotel products.
All one character .biz domain names that were not claimed through the RFP process will be auctioned off at Sedo later this month. The domain that will probably attract the most attention is E.biz.
It doesn’t surprise me that Overstock went after this single letter domain, as the company seems intent on acquiring O.com in the future, if it is ever released. It has already filed a trademark for that mark.
Unasi says
“It has already filed a trademark for o.com”
Verisign should sue them because if there would ever be an auciton for one char. dot coms it would sell for cheap because lots of potential bidders would be affraid to bid…
Lee H. says
It’s no surprise and frankly is quite beneficial to the short domain market. Getting more use out of them should prop their value, even 2-4 character domains. Also, I found an interesting article posted by SEDO proposing a 1 letter .com auction back in 2006. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=1184&language=e
domain guy says
lets get this straight this is outright fraud.a claimed token use.and in addition a national survey will be required to establish consumer orgin of use.and every attorney needs to be punished as i stated before and now you can clearly see how domainers are not the problem.there is also
different classes for the same mark as to use.trademark laws are useless and can creat a million dollar backlash against attorneys
this is what 300 an hour buys you.and why every one of these ip attorneys need to be punished in the marketpalce.
M. Menius says
I’m glad to see Overstock do an RFP and obtain the .biz. And I would like to see some good press for .biz.
However, I agree with the above poster that filing for a trademark on O.com is not appropriate. They have no more right to that domain than anyone else.