Photon Group to acquire Dark Blue Sea.

Does a nickel make all the difference in the world?

Dark Blue Sea has accepted (pdf) Photon Group’s takeover bid after Photon upped its offer from 30 cents per share to 35 cents per share. In a joint statement, Dark Blue Sea Chairman Vernon Wills stated “We are pleased with the increased offer. It is in the best interests of DBS that this transaction is concluded as promptly and efficiently as possible.”

Let’s rewind a little bit and see what Wills and the board at Dark Blue Sea, parent company of Fabulous, had to say about Photon Group when it wanted to insert two of its own onto DBS’ board (something it will do after the takeover).

Photon may potentially change the strategy of Dark Blue sea in a way that will benefit Photon shareholders and not all Dark Blue Sea shareholders…The Directors of Dark Blue Sea believe that Photon is looking at Dark Blue Sea as an opportunity to reduce their debt be either selling the company, introducing significant debt onto Dark Blue Sea’s balance sheet by buying one or more of Photon’s businesses, or starting aggressive business activities to boost short term profitability at the expense of longer term shareholder value”.

That was before Photon’s 30 cent offer, and also before the 35 cent offer.

Is the offer of 35 cents per share enough to change DBS’ mind that Photon is looking at the opportunity as a way to reduce its debt or over-leverage DBS? Or does it just mean that at 35 cents, the board is willing to jump ship and feel lucky to walk away with what it got?

Or maybe it was just shrewd negotiation. But it’s a fair question to ask if you’re a Fabulous customer.

Hotel rooms are booking quickly for January domain name conferences.

It’s hard to believe that the 2010 domain conference schedule kicks off in about seven weeks. As it creeps up on us, be sure to make your hotel reservations now.

Rooms for the TRAFFIC show at the Hard Rock hotel in Las Vegas are cheap — only $159 a night — thanks to the global recession. That doesn’t include taxes and resort fees. You can book your room online using the link on TRAFFIC’s web site.

DOMAINfest’s rooms at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel are a bit more expensive, starting at $239, but you better call and reserve your room quickly if you want a good price. I called over the weekend and was told that the $239 rooms are basically sold out. They have some available, but you’ll have to check out of your room each day and into another given the limited availability. The next cheapest room type is $259 a night. When you make your reservation, ask to enroll in the hotel chain’s frequent visitors program so you get perks such as free in-room wifi during your stay. You can only get the conference rate by calling, not online.

Both hotels offer reasonable cancellation policies, so if you’re thinking about attending either show you might want to lock up your room now and decide later.

This year’s Black Friday made a major push to the web.

I remember the first time I decided to brave the crowds for Black Friday, the official first shopping day of the holiday season. I had to drop my wife (girlfriend at the time) off at the airport for an early morning flight, so I decided I may as well stop in at the electronics store for a few deals.

What I saw was a joke. The shameless consumerism of America. People lined up a hundred deep hours in advance, only to push and shove each other inside a store to save $50 on a TV. I decided then an there that it was only worth dealing with Black Friday if you were going to save several hundred dollars on a big ticket purchase.

Some things were different this year. First, bricks and mortar stores broke ranks with prior years by pre-announcing their specials several days in advance. Second, almost all major online stores had specials of their own that were actually good. (In past years they had deals but nothing to rival physical stores). The online stores also extended the specials well before Friday; I picked up a James Bond DVD for $2.00 on Amazon yesterday.

Today, after many years of skipping the Black Friday activities, I found myself an unwilling participant. I tried to put up our Christmas lights yesterday only to find that the record Austin heat destroyed most of them in summer storage. (Perhaps the attic wasn’t the best place to store them.) So I had to visit Target to pick up some new ones.

Thankfully, I picked the right Target store. No lines, no pushy people. And when I checked out, I got an unanticipated little surprise. The cashier handed me a $10 gift card. “This is for spending $100 or more before noon,” she said.

If only I could use that gift card for a domain registration.

Taking a positive view of the industry in 2009.

Despite another rough year for much of the domain name industry, there’s a lot I give thanks for.

1. Companies are creating new solutions for domain monetization. As domain parking revenue continues to fall, companies are stepping in to fill the void with creative solutions. There’s DevHub and WhyPark on the quick site development side, and innovative directory and sales solutions such as Octane360.

2. There are more options to sell domains to end users. Big thanks to NameMedia for expanding its end user reach and GoDaddy for opening up its registration-path to the individual domain name owner.

3. Innovation is coming to domain sales. After a long wait, we’re seeing innovation in domain sales. Bido is maturing and developing, and new opportunities enter the stage every day. I think BargainDomains.com has big potential.

4. Domaining is a flexible occupation. My family might not be 100% healthy, but domaining gives me the flexibility to spend time with the people who matter.

5. Domain Name Wire readers and advertisers. I wake up excited every day to write. That would be rather lame if it weren’t for you, and impossible if it weren’t for my many great advertisers.

New web site calls attention to bad UDRP decisions.

There have been a number of poorly decided domain name cases under UDRP, many of which I’ve written about on Domain Name Wire. Now a new site is calling attention to many of these cases in an effort to alert ICANN to flaws in the UDRP process.

The 2009 UDRP Wall of Shame highlights a number of these cases and why they were decided incorrectly.

One example is Versa.com. Versa Capital filed a UDRP for Versa.com and VersaCapital.com. On VersaCapital.com is was found guilty of reverse domain name hijacking. But it somehow won Versa.com!

Another case is OpenDental.com, where the registrant registered the domain name four years before a software company by the same name started using the term. Despite the fact that the domain couldn’t have been registered in bad faith, the panelist handed over the domain name.

Many of the cases on UDRP Wall of Shame cite articles on Domain Name Wire, but there are several other resources used as well. There’s also a submission form to suggest new cases that should be on the Wall of Shame. People wishing to contribute to the web site may also fill out the contact form for more information.