Little “bytes” of news from the domain name world.
There’s a lot going on in the domain name world right now. Here are a few stories that have fallen through the cracks.
Roger Collins has left the building, calling it quits at Name Media. Collins was General Manager of Afternic, and brought the company back from death after buying the domain name from Register.com. He sold Afternic to Name Media in November. Roger’s brother, Michael, left Afternic earlier this year to become Executive Director of Internet Commerce Association. We wish Roger the best in his next endeavor…
PressReleases.com will be on the auction block next week at the TRAFFIC conference in Florida. But this isn’t just a domain name. It’s a business, and comes packaged with eReleases.com. According to the owner, Mickie Kennedy, the business clears about $500,000 in profit per year. At a $2.6M reserve, that makes the asking price about five times annual earnings (and just a couple times revenue). Beyond the low multiple for investment purposes, it may be a great purchase for a press release distribution service trying to cut through the clutter and make a name for itself…
Oversee.net, which purchased SnapNames.com earlier this year, is laying the hammer on a new site called SwapNames.com. SnapNames is claiming trademark infringement, according to a post on Elliot Silver’s blog. SnapNames is an expired domain auction house that is moving into non-expiring domain sales. SwapNames allowed users to buy and trade domains. The two names are only off by one letter, but both names make sense and are distinguishable. Nevertheless, SwapNames doesn’t have the money to fight and is handing over the domain. SwapNames will start operating at Zuho.com on October 9…
Would you consider SnapNames’ action as bullying?
I don’t know the entire story, so I don’t feel comfortable answering that. But it seems odd. It’s not like SwapNames was cutting into SnapNames business, so it’s very curious to me.
I will be taking all my business elsewhere if they do this to swapnames any company associated with this deal will lose biz. I will post this deal all over, its not fair and it is bullying swapnames.
They have no right to this domain name. Swap and snap are so different it is bullying like another poster said. I hope they at least respond to the threat and counter sue.
I do business with Oversee and am disappointed (angry)with their outrageous behavior. They are identifying themselves with the predatory enemies of domain holders.