Company tries to get “proper” version of its domain through UDRP but fails.
I’ve argued many, many times that you shouldn’t create a web site at a “domain hack”, where the top level domain name is part of the keywords. Here’s just another example, courtesy of a decision at World Intellectual Property Organization.
Sazze, Inc, which operates DealsPl.us, has lost a case brought against the owner of DealsPlus.com.
DealsPl.us is a big web site, getting well over a million unique visits per month according to Compete. But imagine trying to tell someone to go to the actual web site:
“It’s DealsPlus. That’s deals-p-l-dot-u-s.”
That doesn’t work well.
So DealsPl.us filed a UDRP to get the better domain name DealsPlus.com. A three person panel found that the domain name wasn’t registered and used in bad faith.
Like just about every site on a domain hack that has become popular, I bet Sazze wishes it would have done things right from the beginning.
Rob Sequin says
Asking price of DealsPlus.com just went WAY up!
Ed Muller says
Spend $5,000 to bring a case that would cost you $250,000+ regardless of win or loss (as long as defendant knows how to fight). Brilliant!
dp says
With hindsight this is easy to say. There’s a million dating sites out there, a million deals and coupons site, a million games sites, etc. So you decide you’re going to make one, odds are against you but it costs almost nothing to get started and there’s a big win if you get it right. You’re not going to invest a few grand+ in a better domain right at the start unless you are really sure of yourself. Lots of these sites start as a hobby, a quality name is simply out of reach until they establish a level of success and at that point it is “too late” to get that name at the “below the radar price”.
I’m not saying this is a good approach, just that I can see how it happens time and time again. I guess is a good thing for domainers. Now big corporations or well-funded groups launching without the .com for their product / brand, well that is just dumb 🙂
Andrew Allemann says
@ dp – fair point. I’ve often “tried out” site ideas with inferior domains.
Jim Fleming says
http://delicio.us
http://delicious.com/
http://Toys.R.US
http://Bit.LY
But, as you say, “do it right”.
…pick a 4-letter .COM and build a brand…
http://WOOT.com
mrx says
@dp “but it costs almost nothing to get started”
It takes a lot of time, hard work and money to make a succesful website.
dp says
Of course it does, but you can *get started* on almost no budget. A domain, a cheap host, a text editor, an ability to learn, that’s it.
Jakbqwik says
Heard a rumor (can’t get confirmation yet) of a LL.com that just sold yesterday for an amount that will place it in the top 3 of all time.
I’m not disclosing the domain here, because my source swore me to secrecy. This deal WAS NOT brokered by a company, but it is being purchased by someone who is making a mark in the “social mobile” world…the buyer IS NOT a large company, just a start-up with deep pockets.
The news should be coming out sometime next week, but I can’t guarantee it.
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