April 30, 2008 - 9:23AM

Melbourne IT Ltd has acquired US company VeriSign's Digital Brand Management Services business (DBMS)

 for $US50 million ($A53.33 million).

The deal is expected to be earnings per share (EPS) accretive in 2009 contributing more than $US30 million

 ($A32 million) as well as annualised cost synergies in excess of $US1.5 million ($A1.6 million), 

Melbourne IT said.

 

Melbourne IT, a supplier of domain registration and other online services, said combining

 its Corporate Brand Service division with Verisign's DBMS business would boost its scale 

and market share in digital brand protection and performance market.

"The acquisition of VeriSign DBMS is expected to quadruple our current enterprise client base, 

provide a leading market position in the Americas and deliver a 200 per cent increase 

in the number of digital brands managed on behalf of our clients," 

Melbourne IT chief executive Theo Hnarakis said.

Melbourne IT said it expected no contribution from the acquisition in 2008, 

after accounting for the anticipated one-off integration and transition costs.

 

Melbourne IT said it also would establish "world class data centre facilities and digital brand support services

 during the year".

Melbourne IT will rename the newly combined business Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services.

Reposted from Original Source: http://news.theage.com.au/melbourne-it-buys-verisigns-dbms/20080430-29gw.html

Coming on the heels of the massive PR blunder by Network Solution's alleged Front Running practice, we now hear that Network Solutions is facing a class action lawsuit (and ICANN has been named as a defendant in the lawsuit as well). What do I think? -- I think this was a policy blunder by Network Solutions but they have corrected it and filing a class action lawsuit against them is probably taken it farther than I would've suggested.

Here is the complete article: Network Solutions' policy of automatically registering searched domain names has sparked a class-action lawsuit. A class-action lawsuit filed on Monday against Network Solutions alleges the company has unfairly profited from its domain name registration business. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California,takes issue with a policyNetwork Solutions implemented in December. The company says the policy is intended to protect people trying to reserve a domain name, but others say steers business to Network Solutions.

The company automatically reserves a domain name after someone merely conducts a search on Network Solutions' Web site. If someone goes to another domain name registrar just seconds later, the domain name won't be available. The only option a person has is to buy the domain name from Network Solutions, which can cost as much as US$34.99, according to a news release from Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP, a Los Angeles law firm.

Network Solutions will eventually give up the domain name before the end of the Add-Grace Period, which lets someone get a refund for a domain name within five days of registering one. The Add-Grace Period is allowed for some Top Level Domains (TLDs) by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the overseer of the Internet's addressing system, which is also named in the class-action suit. Network Solutions says its policy counters "front running," a practice where scammers get access to domain name search records and immediately register searched domains names.

Sometimes those domains are stacked with pay-per-click ads during the five-day period to see how much traffic the sites get, a practice known as domain "tasting." Other times, the person who registered the domain hopes to sell for a profit to the person who searched for it. Network Solutions was heavily criticized for implementing the policy without notifying people who searched for domain names. It has since posted moredetailed informationon its Web site. The lawsuit alleges Network Solutions' domain registration fees are too expensive, and that the same domain name could be registered for as little as $9.99.

The policy has netted the company millions of dollars, and essentially allowed it to create a monopoly, the law firm said. Last month, Network Solutions said it would halt its policy if ICANN approves a change under consideration to the Add-Grace Period. As part of its fiscal 2009 budget, ICANN is considering keeping the $0.20 fee it charges for registering domains, regardless if one is given up during the grace period. The move is intended to make it much more expensive to taste domains in bulk.

Full Article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/26/AR2008022601062.html</a>

The domainer in you must have wondered at some time as to how exactly can an expiring domain name become available for re-registration by a new owner. To know the answer to this question, you must understand the Status of a domain as listed in the whois database. Here is the URL of the whois lookup provided by Domain Tools. When observing the results of a whois lookup, you will see a record similar in format to the one below:

ICANN Registrar: MARKMONITOR INC.
Created: 1997-09-15 
Expires: 2011-09-14 
Registrar Status: clientDeleteProhibited 
Registrar Status: clientTransferProhibited 
Registrar Status: clientUpdateProhibited 
Name Server: NS1.GOOGLE.COM 
Name Server: NS2.GOOGLE.COM 
Name Server: NS3.GOOGLE.COM 
Name Server: NS4.GOOGLE.COM 
Whois Server: whois.markmonitor.com

There is a line item in the lookup data labeled Status. In the case of this domain, the status are listed as clientDeleteProhibited,clientTransferProhibited and clientUpdateProhibited Listed below are the various states that can appear in this field, and what they mean (There are two standard protocols, RRP and EPP - RRP is the older protocol that is being phased out in favor of EPP which is more fine grained. There is a specific mapping of statuses between the older RRP and EPP).

Below are the all RRP statuses, followed by EPP statuses.

Registry Operator Status codes: (RRP) Registry Registrar Protocol (Com/Net Registry Operator – Verisign Global Registry)

ACTIVE: The registry sets this status. The domain can be modified by the registrar. The domain can be renewed. The domain will be included in the zone if the domain has been delegated to at least one name server. A domain can only change registrars if in this state.

· REGISTRY-LOCK: The registry sets this status. The domain can not be modified or deleted by the registrar. The registry must remove the REGISTRY-LOCK status for the registrar to modify the domain. The domain can be renewed. The domain will be included in the zone if the domain has been delegated to at least one name server.

· REGISTRAR-LOCK: The sponsoring registrar sets this status. The domain can not be modified or deleted. The registrar must remove REGISTRAR-LOCK status to modify the domain. The domain can be renewed. The domain will be included in the zone.

· REGISTRY-HOLD: The registry sets this status. The domain can not be modified or deleted by the registrar. The registry must remove the REGISTRY-HOLD status for the registrar to modify the domain. The domain can be renewed. The domain will not be included in the zone.

· REGISTRAR-HOLD: The sponsoring registrar sets this status. The domain can not be modified or deleted. The registrar must remove REGISTRAR-HOLD status to modify the domain. The domain can be renewed. The domain will not be included in the zone.

· REDEMPTIONPERIOD: The registry sets this status when a registrar requests that the domain name be deleted from the registry and the domain has been registered for more than 5 calendar days (if the delete request is received within 5 days of initial domain registration it will instead be deleted immediately). The domain will not be included in the zone. The domain can not be modified or purged; it can only be restored. Any other registrar requests to modify or otherwise update the domain will be rejected. The domain will be held in this status for a maximum of 30 calendar days.

· PENDINGRESTORE: The registry sets this status after a registrar requests restoration of a domain that is in REDEMPTIONPERIOD status. The domain will be included in the zone. Registrar requests to modify or otherwise update the domain will be rejected. The domain will be held in this status while the registry waits for the registrar to provide required restoration documentation. If the registrar fails to provide documentation to the registry within 7 calendar days to confirm the restoration request, the domain will revert to REDEMPTIONPERIOD status. The domain status will be set to ACTIVE only if the registrar provides documentation to the registry within 7 calendar days to confirm the restoration request.

· PENDINGDELETE: The registry sets this status after a domain has been set in REDEMPTIONPERIOD status and the domain has not been restored by the registrar. The domain will not be included in the zone. Once in this status all registrar requests to modify or otherwise update the domain will be rejected. The domain will be purged from the registry database after being in this status for 5 calendar days.

EPP Domains (The newer better protocol)

Domain Status: Normally operating domains have a status of "OK" or "Active." Other status values detail pending operations and restrictions regarding the domain. If the status is OK then the domain can be transferred.

· OK: This is the nominal status value for a domain object at all times, whether or not the domain has pending operations or prohibitions.

· New: This is the nominal status for a newly created domain object. The domain can be modified unless locked.

· Active: The domain can be modified and appears in a zone file. This is the nominal status for a domain object once it has been published in a zone.

· Locked: The domain cannot be transferred, renewed, or deleted. (Though the status value can be changed.) Hierarchical and associated objects cannot be added or removed from the domain object. Domain names involved in Sunrise and other disputes may be locked, subject to registry policies.

· Hold: The domain will not be published in a zone for DNS resolution. Names without at least two nameservers may be placed on Hold status; in this case submit nameserver data through your registrar.

· pendingTransfer: A transfer request has been received for the domain, and completion of the request is pending. The domain cannot be renewed, deleted, or updated while in this state.

· pendingDelete: A delete request has been received from the registrar for the domain. The domain has been removed from the zone, but has not yet been purged from the registry database. The domain cannot be renewed, deleted, transferred, or updated while in this state.

· clientHold: The domain will not be published in a zone for DNS resolution. This status is placed on the domain by the registrar.

· clientLock: The domain cannot be transferred, renewed, deleted, or updated. This status is placed on the domain by the registrar. An update command may be used to change the status value. Hierarchical and associated objects cannot not be added or removed from the domain object.

So, for those of you interested in registering previously registered - but now expiring domains: the domain will always go into REDEMPTIONPERIOD status before it is released to be re-registered.

It will remain in REDEMPTIONPERIOD status for 30 days at which time it will then move to PENDINGDELETE status. After 5 days in PENDINGDELETE status, the domain will be released to be re-registered.

If a domain is renewed by the original registrant during the REDEMPTIONPERIOD status, the domain will NOT go to PENDINGDELETE status. Once a domain reaches to PENDINGDELETE status, it will become available to re-register.

Hope this helps

A very interesting article (more like a press release) that talks about a new book by Domain Name Expert John Moston. "Domaining Manifesto" a new book by John Motson, professional domainer and author of DnXpert.com, reveals key strategies to register, manage, negotiate, buy, sell, protect and monetize internet domain names.

With an ever increasing number of people seeking new opportunities to make money online, the Domaining Manifesto by Australian John Motson uncovers a lucrative money making avenue to everyday web users. Motson is the owner and author of acclaimed domain name blog DnXpert.com, has 7 years of domain name investment experience and is a recognized leader in domain name investment circles. According to Wikipedia, 'Domaining is the business of buying, selling, developing and monetizing Internet domain names'. Domain name investment and domain names in general have always been a myth to many web users. "A lot of people tend to have the wrong idea when it comes to domaining and domainers.

We are depicted as villains, lurking in the shadows trying to snatch at domain names as they expire," says Motson. "Nothing could be further from the truth. Domain names are controlled and monitored by the governing body ICANN - a world recognized organization with rules and regulations that protect domain names and their owners. Domains by definition are leased for a period of up to 10 years maximum. If a domain name expires, all web users have the right to purchase it, unless there is a trademark registered against that name. What domainers do is simply utilize the opportunities enabled by this governing body to the extent of the law. If you own a couple of domain names, you are a domainer too."

Domain names are recognized as some of the most marketable and valuable commodities on the web today and as such offer a great opportunity to investors. Prices of valuable domain names have soared with numerous sales recorded at up to and above 7 figure amounts on a regular basis. "What people don't realize, or more importantly, what domaining professionals do not want to be known is that it is literally an even playing field out there. Everyone can make money with domain names," reveals Motson. "While writing the Domaining Manifesto, I did a lot of soul searching. I was not sure whether I should be releasing so much insider information, but I did it. Investment opportunities are everywhere around you. You just have to have the right tools and know where to look. This book will help anyone make money with domain names."

Motson's book has been acclaimed as a revolutionary guide to managing and making money with domain names. Veteran domain name professionals and domain name authority figures Ron James ( owner of NamePros.com, the most popular domain name forum online ) and Sahar Sarid ( millionaire domainer and owner of conceptualist.com ) both described the Domaining Manifesto as a great guide to making money with domain names.

Numerous other readers regard the book as one of the best practical web resources they have read in a long time. John's powerful guide to managing and making money with domain names teaches its readers to: * find the right venues for domain transactions * utilize secret expired domain sources and find domain name gems * find new domain name investment opportunities * find available domain names at reasonable prices * avoid trademark issues and protect intellectual property rights. * detect banned domain names * securely negotiate domain name transactions * avoid fake domain rank & traffic * approach domain owners without hiking up the domain price * get the upper hand in any domain name negotiation * stay one step ahead of the other party at all stages of a negotiation * and much more "

The Domaining Manifesto is a must-have guide for anyone wanting to get started in domaining. It takes you, step-by-step, through everything you need to know to start making money," says Simon Johnson, owner and publisher of Domainer Income. John Motson is a professional domain name investor and author of domaining industry recognized blog DnXpert.com. He has been investing in domain names since 2000 and currently owns more then 1000 domain names. He has successfully bought and sold over a thousand domain names and made a sizable profit on each transaction. For further information, please visit www.domainingmanifesto.com.