Yureekah.com launced its site today calling itself “the worlds first search engine for the online media industry”.
According to the press release millions of ads run on millions of portals hourly.
Yureekah.com promisese t allow you to identify where all your competitors are advertising, and use that information to decide how to advertise in the portals that best fit your brand, irrespective of geography, language, and time zone.
Yureekah’s mission is to to organize the world’s online advertising information and make it universally accessible and useful. More specifically (!)Yureekah will serve as a single gateway for all online advertising, and as a real-time information resource for the millions of online media professionals, advertisers, and small business owners.
Tags: Uncategorized
While the chess game between Microsoft and Yahoo continues, domainers seem to be a pawn.
After announcing that they were dropping there bid for Yahoo, the question becomes what will happen to Yahoo, Microsoft, Google and most importantly how will this all effect domainers.
Yahoo stock price closed north of $28.50 Friday. Prior to Microsoft’s offer in January, Yahoo stock was trading around $20 a share. We expect Yahoo to trade somewhere between $20-$24 on Monday. Investors definitely will punish Yahoo stock for Microsoft’s withdrawn offer, but still may give the shares a premium over the $20 a share, pre-Microsoft offer, because of the chance that there still will be a deal.
For domainers the problem will come if Yahoo attempts to make the 2 week traffic test it recently completed with Google permanent. As we discussed in several posts, Yahoo outsourced about 3% of its traffic to Google to place ads on the traffic for 2 weeks. After the test Yahoo stated that the test performed well and that Yahoo could cut tens of millions in cost by outsourcing all of its traffic to Google to for advertising.
Yahoo outsourcing its advertising to Google would leave all domainers with only only one PPC choice.
As you know Google blocks certain search terms, traffic for certain countries and optimizes keywords differently than Yahoo. Some traffic monetize better with Google and parking companies using Google, while other traffic performs better on Yahoo platform and its upstream partners.
Likewise advertisers would be left with only one serious choice to place its PPC advertising with.
MSN and AOL control less than 10% of the market. Ask.com went over to Google a couple of months ago.
We would expect hearings to be held in Congress if Yahoo goes down this path.
Once again the domain community will turn to the ICA for representation.
This situation will be serious for all domainers.
If one company is allowed to control 90% of the market, they could institute rules which would negatively effect domainers and publishers. They could reduced revenue shares offered to publishers and parking companies as there contracts come up for renewal.
Parking companies using Yahoo, which have invested millions in technology to separate themselves from competitors will be placed in a position where they have to retool as Google resellers.
We urge you to keep a very close eye on developments as this has the making of being an industry changing event.
Once again we bang the drum for the ICA.
If you have not joined the ICA you need to.
Today.
If your already a member think about moving up a level.
Tags: Domain Industry · Domain Parking Stock Index
Some notable sales from NameJet.com and SnapNames.com over the past week
alergia.com $23,000
yemen.org $12,400
cyberstore.com $8,255
shoeexpo.com $5,405
apartmentnews.com $4,100
chartz.com $3,303
popupstopper.com $2,800
Wisconsinsexoffenders.com $2,433
bargainmadness.com $2,300
kentuckysexoffenders.com $2,054
missourisexoffenders.com $1,931
onlinepokerschool.com $1,555
wedco.com $1,220
elmundo-lacronica.com $1,100
insurancetime.com $1,100
georentals.com $1,000
lifeinsuranceplanners.com $1,000
Tags: Domain Auctions
A few Interesting names at auction at ebay.com
RentalHomes.com auction is at $23,100, reserve has not been met.
NewYorkers.org minimum bid is $22,000
Missouriforeclosures.com minimum bid is $15,000
isold.com minimum bid is $15,000
Set of 84 LLLL.com names Bidding is at $2,032, reserve has not been met, but there is a buy it now for $4,500
Tags: Uncategorized
Accroding to a report in cnet.com today Microsoft officially pulled its offer for Yahoo on Saturday
In a letter to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer confirmed that Microsoft was willing to offer $33 a share, but that Yahoo wanted at least $37 a share.
Ballmer also says he is ruling out a hostile offer aimed directly to Yahoo’s shareholders.
“This approach would necessarily involve a protracted proxy contest and eventually an exchange offer,” Ballmer said. “Our discussions with you have led us to conclude that, in the interim, you would take steps that would make Yahoo undesirable as an acquisition for Microsoft.”
Ballmer specifically pointed to Yahoo’s plan to outsource its paid search to Google. “We regard with particular concern your apparent planning to respond to a ‘hostile’ bid by pursuing a new arrangement that would involve or lead to the outsourcing to Google of key paid Internet search terms offered by Yahoo today,” Ballmer said.
Such a move, Ballmer wrote, would undermine Yahoo’s strategy and long-term viability, hurt its ability to retain engineers, and pose regulatory and legal problems.
Ballmer said in a statement that Microsoft would pursue its own strategy.
“After careful consideration, we believe the economics demanded by Yahoo do not make sense for us, and it is in the best interests of Microsoft stockholders, employees and other stakeholders to withdraw our proposal,” he said. “We have a talented team in place and a compelling plan to grow our business through innovative new services and strategic transactions with other business partners. While Yahoo would have accelerated our strategy, I am confident that we can continue to move forward toward our goals.”
In the letter to Yang, Ballmer again made the case that Microsoft’s offer was the best option for Yahoo shareholders.
“I still believe even today that our offer remains the only alternative put forward that provides your stockholders full and fair value for their shares,” Ballmer said. “By failing to reach an agreement with us, you and your stockholders have left significant value on the table. But clearly a deal is not to be.”
Tags: Uncategorized
We are all familar with the stat; in 85 percent of cases decided by the WIPO the panels transferred the disputed domain names to the complainant.
I took a hard look at some recent cases in light of LH.com and this famous statistic.
Certainly having this 85% figure out there is the pink elephant in the room. It hurts the perpection of domaining. It makes it sound to the layman that 85% of domains are just one complant away from being taken.
Here’s the problem.
Loser cases.
When I was a practicing attorney, I advised many cilents that the case they were about to purue as a plaintiff or defend as a defendant were losers. I advised them if they were plaintiff’s not to bring the case and if defendants to settle.
Losers are not hard to spot.
In the last couple of months here are some cases that went to a UDRP decision resulting in the domains being transferred to the complaintant. All of these add to the 85% figure we have hanging over our heads.
All are losers.
Baylor University got
baylormedicalcenteratirving.com, baylorhealthcaregarland.com,
baylormedicalcenterhospital.com, baylorregionalmedicalcenter.com,
baylorcollegemedicine.com, baylorschools.org, baylorbanks.com
Advanta Corp. got
advantahome.net
Diners Club International got
sydneydinersclub.com, sydneydinerscard.com
McKee Foods Kingman, (owner of little debbie brand) got
littledebbie.info
State Farm Mutual got
statefarmrecruiting.com
Shutterfly.com got
hutterfly.com, chutterfly.com, dhutterfly.com,
hsutterfly.com, hutterfly.com, sgutterfly.com,
shetterfly.com, shhutterfly.com, shotterfly.com,
shtuterfly.com, shurterfly.com, shutherfly.com,
shutrerfly.com, shuttarfly.com, shutteefly.com,
shutteerfly.com, shutterefly.com, shutterffly.com,
shutterfli.com, shutterflly.com, shutterflt.com,
shutterfy.com, shutterrfly.com, shuttertfly.com,
shuttetfly.com, shuttetrfly.com, shuttherfly.com,
shuttirfly.com, shuttorfly.com, shuttrefly.com,
shuttrerfly.com, shuttrrfly.com, shutturfly.com,
shuttwrfly.com, shutyerfly.com, shuutterfly.com,
shuyterfly.com, shytterfly.com, sjutterfly.com,
sshutterfly.com, suhtterfly.com, wshutterfly.com
Bank of America got
bankofamrica.com, bankofamericacreditcards.com,
abnkofamerica.com, bankofamercica.com, bankofamarika.com,
bankocamerica.com, bank-of-america-mortgage-loans.info,
bankaamerica.com, bankofamericamyaccount.com, bankofamrcia.com,
bankofamiraca.com, bankofamirca.com, bankofcamerica.com
Other domains transferred in Feburary and March of this year were:
benefitswalmart.com
boschcompany.com
amwaycard.com
berlitzlanguagecourse.info
giadaprada.com
roncarterchevrolet.com
ambienn.com,allegrra.com,ammbien.com,wwwplavix.com
phizer.com
buyxenical.net
kohlerbaths.com
cingualar.com,cingurlar.com,ciingular.com,cinglular.com,cungular.com
starbuckscommunications.com,starbucksentertainment.com,starbucksinternetcafe.com,
starbucksinternet.com,starbuckslive.com,starbucksmerchandise.com,starbucksprices.com
expediakorea.com
westerunion.com
edmundscom.com
microsoftcourseware.com
dinersclub.mobi
joinherbalife.com
The list goes on and on.
All losers.
Here is the fact hidden in the 85% figure.
The vast majority of cases that go against the domain holder are horrible cases that you or I would vote for the trademark holder. They involve domains containing a famous marks, typo’s of famous marks.
Many cases involve domain holders which own mulitple domains containing typo’s mispells of famous trademarks.
If you are in the domain business at any level here are some rules for you.
Do not register domains that infringe on famous marks.
If you own any such names and get a C & D letter give the domain back.
If you receive a UDRP complaint and have such a name give the domain up.
You have a loser. You aren’t going to keep the domain.
You are not only going to hurt your reputation, but the domain industry, other domainers, parking companies, PPC companies.
It does not help you or the industry to take losers to a decision.
If you instist on allowing these types of losers going to a decision, then you clearly have no regard for your reputation, you clearly don’t care about the industry, the parking companies you do business with and maybe those in the industry should stop doing business with you.
If the loser cases were not allowed to go to deicision the 85% number would drop dramtically, maybe to 50% at that point we would get the monky off our back and start with an even playing field.
Yes there are very bad decisions where generic names are taken away and given to the complaint (LH.com).
There are many domains that are on the bubble. Domains whose trademark claim is actually in dispute.
Those you fight.
Those you fight not only for yourself but for the industry, for your fellow domainer.
Remember each case you take to a decision will have an effect on all other domain disputes down the line.
You don’t live in a bubble.
You are part of an industry.
Your actions effect us all.
Don’t push your losers on us.
Tags: Uncategorized
According to a report in Fortune Magazine, Business.com may be back on the market once again.
As you may know, last year Business.com was sold to Donnelly, a publically traded yellow pages company for $345 million in cash. At that time, Donnelly was worth more than $3 billion. Today, the whole company’s market cap is worth less than what it paid for Business.com - $338 million at Thursday’s close of $4.91.
Prior to the sale to Donnelly, Business.com was purchased in 1999 for an record $7.5 million
When business.com was up for sale last year, several groups including Dow Jones and the New York Times to a serious look.
If it hits the market again, it will be interesting to see where it lands up and at what price
Tags: Uncategorized
Accroding to a report by the Wall Strett Jounral Microsoft may go hostile in its bid for Yahoo Inc. as soon as Friday.
The Wall Street Journal reported early Friday that Microsoft may be preparing to go straight to Yahoo’s shareholders.
An announcement was “likely” to come Friday.
Tags: Uncategorized
Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer reiterated today that he was prepared to walk away from his attempt to buy Yahoo if his other options don’t look good.
Ballmer made his comments during a regularly scheduled town hall meeting with employees, during which workers questioned him about Microsoft’s pursuit of Yahoo.
Recent reports have suggested that the software company’s rank-and-file are growing uneasy about Ballmer’s pursuit of the struggling Internet giant.
Ballmer choices as we have pointed out are to increase Microsoft’s $31 per share offer for Yahoo, go hostile and take the offer directly to shareholders, or walk away.
“We’ve got basically the three big options in front of us. There’s the friendly deal, there’s an unfriendly deal, third path is simply to walk away. Given (that the acquisition is just part of a larger) strategy - if neither of those look good, we walk away,” he told employees.
“I know exactly what I think Yahoo is worth and I won’t go a dime above,” he said, adding that Microsoft should be in a position to make an announcement about Yahoo “in very short order.”
Ballmer explained to employees that buying Yahoo was part of a strategy to propel Microsoft into a leading position in Internet media and online advertising. “It accelerates scale. It gets us more advertisers, gets us search. Yahoo’s not a strategy. It’s a part of a strategy,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported Microsoft might raise its bid to as much as $ 33 per Yahoo share, in an attempt to avoid a hostile takeover.
The report, citing people familiar with the situation, said Microsoft failed to reach a final decision following a board meeting on Wednesday. Directors were understood to have given Ballmer broad discretion to either go hostile or abandon the Yahoo pursuit.
Yahoo has long insisted Microsoft’s offer substantially undervalues the Internet company. Top Yahoo shareholders have indicated they want $35 to $37 a share, while Microsoft’s original cash-and-stock offer for Yahoo was recently valued at $29.35 per share.
Tags: Uncategorized
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal today, Yahoo and Microsoft met Wednesday trying to reach an agreement on price for Microsoft’s acquisition of Yahoo
According to the report, Microsoft, which proposed purchasing Yahoo for for $31 a share in January, is now allegedly poised to offer as much as $32 or $33 a share. However according to the report major Yahoo shareholders are still looking for something in the range of $35 to $37 per share, the Journal said.
Tags: Domain Parking Stock Index
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