In an article on TheLocal.se there is a report that Amazon quietly purchased Amazon.se for $554,500. Tip of the cap to Aaron Strong for the info.
Only a few days after it was announced that Amazon is to establish three data centres in Sweden, it has now emerged that the American e-commerce and computing giant has quietly purchased the rights to a key Swedish domain name.
The “Amazon.se” domain was recently bought by the company in a deal estimated to be worth up to five million kronor ($554,500) startup news site Breakit reports.
Unlike other European nations like Germany, France and Spain, there is currently no Swedish version of Amazon, so the purchase of the domain name could be a sign of plans for the future.
Amazon can purchase every domain they want.
So owners of an ‘amazon’ – domain name (if legit) can demand what they want.
Reminds me of this Bizarro comic from 2002:
http://cityofchampions.com/bizarro.09.09.2002.jpg
Hang about, could they not have got a udrp on this?
What’s most surprising, in a sense, is that they hadn’t already purchased the domain.
Does anyone know the significance of the 554500 amount? If there is any at all.
No significance Rich, the deal was done in Krona and the number mentioned was 5 million.
Decent of them not to just file and try to snag it. 😉
(of course they would lose, but decent of them nonetheless)
Peace,
Just read that Amazon has 38% of the online sales market – incredible. Best Buy is second with 3.5%. HH Gregg closing all stores, Radio Shack going out. JC Penny, Sears, and Macy’s closing many stores. New market evolves.
I don’t get it. They paid that much instead of doing the UDRP thing like they all do? Why??
Amazon is a generic word, keep the website blank, or add a few pictures of the Amazon rain forest and Amazon (the retailer) wouldn’t have rights to claim the domain.
Very nice price :), at the end they have reached a satisfactory agreement.
Amazon had already tried in the past to get it, but was rebuffed: https://www.thelocal.se/20140412/swede-rejects-amazon-bid-for-se-domain
Congrats to the Swedish lady who sold it, patience pays off 😉