The Web hosting provider Sistemas Del Registro (www.SistemasDelRegistro.com) announced on April 6 that it has been selected by VeriSign (www.verisign.com), the International Registry for .com and .net names, as one of their Registrar partners in a marketing project aimed at increasing the awareness of businesses and individuals in South America of the benefits of owning and using gTLDs such as .com and .net.
Mark Estabrook, the owner of the domain name DigitalMovie.com (www.digitalmovie.com), announced on April 6 that he initiated his starting bid price of $1.5 million on eBay (www.ebay.com) in hopes of selling the domain name. Estabrook, who currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with his wife and two daughters, acquired the name in 1998 after trading a digital movie camera in exchange for the name.
The domain name registrar and Web hosting provider Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com) announced on April 5 that it has launched thedangerofnoprivacy.com, a website focused on raising public awareness and promoting debate about a recent government decision to remove privacy safeguards in the registration of .us domain names. A decision by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a part of the US Department of Commerce, requires new registrants of .us domains to submit their phone numbers and addresses for listing in publicly searchable databases. Current holders of .us domains are required to turn over their information no later than January 26, 2006, or face loss of their registered domains. Consumer groups and free speech advocates oppose the decision and insist that it infringes on the privacy rights of US citizens. Go Daddy encourages visitors of the site to sign a petition urging the NTIA to reconsider the decision.
Hostway (www.hostway.co.uk), a provider of Web hosting services, announced on April 4 UK availability of .pro (www.hostway.co.uk/dotpro), a domain name extension aimed exclusively at those working in the medical, legal, accounting and engineering sectors, which will enable individuals and businesses in any of these professions to create a unique and secure address on the Web. Licensed professionals can sign up for distinctive, profession-specific Third Level names such as johnsmith.med.pro, johnsmith.law.pro and ultimately obtain a Second Level name like johnsmith.pro if they already own two Third Level names.
Moniker.com (www.moniker.com), one of the top three fastest growing ICANN-accredited domain name registrars, announced on April 4 its year end results. The company grew to 17th position on the list of over 450 ICANN-accredited domain registrars – from 89th in 2002, and increased its registered domain names to over 560 000 – a 293% growth. In addition, domain sales revenue increased with 405% while active customer accounts increased with 211%.
Last Digital Ltd. (www.lastdigital.com), a UK-based provider of Web hosting and online services, announced on March 25 that it has unveiled a new Domain Name Management system for its customers. The new system's features include pointing domain names to any static IP address, to Last Digital servers or to other hostname, registration, renewal and transfer of domains, and changing the registrant, administrator, technical and billing contact of the domain name.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (www.icann.org), the body that manages Internet domains, announced on March 24 that it has given the official go-ahead to create the European top-level domain suffix .eu. At a meeting of its managing committee, ICANN authorized its president Vint Cerf to sign the agreement with Eurid (www.eurid.org), the consortium chosen by the European Commission as the official caretaker of the new domain name.
The National Arbitration Forum (www.arb-forum.com) announced on March 22 that it has ruled in favor of Hillary Rodham Clinton regarding rights to the domain name hillaryclinton.com (www.hillaryclinton.com), which was registered by Michele Dinoia on October 22, 2001. Senator Clinton filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum on February 1, 2005, asserting legal rights to the website bearing her name.
The Web hosting provider 1&1 Internet Inc. (www.1and1.com) announced on March 21 that it has registered its 5 millionth domain name. 1&1’s 5 millionth domain name was one of four registered by the Bethlehem Area Public Library in Bethlehem, PA, USA. The organization plans to use www.bestbooksale.org, www.bestbooksale.info, www.bestbooksale.net and www.bestbooksale.us to help promote six fundraising book sales it conducts annually.
Apple (www.apple.com/uk/) announced on March 17 that it has won the rights to the itunes.co.uk domain name (www.itunes.co.uk), despite it being registered by a UK company even before Apple launched the music download service. The domain, which was registered four years before the launch of the UK music download store by Benjamin Cohen, the chief executive of CyberBritain Holdings (www.cyberbritain.com), has to be given back to Apple.
