If domain names were in the free market, and these scalpers had to pay free market prices to acquire the domains, then I might agree that it is a fair business to get into, but that is NOT the case. The extorsionists pay $10 for the domain and then attempt to sell them to the person or company to whom they should have gone to begin with.

So call it scalping… calling it extorsion… but “investing”?? Hah. I honestly don't know how you sleep at night. Must be nice not to have a conscience.

What a great blog and article. We've also been warning people against domain name squatting and how it can hurt your brand …

If you're readers are interested in more tips, they can read : http://blog.lookuppage.com/2010/04/how-domain-n...

It appears it is owned by a guy in the UK.

I sent you an e-mail with the WHOIS information, incase you didn't
know how to find him.

I think you're going to have to do some detective work and talk with
him personally.

-Brett

The problem is that the site reports being under construction for 4 years, and that is the message that has been displayed for at least 3 or 4 years by my own count, bringing it to a total of 7 wasted years I could have been using it. I have been unable to get a response to my e-mails to the webmaster, and so there seems to be no way to buy the name at all. It's frustrating as all get up that people do this crap.

“If you are John Smith the Accountant in Cincinnati, Ohio and want to buy my John Smith website about accounting in Cincinnati, OH…”

Blah blah, you get the point.

I can buy johnsmith.com and use it for something. If John Smith happens upon it and wants to offer me some money, fine. But where I'd draw the line is buying johnsmith.com and then posting on my own personal blog that:

“I own Johnsmith.com and if you are John Smith and want to buy my John Smith website then I can sell it to you or sell you leads from my John Smith contact form.”

… in hopes that I can then rank on Google for John Smith for that post and make a quick buck from Mr. Smith as a result.

But you know, do what you want. It's your own damn reputation on the line and if you want to do something this blatant from a professional SEO blog that is supposed to represent what your company stands for then it's your own issue, not Bret'ts, or mine, or anyone else's – except perhaps the attorney in question.

I understand what you're saying about the ethics of domaining, but purchasing common full names, first names, last names, etc, is like buying land. Are you going to make your neighbor mad because you bought an empty lot next to his home, and he was planning on buying it to extend his property? Sure, he might be mad. He might “claim” that you aren't doing anything with the empty lot next to his house, but that isn't unethical for you to do – property is property for all, and I'm not a TM buyer, nor do I set up websites on personal domain names to target particular people. There's nothing wrong with seeing a person's name in the news and buying their name if it's available. You don't know if that person ever wants to buy that domain. Additionally, I spend time searching the domain name “full name” to see if there's more than 20 people with the same name. If so, then you have a “market”.

It's that simple, and it's ethical. These domains usually only sell for $300 – $1000 each, so it's not some major “scam”. It's a valuable investment to the smart person out of the other 20 same named people who don't want the domain.

thanks for the input, hope I brought some different viewpoints for your visitors.

cheers

I own domains. I invest in domains. I buy generic phrase domains and
cool concepts.

I do not buy registered trademarks or other people's personal names.
That's my personal ethics or “the golden rule” I know for sure that
a lot of successful domainers are ethical people who draw a line
somewhere between “domaining” and “cybersquatting.”

What makes this “extortion,” to me, is the way it is aggressively
promoted and called attention to.

IF you buy “JohnSmithJr.com” that's one thing… but if you buy it and
post a notice on your own blog, build links to the domain… and do
everything you can to call
public attention to the fact that John Smith Jr. has had his identity
jacked… and the only way to get it back is to pay you a sum.. that's
NOT ethical domaining.

It's against the spirit, if not the letter, of ICANN's policies. It
mostly certainly gives rise to the perception that domineers are
mercenary scumbags.

The screenshot is redone in Photoshop, because I do NOT want to out
the victim or give the extortionist free publicity. I don't link to
or indirectly promote what I consider “shady” sites
on this blog – the purpose of this blog is not to attack specific
people – but to help people learn how to manage their identity.

Thanks for your comments. I agree that people have the right to buy
domains on a first come, first serve basis. But I agree that people
should buy their own domains (I missed out on mine
in the late 1990's when I was living in Japan). I don't agree that
“anything goes” when it comes to registering trademarks and people's
personal names with the sole intention of selling it back
to the person / trademark holder at a profit.

The coup de grace to your domain ownership theory is even evident within your article: You run a “screenshot” of a domain name ” stating: “Frank Abramizi” which I can only assume is a fictitious example since the name nor website didn't come up.

You are wrong to assume that ANY FULL NAME DOMAIN belongs to any particular person of the same name. Why? Because there might be 25 other people with the same name. What are their rights to 'claim' the domain?

They don't have any, because they were to slow in “buying” their domain identity, which is “Online Marketing 101″ in any internet class. Just because someone owns a “full name domain” doesn't mean that any person with that same name doesn't have 10 other interested people with the same name wanting to own their own domain. And that, my friend, is a reality that should tell business owners to GO OUT AND BUY THEIR GENERIC DOMAINS, even if someone already owns it and is selling it for $2000. What's your investment to own a great domain? What's it worth? It's worth a lot, and these domains just gain more value each year, while guys like you just keep whining and accusing domain investors of being “extortionists”. Did you say the same thing to the previous owner of your home?

Domains are THE best investment a company can buy. If you think you have a surname that is going to be promoted, then BUY IT as a new registration. If somebody got it before you, the most you should pay is $1000. That's peanuts to own if you're serious about your name being a brand. Quit whining, and either buy your domains fresh before somebody else gets it and you pout about it.

Heck, most domainers sell “full name” domains for less than $500, and they do every day with mainly ecstatic buyersl How