ICANN has identified several areas where auctions might be an appropriate tool, such as the efficient disposition of data from terminated registrars and registries, the allocation of single-character second-level domain names, and perhaps, resolution of contention between competing commercial applicants for identical strings in the application process for new generic Top Level Domains.
A number of commenters and academics have recommended auctions as the preferred method of objectively allocating scarce resources such as popular second-level domain names or gTLD strings. Also, ICANN received substantial public comment in the discussion on allocation of single-character second-level names that the names should be allocated through an auction model.
This does not necessarily mean that ICANN has decided to formally proceed with auctions or that auctions will occur any time soon. At this point, ICANN is seeking expertise to further work in this area. However, ICANN is hoping to select a qualified entity or entities to assist with auctions in 2008.
Official announcement here. Expressions of interest can be sent to Patrick Jones at patrick.jones (at) icann (dot) org.
Sahar posted a Bido ad on his blog yesterday. Bido.com is the new project of Ron Jackson (DN Journal), Sahar Sarid (Recall Media Group), Jeff Bhavnanie and Darren Cleveland. Bido is set to launch on Feb 29, 2008. They pursue a good strategy by making Bido so mysterious and encouraging people to talk about this upcoming domain service, hence creating a buzz before anybody even knows what this is all about. Here’s the Bido ad:
Rick Schwartz has sold one of his domains to an end user for $750,000. He said he had originally registered it for $70 or $100 in 1997. No calculator needed to see that this is a hell of a return on investment! The domain transaction hasn’t been completed, yet, but it will be reported on DN Journal and the domain will be disclosed when it has changed hands.
Congrats, Rick!
** UPDATE (January 17, 2008) **
According to this DN Journal post, the domain Rick has sold is iReport.com (sold together with i-Report.com). The buyer is the perfect end user for these domain names: CNN. CNN will use the domains for their i-Report program, which allows viewers to send in their own news, photos or videos, some of which will then be aired on television or featured on CNN’s website.
Several sources (i.e. NamePros, DomainState, Domain Name News, Slashdot) reported that domain registrar Network Solutions is domain name front running, a practice I wrote about in October last year. Domain front running is the practice of tracking domain search data and then registering the domain name before the potential registrant who was initially interested in the domain can do so. In October I said the following:
I don’t believe domain registrars and registries are performing domain front running. But to play it safe it should be a good idea to not use whois services operated by people or companies you don’t know, small domain registrars or software from untrusted parties for your domain availability checks.
Now, isn’t it disturbing that you cannot even trust the big domain registrars anymore? According to the sources mentioned above, Network Solutions is tracking all domain searches made on their website. It then automatically registers all domains that have been looked up, hence making it impossible to register them through another domain registrar. In addition, it places the following information in the domain’s whois data:
This Domain is available at NetworkSolutions.com
13681 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 300
HERNDON, VA 20171
US
This Domain is Available
600,000 domain names are registered daily! Don’t delay; there’s no guarantee that a domain name you see today will still be here tomorrow!
>> Register it Now
Network Solutions has also registered several trademark-infringing domains in this way. Individual domainers and holders of large domain portfolios are accused of cybersquatting and typosquatting every day - even wrongly in most cases. Despite this still bad reputation of the domain industry, one of the largest domain companies is registering TM domains on a grand scale now! Network Solutions should know better.
I can only repeat what others have said already: Get the word out and don’t let Network Solutions get away with this! Not only is this a very unfair practice towards their clients, but NetSol is also illegally holding TM-infringing domains and it further worsens the reputation of those in the domain business.
Reece of 4 Letter Noob released his January 2008 LLLL.com price guide today. The data, derived from LLLL.com database TDVR.com, indicate that four-letter .com prices have gone up significantly since December 2007, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
The sale prices of high-quality four-letter domains (containing no “bad” letters), for instance, have gone up by 101%. Since the last price guide, they were sold at an average price of $303, as opposed to the prior average price of just $151.
I’ve written about the rise in value of four-letter domains before. LLLL.com names are still a good investment opportunity, although prices have gone up fast already and they’re at the low end of the market compared to generic domain sales. I think prices will continue to rise steadily, especially since all four-letter .com domains have been registered as of November 2007. If you’re looking for some LLLL.com domains to buy at fair prices, you should take a look at the for sale sections of DNForum.com and NamePros.com or go through the daily drop lists at SnapNames.com.
ICANN is currently looking for auction design experts:
Rick Schwartz has sold one of his domains to an end user for $750,000. He 
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