The Domain King's® thoughts on domain names, web traffic, increasing web sales, success, life, and plain-old Business & Marketing 101. Nothing happens until a sale is made!
I am being called a "Cybersquatter" by a "Journalist" at info world, Ted Samson, for registering
pope related domains even tho I have offered the names to the Vatican RIGHT HERE with this post.
I have written Mr. Samson and hopefully he will correct the record and show the difference
between what I did and what I cybersquatter does.
And Mr. Samson, if you go through my blog posts just in the past few months you will see
I talk about giving the JackKemp.com domain name to the Jack Kemp Foundation.
I asked nothing in return.
I gave YogiBerra.com to Yogi Berra and asked nothing in return.
I gave JoeTorre.com to Joe Torre and asked nothing in return.
And if you go to TerryBradshaw.com you will see I spent about $450 just weeks ago for the HONOR
of giving Terry Bradshaw his name. Just waiting to be contacted.
Does that sound like cybersquatting to you sir?
So I ask that you now only correct the record, but show the good side as well.
Don't you think that would be fair?
But if not, I am sure I can make up names to call you as well and then you will see the error of your ways.
So let's just get this right and move on. Fair enough?
And by the way, why don't you do a REAL STORY on Procter and Gamble getting ruled a REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKER that you can read about from all my posts this week.
That sir would be journalism! That would be courageous.
Thank you!
Rick Schwartz
The story has been updated to include a small response from me. I am grateful for that. But maybe
It is time to clearly define what is and is not cybersquatrting and maybe with the P&G story and this,
we can have a start!
"A Florida-based company called eRealEstate.com scooped up a bunch of Pope Francis-themed domain
names, including popefrancis.co.uk, popefrancis.de, popefrancis.be, popefrank.tv, popefrank.net,
popefrancis.tv, popefrancissouvenirs.com, and popefrancisinfo.com. The company's CEO,
Richard Schwartz, said in an email to InfoWorld that he is not a cyber squatter.
In his blog, he offered to make all of these domain names available to the Vatican at no cost,
"not that they would want any."
Money can't buy what I am looking for. Money depreciates, evaporates and gets spent. I am looking for lifetime revenue streams. Generational revenue streams.
So when the guys that eventually bought Candy.com said they had no $$$, I let them know that was not going to work. But they did have energy, passion and they were qualified since their family had been in the candy business for some 37 years.
But they were not satisfied just being another candy company. They got tired of doors being shut in their face. They got tired of working harder but not smarter. They got tired of the same thing and decided to do it a different way. They decided after 37 years it was time for their industry to take notice of their company.
Instead of having doors shut in their face those doors were opening before they even knocked on them. They were now Candy.com and in that industry, that says something. That gives them a seat at the table whether they want them there or not. Period!
So they had the requirements but not a whole lotta money. I gave them a dollar figure they would need and told them to go out and raise the cash. And they eventually did. I was able to construct a deal with so many moving parts they have to remind me what's in it. Payments, Interest, Royalties, Ownership rights, options and even a very significant payday when and if candy.com changes hands.
A domain making me anywhere from $35/day to $300/day was now making me a quarter million a year. Candy.com went from zero to projected $12MM in 2013. They now have nearly $1MM in paid inventory and several distribution points from coast to coast insuring the longest delivery is 2 days. They are growing every day. Their growth is taking the toll on others in the sector.
They have expanded into several new areas and more expansion is coming. Nothing happens overnight. In business it takes about 3 years to germinate and then you really BEGIN to blossom.
This is the model I will be following. There will be different moving parts on different deals because what is important to one party may have no significance to another party.
The Property.com deal started with the same basis as the Candy.com deal. All we had to do is rearrange in order of importance. But they brought the same elements to the table as the candy.com guys and both have spoken in detail 2x at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. shows in the past years.
Granted, you can't do this on a plain jane domain name. It must be category defining or have other important elements. But I will tell you that a sea of regret faces MANY domainers as they let liquid gold go thru their hands without getting much gold in return.
I recently looked at the list of the top 500 domain sales. I looked at Candy.com in the top 20 and realized it may be the leader of the pack someday. All other deals are done and over. These deals live on and grow and branch out and present new opportunities and do all types of things I have no way of even describing today. Each is its own little magic carpet that may whisk you away with benefits and experiences that are priceless.
It's obvious we are moving into a new phase and now folks take the net seriously. It is no longer a side entrance, it is the main entrance. It is no longer something you put up and walk away from. It is something you work every day and watch it evolve. Folks get it now. They see the power and so everyone is now trying to harness the power we have been trading in for nearly 2 decades. I can never say it enough. Overnight successes take 20 years to germinate and bear fruit. Everything we have done, made and experienced along the way I see as a bonus. Some booty we just happen to bag before the gun goes off and the REAL RACE BEGINS!
How long will I continue to write about Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH)? Until my domains and your domains and the domains of every mom and pop operation in the world are safe from predators like Procter and Gamble and the other 33 companies listed HERE.
I respect trademark holders. I am one. I understand. I get it. I can see it from both sides. I know what infringing is and looks like. But I also know what stealing is and looks like. So my job is to make a DEEP impression on the next company engaging in RDNH.
If you are a TM owner and you think some domain is worthy of a UDRP, you better make sure that if the respondent goes after you for Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, that you are on solid ground. If not, you have a MAJOR decision in LIFE! Read that again. IN LIFE! Because if you screw up on this, it will affect your life and that of your company.
You have to decide if the reputation of your entire company is worth it. You have to decide if MONEY is a better and safer alternative. You can no longer just think you can walk away with a domain name just because you want it. There is a marketplace and that's the arena that this all belongs in. So when you go out of the marketplace, you get what you get.
What would YOU have advised Procter and Gamble to do now that you KNOW it blew up in their face? What would you do? $30,000 to sell your companies reputation?? If the GIANT goes down, what is your shot? A $79 Billion dollar company has all the resources in the world and look where they ended up. As a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker found guilty of lying to a governing panel. I did not put that blemish on their name. I did not stain their name. They did that all be themselves. But I will be the PRICK that points it out at every opportunity because that's all we have. And ya know what? That will get it done!
You really want to gamble the future of YOUR company on the SAME BET Procter and Gamble took and LOST?? Do you really?
Then you are a total schmuck and you deserve to get treated like one. How's that?
Sorry, I don't have to be respectful of thieves and those thinking about stealing. My assets are GENERATIONAL and you can go to hell trying to get what my FAMILY owns! I took the risk and I paid to play!
Folks that are abusing the process and lose suffer no criminal or legal penalty as of today. That WILL change. But until then, our job is to tar and feather their deeds. Let folks know what the company they do business with is up to. Let them know their values. Let them know how they think. How they try and steal.
And remember this, in cases of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, that is a subject people will know more about in the future not less about. Our job is to discuss, write and HAUNT them. That's the only penalty and leverage we have at this UNTIL companies stop doing this. How does that happen? This is the way that happens. Words are very powerful. Thoughts are very powerful. Deeds are things you live with.
I want Procter and Gamble to do what is right. Why should they? It's their record. It's their name. It's their problem. And maybe doing what's right is actually something they should consider.
So the more people that know and find out the more the outrage. Someday these horse thieves of this century will pay a legal price. Until then these would-be horse thieves and cattle rustlers have to deal with whatever public fallout may occur as INFORMATION is circulated.
Our results may be invisible to us but it is not invisible. It takes its toll. Cut after cut. Punch after punch. The key is never to stop. And I never will. Its the ONLY way to protect our assets until the law catches up with this practice or companies stop engaging in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.
Common sense shows that stealing is wrong and for BIG companies to resort to stealing is pretty startling to the regular folks. That crap just does not fly for people with morals and values. Maybe a big company like P&G, that sold their stellar reputation for $30,000 should come out and say so! They sold their reputation to you and me. They no longer control it.
So these companies seem to lack morals and values and we will expose that to as many folks as possible as often as possible until THEY come out and address their misdeeds or criminal penalties are enacted. That's how I see it. You can all forget about it tomorrow. Somebody has to make sure the torch and the flame move on.
So if you file an action against a domain holder and they come back at you with a claim of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.....you better RETHINK what you are doing. Is it worth it? Would Procter and Gamble give $30,000 today if it knew what was about to happen?
Just plain DUMB, FOOLISH and costly and this is all in ink and every company pulling this crap will have a virtual 'Scarlet Letter' pinned to their name for the rest of time.
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