104 Domains: Another Silly Patent Application

Firm tries to patent geo-targeted directory that starts with “104”.

Apparently it’s kooky patent day.

This morning I wrote regarding a firm trying to patent “virtual domain names“. Another patent application published today (pdf) is for a geo-targeted directory made up of domain names starting with “104”. Here’s the problem the patent tries to address, as stated by its author:

Due to the recent hype, over 128 million domain names have been registered to date, while most are not even dictionary words anymore. Over 90% of the registered domain names are either not active or simply “Parked” as referred to in the domain name art, since most people think someone is going to offer them sizable sums of money, basically for doing nothing more than registering a domain. Over 95% of Modest and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have long multiple-word domain names, which are easily forgotten, with respect to their name or exact spelling. Accordingly, all of the relatively valuable branded domain names have been registered many years ago.

The solution is to add a fixed prefix in front of the keyword you want, the applicant explains. In this case, if you want the keyword Lawyer.com you instead register 104Lawyer.com. (104 means 10-4, which is 10-code for “acknowledged”.) This is then part of a network that acts as a directory. If you type in 104Lawyer.com you’ll get a directory of 10 lawyers in your area.

104Inc.com has registered many 104domains, counting 104loans.com and 104oil.com. It kind of reminds me of that old 24/7 domains scheme, except that this adds a directory to it.

Silly patent application? 10-4.