Patent App for Generating Domains Based on Current Events — GoDaddy Files
System would make it easy to register domains based on current events such as oil spills, earthquakes, etc.
The Go Daddy Group has filed two concurrent patent applications for a system of generating domain name ideas based on current events. In the applications, the firm notes that a number of people register domain names related to current events, such as earthquakes. Although one of its examples (below) is someone registering a domain for good purposes, it seems that most current event registrations are from people just trying to capitalize on others’ misery. The application mentions that current event domains may have higher resale values.
Here’s an example from one of the applications (pdf):
Applicant has noticed that Internet users often wish to register domain names that relate to current events, such as an event noted in the news. For example, if an earthquake occurred in Scottsdale, Ariz., an Internet user may wish to register the domain name arizonaearthquake.com to develop a fundraising and charity website for earthquake victims. Applicant also has noticed that domain names that are relevant to current events may have a higher resale value on secondary domain name markets, such as GODADDY.COM’s GODADDY AUCTIONS service.
One embodiment of the system could parse news articles to figure out which keywords may be worth registering:
Once text from the information source is obtained (Step 200), it may be parsed into a plurality of keywords (Step 210). Parsing is the process of analyzing a sequence of tokens to determine its grammatical structure with respect to a given formal grammar. Parsing transforms input text into a data structure, such as the keywords used here. As a non-limiting example, if a news website contains an article entitled “Serious Earthquake Occurs in Scottsdale, Ariz.”, “No Aftershocks Noted” software and/or scripts running on the server may parse the article title into, among others, the keywords arizona, serious, scottsdale, aftershocks, and/or earthquake. Alternatively, the text of the article (rather than merely the title) may be parsed.
The process for using the system could include clicking a button titled “Generate domain name based on current events” or a list of current events could be provided on the website.
The applications were filed in December 2008 but just published today.
