Reglikedomain industry desk

Another Whois Privacy Patent — GoDaddy Scores

Domain name registrar firms up patents related to whois privacy.

GoDaddy was today awarded U.S. patent 7,627,633 (pdf), a divisional patent for its previously awarded whois proxy patent 7,130,878. This patent for “Proxy email method and system” relates to the email masking portion of its whois privacy service.

In the system, a proxy email address is displayed in whois. Email sent to this proxy email address is then forwarded to the domain owner’s actual email address, usually following running through a spam filter.

A number of GoDaddy’s competitors use similar systems, counting Network Solutions and Demand Media’s eNom. To date, GoDaddy has not publicly asserted its patents, except for cross-licensing. Its patent war chest (most of which are merely pending patents) could make the firm an attractive buyout target, and also deters other firms from suing it for patent infringement.

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.

Acquire Web.com, spin off Constant Contact — Endurance toDomain RegistrarsAcquire Web.com, spin off Constant Contact — Endurance toCDomain RegistrarsCrosses 45 Million Domain Name Mark — Go Daddy$Domain Registrars$1 Domains at Dotster!Spammers as Whois data goes away — Registrars battleDomain RegistrarsSpammers as Whois data goes away — Registrars battleDoesn’t enforce whois accuracy — Even CSCDomain RegistrarsDoesn’t enforce whois accuracy — Even CSCMedia IPO Could Disclose Guts of eNom Operation — A DemandDomain RegistrarsMedia IPO Could Disclose Guts of eNom Operation — A DemandTerminate Pheenix domain registrar — ICANN toDomain RegistrarsTerminate Pheenix domain registrar — ICANN toGDomain RegistrarsGoDaddy amends IPO filingSDomain RegistrarsSo I got a call from Register.com this stretch…