Let’s talk regarding Sex (.com) at NamesCon

Kieren McCarthy and I will discuss the fight for one of the world’s most valuable domain names.

Many of you know that Sex .com sold for a (then record) $13 million in 2010.

That’s the boring part of the story.

Next month at NamesCon Online, I’ll interview journalist Kieren McCarthy regarding the fight for Sex .com ahead of the record-breaking sale. A fight involving two men who would stop at nothing: Stephen Cohen, the man who stole the domain name and fled from justice. And Gray Kremen, an internet entrepreneur who had to go to ridiculous (and expensive) lengths to get the domain name back.

We will discuss:

• How Cohen tricked the .com registry (Network Solutions at the time) into transferring the domain to him
• What Cohen did to his mansion ahead of handing the keys over to Kremen
• How the two antagonized each other in late-night phone calls as they battled in court
• If that gun battle in Mexico really happened

McCarthy’s book is a fantastic read for anyone who is interested in domain names and crime capers. You can buy a copy here. And join us next month for a lively talk.