Patents for a Domain Manager and preventing malicious domain registrations — Verisign files

Firm that is looking to assert its patents files two more applications.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published to patent applications yesterday that were filed by Verisign. Both applications were filed in 2011.

Application 13/339466 (pdf) is titled “Methods and Systems for Creating Fresh Domains”:

Systems and methods for creating a fresh domain, such as a top-level domain or a second-level domain, make use of a Domain Manager that enables a user to enter data that is necessary or optional to implement the creation of a fresh domain. Systems such as, for example, a Registry and one or more Registrars, may use the data defined by the Domain Manager to create a fresh domain.

Application 13/341099 (pdf) is titled Method for Administering a Top-Level Domain:

A method for administering a top-level domain by analyzing domain name registrations for requests for suspicious or malicious domain names. A request to register a domain name is received. The requested domain name’s information may be stored in a registry database. The requested domain name may also be conditionally stored in the domain name system (DNS) zone. The requested domain name is compared to a list of botnet domain names stored in a watch list database. If the requested domain name corresponds to one of the botnet domain names, the requested domain name is prevented from being added to the DNS zone or is removed from the DNS zone, if it has by now been stored there. The information regarding the requested domain name is stored in the registry database, even if the domain name does not ultimately stay in the DNS zone.

The second patent application may become notable as ICANN requires registries to better police their domains.

Verisign recently started evaluating ways to make money from its patent portfolio.