The term geodomain refers to domain names that are exact matches[1] in spelling to geographic locations, such as cities and countries. They are unrelated to the ccTLDs such as the .us country code domain. Examples of geodomains are Atlanta.com, LosAngeles.com, Texas.com and LongIsland.com. Since geographical names are limited in number, and have good name recognition, geodomains are valuable, with the .com extension valued the most. Geodomains tend to provide a virtual representation of the locations they serve—for example, Hawaii.com is heavily tourism focused, while Syracuse.com and Madison.com have more local content. Collectively, geographic domain names are estimated to represent approximately over 500 million dollars a year in gross hotel bookings alone.
Seizure of France.com
Unlike United States law, GEO domains and trademark rights may be treated differently around the world as in 2018 the European Country of France successfully seized France.com from its owner, a Miami, Florida resident,[2] who according to a lawsuit filed in California[3] had lawfully owned and used the domain name in commerce since 1994. This was an unprecedented occurrence where the registrar, Network Solutions (Web.com), was intimidated by a French Court Order, despite the lack of jurisdiction, and transferred the domain name to the complainant without notifying the owner of France.com, Jean-Noel Frydman, who is suing and will likely take years to sort out.[4]
Industry conferences
- In 2008 the GeoDomain Expo was held in Chicago from July 10–12.[5]
- In 2010 the GeoDomain Expo was held in New Orleans from April 28-30[6]
Highest reported sales
Many geodomains were reported to be sold for high amounts. Among them:
| Domain | Sale price | Sale date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| China.com | $11,700,000 | 2013 | [7] |
| Israel.com | $5,880,000 | 2008 | [8] |
| Korea.com | $5,000,000 | 2000 | [9] |
| California.com | $3,000,000 | 2019 | [10] |
| England.com | $2,000,000 | 1999 | [11] |
| Russia.com | $1,500,000 | 2009 | [12] |
| Melbourne.com | $700,000 | 2007 | [13] |
| Macau.com | $550,000 | 2006 | [14] |
| NewZealand.com | $500,000 | 2003 | [15] |
| Longisland.com | $370,000 | 2010 | [16] |
See also
References
- ^ From Brandable to Exact-Match Geo Domain Making $1.5M Per Year – With John Colascione
- ^ France Seized France.com. This Miami Man Is Suing To Get It Back
- ^ This Man Is Taking France to Court to Win Back France.com
- ^ Insane: France Seizes Geographic Domain Name France.com with Help from Web.com
- ^ 2008 GeoDomain expo coverage story
- ^ 2010 GeoDomain expo coverage story
- ^ China.com sold for $11.7 million – HongKong.com also sold
- ^ Internet Domain Name 'Israel.com' Sold for $5.88 Million
- ^ BusinessInsider.com.au
- ^ Mark Thomas Closes Biggest GeoDomain Sale We've Ever Reported - California.com Goes for Millions
- ^ BusinessInsider.com.au
- ^ Sedo Brokers Industry's Second Largest Geo Domain Sale Russia.com Sold for $1.5 Million by Leading Geo Domain Developer Paley Media
- ^ High-profile Australian web domains up for sale
- ^ Macau.com sells for $550,000
- ^ New Zealand Government Pays $500,000 for newzealand.com
- ^ Commack company owns longisland.com domain name
External links
- The Future Of Geo Domains: Chicago.com Makes $125K In 1st Year Of Selling SubDomains & Email Addresses
- City dot-coms still waiting to strike it rich article