Let's say you are a founder and VC tell you that you need to pay off someone to get a certain domain name that matches your startup name.
Let's say that someone knows how badly you need this name, and they charge you an absurd price.[1]
Finally, let's say your startup fails.
Question:
Who gets the domain name?
Considering the money that has been spent to get it, the domain name could be your startup's most valuable and liquid asset?
[1] "Absurd" because the cost of creating and maintaining a domain name (editing a zone file and running a DNS server) is quite low. In the early days of the www, domain names were registered for free. These days some people pay thousands of dollars for "domain names". Funnily enough, in some cases the names being "sold" for thousands of dollars are the same ones that were once given away for free. After one has paid a one-time, exorbitant "price" for a domain name, then they must pay the annual fee each year to keep the domain name registered. Usually this fee is under $100. Even the annual fee charged is far above the cost of creating and maintaining a domain name.
Maybe I should start a new TLD, e.g., ".startup".
I could distribute a copy of root.zone with .startup added.
I could give away a free, preconfigured localhost DNS cache, freeing users from ISP provided DNS, open resolvers like Google and Cisco (OpenDNS), and most importantly freeing them from the ICANN racket.
Then I could give away domain names for free, upon a proper showing of need. No hoarding.
Nah, it would never work. No one wants "alternative" TLD's.
(I wonder how much pure profit .io has made in recent years.)
Let's say you are a founder and VC tell you that you need to pay off someone to get a certain domain name that matches your startup name.
Let's say that someone knows how badly you need this name, and they charge you an absurd price.[1]
Finally, let's say your startup fails.
Question:
Who gets the domain name?
Considering the money that has been spent to get it, the domain name could be your startup's most valuable and liquid asset?
[1] "Absurd" because the cost of creating and maintaining a domain name (editing a zone file and running a DNS server) is quite low. In the early days of the www, domain names were registered for free. These days some people pay thousands of dollars for "domain names". Funnily enough, in some cases the names being "sold" for thousands of dollars are the same ones that were once given away for free. After one has paid a one-time, exorbitant "price" for a domain name, then they must pay the annual fee each year to keep the domain name registered. Usually this fee is under $100. Even the annual fee charged is far above the cost of creating and maintaining a domain name.
Maybe I should start a new TLD, e.g., ".startup".
I could distribute a copy of root.zone with .startup added.
I could give away a free, preconfigured localhost DNS cache, freeing users from ISP provided DNS, open resolvers like Google and Cisco (OpenDNS), and most importantly freeing them from the ICANN racket.
Then I could give away domain names for free, upon a proper showing of need. No hoarding.
Nah, it would never work. No one wants "alternative" TLD's.
(I wonder how much pure profit .io has made in recent years.)