news Man purchased ClintonKaine.com domain name for $8 in 2011; he wants $90,000 to sell it

[deez007]

(CNN) – Tucked away in a basement apartment in northeast Washington, a 28-year old federal contractor and lawyer, who creates web comics as hobby, hopes he’s sitting on a fortune.

He goes by the pen name “Jeremy Pegg” and as first reported by “DCIST”, he bought the domain name “clintonkaine.com” in 2011 for just eight dollars. So how did he predict this ticket five years ago?

Pegg explained, “Obama was looking at Kaine before he picked Biden and I don’t know, I felt like he was very likely going to be a running mate.”

Covering his bases, he also bought the “Clinton Biden” and “Clinton Booker” domain names and last year, he sold “cruz2016.com” and “bidenwarren.com” for $1,500 dollars each, but this might be his biggest real estate.

Since Clinton picked Kaine as her running mate, Pegg says he’s been getting huge web traffic and multiple interview requests.

Until he sells clintonkaine.com, he’s sharing his homemade comics on the webpage, depicting the democratic duo in a Harry Potter narrative.

Pegg said, “I’m pretty sure Clinton will win this election so the domain will keep being valuable for at least 4 years.”

He describes himself as very political, progressive, and who likes Sanders. Pegg goes on to say, “I have people suggesting I put links to the hacked DNC emails up there.”

He now supports Clinton, but does say he’s open to selling the domain name to Sanders, or even Trump supporters, whoever makes the best offer.

Pegg concludes with, “I don’t actually want to hurt the Clinton campaign, but I do want to sell the domain so we’ll see.”

Source: http://wwlp.com/2016/07/26/man-purchased-clintonkaine-domain-name-for-eight-dollars-in-2011/

 

[wot]

Could somebody explain me who all these people and why this domain worth so much?

From the planet Krypton?

Clinton is running for the Presidency of the USA, Kaine is her running mate (right hand person)

 

[mad409]

From the planet Krypton?

Maybe it's the update wot, NP might be tapping into another atmosphere. LOL

✓ Updates complete. Please report any issues to [email redacted]

 

[domainsonmain.com]

...

We simply dont know, like I dont know the "reputation" of a plumber if I dont see reviews first. Maybe Clinton has wunderkinds in TM law, who attended Harvard or Yale at the age of 15. I simply dont know. Lets discuss this when and if it comes there, righty?

At the moment its quite irrelevant which degree he has. If it comes to an UDRP before he sells it, we can reopen this thread.

Again, I was just emphasizing the highly coincidental nature of the way the thread unfolded. The initial statement has nothing to do with whether he has the chops or the merits to win his case if it happens to get that point.

 

[maya-zir]

From the planet Krypton?

Clinton is running for the Presidency of the USA, Kaine is her running mate (right hand person)

I know who is H.Clinton, she was or she is B.Clinton wife.
Bit this fact doesnt help me understand why the combitation of these names worth so much.
I am not from Kripton, and I remember this or the next year in USA there is a presedent selection and also know that the inaguration ceremony is the 21 of January.
But repeat, all this infornstion doesnt help me understand what the problem with the domain? It can have a worth just until tje next January, because or could win another candidate or H.Clinton will change her hand mate.
So, why somebody could need this domain? For what?

 

[Chris Hydrick]

So, why somebody could need this domain? For what?

ClintonKaine.com:
Regged: 08/08/2011
Drops: 2
Current: A political cartoon site.

ObamaBiden.com
12/05/2006: Registered (whois)
11/23/2008: see below

5/9/2009: see below

Current: Developed and...

McCainPalin.com
Regged: 02/16/2012 (whois)
Drops:2
Current: For Sale by HugeDomains for $2,795

ClintonGore.com
Regged: 02/21/2006 (whois)
Drops: 2
Current: Nothing

RomneyRyan.com
Regged: 02/22/2010 (whois)
Drops: 0
Previous: See Below

10/02/2013: Romneys Concession speech + a cool blog about the web design of other political sites. HERE
Current: Redirects to a Dallas Web Design team

BushCheney.com
Regged: 9/29/2011 (whois)
Drops: 2
11/8/2005: Redirected to AmericanFlags.com
Current: For Sale on HugeDomains for $8,895

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Covering his bases, he also bought the “Clinton Biden” and “Clinton Booker” domain names

On the same day, 08/08/2011, the domain owner purchased the following domains:

You'll notice some of the domains redirect to a Sedo for sale page with $100 BINs. Domain owner also owns lots of other political domains.

 

[kemjika11]

The domain is worth $100K easily. Why not? if US elections are not corrupt or active propaganda brainwashing i dunno why they cost billions of dollars.

 

[decades80]

The domain is worth $100K easily. Why not? if US elections are not corrupt or active propaganda brainwashing i dunno why they cost billions of dollars.

I kind of agree. It gets massive political targeted traffic, so even when he can not sell it, he can use it for his own promotion. Maybe he is even talented enough and get noticed by The New Yorker cartoonist editor? Who knows.

ps: I would only advise to stay away from parking

 

[dordomai]

http://www.hillary.com/ is for sale...

 

[wot]

http://www.hillary.com/ is for sale...

As is Xilarui.com the Chinese pinyin translation of Hillary.

 

[DU]

The entire basis of cybersquatting is that there must be bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else.

That's one part of the ACPA - not 15 U.S. Code § 8131
You're looking at it from a very simplistic standpoint.

Here's what an ACTUAL LAWYER (of 20+ years) had to say about RomneyRyan.com in 2012.
So many self-righteous know-it-alls around here with senseless knee-jerk reactions !!

Your recently found lawyer google-friend that you just met online and established as being the most awesomest lawyer ever because you read his own blurb on the internet... he was talking about a few lessons on UDRP. He did this as part of a blog post to get his name found on Google (and wow, success!) not to provide people with an full academic understanding of the law.

--------------

The reality is that none of the discussion is really all that relevant because no-one seems to read beyond the first paragraph of wikipedia or the third result of google. The domain name has value to precisely one group of people - Clinton/Kaine or one of their fundraisers. To spend money on this would be a waste of time... and don't believe me, believe this self described brilliant whizz bang genius lawyer who's smarter than everyone here!

To use the domain in any way that is negative is a risky proposition - people will say parody but that's far more legally specific than most people realize. Fair use is fair use... good luck to him.

Right now it's a domain with traffic registered in bad faith whether you call that cybersquatting or being a capitalist dick or smart.

 

[domainsonmain.com]

@DU you seem to have at least a reasonable understanding of the law. I would like to know what the rules would be for someone simply wanting to blog about the administration (or candidacy for the administration at this point). This seems to be fair use to me as long as the blog appears to at least at attempting to be neutral.

Also, what is curious about this that the presidency is in a since public domain since it is paid for by the taxpayer.

Also, referring to the Wikipedia page for ACPA, gripe sites do not fit the criteria for being in violation. Therefor does this mean ClintonKaine (com) could be legally used for griping. And if griping is okay then I would imagine positive re-enforcement would be in-bounds.

What makes this a little more confusing is when you actually profit like say ad revenue.

Just thoughts. I have some "fan-page" like domain names I would also like to start developing but find good information on this elusive.

 

[DU]

Also, what is curious about this that the presidency is in a since public domain since it is paid for by the taxpayer.

Saying you can buy the presidency is a tad controversial

Also, referring to the Wikipedia page for ACPA, gripe sites do not fit the criteria for being in violation. Therefor does this mean ClintonKaine (com) could be legally used for griping. And if griping is okay then I would imagine positive re-enforcement would be in-bounds.

What makes this a little more confusing is when you actually profit like say ad revenue.

Just thoughts. I have some "fan-page" like domain names I would also like to start developing but find good information on this elusive.

It all depends on usage. You can have a gripe site but you would need to consider the impacts of that site and purpose - obviously, you shouldn't look to profit from it. A gripe site identifying Playstation, for example, with affiliate links to XBox would clearly not be restricting things to fair user (you have the right to identify the mark and make statements protected by free speech but not commercially profit).

If you create a positive site I'm not sure why anyone would complain; however, even with the best fan sites an owner of a TM wants to be very protective. Wordpress, for example, doesn't like sites using that title in the domain. This is in part because it confers some authority to the owner that may not actually exist and in part because they are obligated to protect their TM. With fan sites there's one simple rule I would recommend - whatever you plan to do, get permission. Some famous people are going to want to be strict about managing their image rights and not allow posting- other images are owned by a third party. A great many images/interviews/texts available online are owned by someone and should be used/referenced appropriately.

While many people don't care about fan sites, some do... not all celebrities are known to have been nice about things.

IANAL.

 

[wot]

So, has it sold?

 

[carob]

According to Namebio this domain sold yesterday on Flippa for $15,000

https://namebio.com/clintonkaine.com

 

[deez007]

According to Namebio this domain sold yesterday on Flippa for $15,000

https://namebio.com/clintonkaine.com

Hmm alot less that he would have liked but still not a bad sale at all.

 

[carob]

Ah well ClintonCaning.com is still free for anyone wanting to inhale.

 

[CoalToNewCastle]

That's correct, I sold it for $15,000.

I managed to find a connection of mine (actually one of my clients for my solo legal practice) who was close friends with the Clinton campaign's digital director, and she arranged a phone conversation between us. It turned out that this was not something the campaign, or at least the digital department of the campaign, was interested in spending much money on. Supposedly they didn't have a "discretionary budget" for things like this. She offered me $2000. I said the lowest I would go was $15,000 and she said they definitely couldn't do that. She thanked me for going to the campaign about the domain first and then we said goodbye.

So I handed it off to a Flippa broker (meaning I would pay a 12% "success fee" rather than the default 10% fee on Flippa) who said he was talking to an interested party already and I gave him a minimum that I would accept ($14,000) and he ended up selling it to somebody.

I'm pretty happy about this. The $90,000 figure was always a deliberate highball that I was using to see if I could get more than the domain was worth, and to help me get more press attention. Before Clinton made her VP choice, I had estimated that I would get somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 if I hit the "jackpot" with one of my domains, so this is about right. And on top of that, I also got massive publicity for my webcomic and for my own personal brand as a DC-based lawyer, writer, and artist.

 

[deez007]

That's correct, I sold it for $15,000.

I managed to find a connection of mine (actually one of my clients for my solo legal practice) who was close friends with the Clinton campaign's digital director, and she arranged a phone conversation between us. It turned out that this was not something the campaign, or at least the digital department of the campaign, was interested in spending much money on. Supposedly they didn't have a "discretionary budget" for things like this. She offered me $2000. I said the lowest I would go was $15,000 and she said they definitely couldn't do that. She thanked me for going to the campaign about the domain first and then we said goodbye.

So I handed it off to a Flippa broker (meaning I would pay a 12% "success fee" rather than the default 10% fee on Flippa) who said he was talking to an interested party already and I gave him a minimum that I would accept ($14,000) and he ended up selling it to somebody.

I'm pretty happy about this. The $90,000 figure was always a deliberate highball that I was using to see if I could get more than the domain was worth, and to help me get more press attention. Before Clinton made her VP choice, I had estimated that I would get somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 if I hit the "jackpot" with one of my domains, so this is about right. And on top of that, I also got massive publicity for my webcomic and for my own personal brand as a DC-based lawyer, writer, and artist.

Absolutely, well played mate - Thanks for taking the time to post here on NP and for also keeping is updated after the sale.

Awesomely done, the highball tactic to garnish some press attention ..hahah 10 points!!!

Congrats on a job well done and a well deserved sale mate!

All the best...

 

[CoalToNewCastle]

Absolutely, well played mate - Thanks for taking the time to post here on NP and for also keeping is updated after the sale.

Awesomely done, the highball tactic to garnish some press attention ..hahah 10 points!!!

Congrats on a job well done and a well deserved sale mate!

All the best...

Thank you, I appreciate it! I just finished an interview with NPR's Morning Edition about the sale. It should air tomorrow morning or the day after.

 

[Kate]

http://www.thedomains.com/2016/08/15/clintonkaine-com-sale-90k-sells-15k-not-clinton/

 

[000]

Very smart purchase at one helluva price. Both buyer and seller have very good reason to celebrate.

 

[Addison]

Congrats on the sale!!

ClintonKaine.com Sold for $15,000:

“[t]he Clinton campaign didn’t want it (they offered me $2000 on the phone).”[1]

“The buyer, as it turns out, works for Giles-Parscale, a web marketing company that works for the Trump campaign.”[2]

“San Antonio-based web design and marketing firm Giles-Parscale Inc. expects to bring on board up to 100 more employees to support its contract with the Donald Trump for president campaign.”[1]​

Smart business decision.

 

[CoalToNewCastle]

Here's the Morning Edition segment! Not as in depth as the stories about me in CNN, Vox, etc., but still cute: http://www.npr.org/2016/08/17/490314006/clintonkaine-com-pays-off-for-domain-squatter

 

[dordomai]

of course the word "squatter" had to be put into the reporting.