domain About.bz

[RogueWriter]

While looking for other sites to build into a network related to aboutwinnipeg.com , I came across about.bz , which I registered. I think I will turn it into a site strictly about business, how to build an online business, create and develop an affiliate program to create sales, etc. If i am specific and focussed on that category, do you think I have to worry about about.com ? My thought is, about is a word that you can't copywrite, and I will have a distinctly different and focussed site.

Any thoughts about a value, and problems with my thinking?

 

[Busedo]

You are totally right. About.com can't do anything about about.bz. About is a word everyone uses every day, and About.com is just a site on basic information, etc. If About.com really wanted there domain to be all to themselves, they would have registered all of the ext's. I think About.bz is very good, and if you develop it, it could be worth a good amount. Possibly in the x,xxx range. Good luck!

Best Regards,

Jason F.
Busedo.com Owner.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

Great domain name for an information site about .bz, leading to high paying adsense clicks if you head that route

-Allan

 

[Fundraiser]

You are totally right. About.com can't do anything about about.bz. About is a word everyone uses every day, and About.com is just a site on basic information, etc. If About.com really wanted there domain to be all to themselves, they would have registered all of the ext's. I think About.bz is very good, and if you develop it, it could be worth a good amount. Possibly in the x,xxx range. Good luck!

They can do something. Whether they would or whether they would prevail can't be determined by anyone at this forum. While you say About.com is just a site on basic information, one of their trademarks covers business news and information along with other specific references to types of information. Their legal counsel has a history of protecting their copyrights, but trademarks are another issue so maybe they won't bother.

 

[superprogrammer]

Great keyword with weird extension
Mid $xxx imo

 

[armstrong]

About.bz does have potential, more for tourism as pointed out than for business. I would place resale value somewhere at low to mid $XXX to someone interested in the .bz extension. Could possibly be more if developed. Good luck!

 

[Fundraiser]

As it seems the possible trademark problem on this name isn't raising any concerns as more appraisals are made, here is a quote from a WIPO STOP case where About.biz was transferred to About.com.

"As Complainant points out, the <About.com> website and portal is and has been well known internationally since 1996, and virtually any use of such domain, with a new gTLD like .biz is likely to confuse the public into believing that it is associated with the owner of the gTLD .com using the same mark."

http://www.arbforum.com/domains/decisions/109726.htm

 

[superprogrammer]

As it seems the possible trademark problem on this name isn't raising any concerns as more appraisals are made, here is a quote from a WIPO STOP case where About.biz was transferred to About.com.

"As Complainant points out, the <About.com> website and portal is and has been well known internationally since 1996, and virtually any use of such domain, with a new gTLD like .biz is likely to confuse the public into believing that it is associated with the owner of the gTLD .com using the same mark."

http://www.arbforum.com/domains/decisions/109726.htm

Hmm....
That really worries me about one of .bz name I own

 

[snoop]

has a .bz ever sold for 3 figures?, nobody is going to pay "Mid $xxx" for this name, would say even getting the reg fee back would be unlikely.

 

[Sir_Esquire]

How can about.com get away with that?

Since when do intellectual property rights extend to a common word like "about"?

It seems to me "about.com" is a trademarked entity. "about.bz" is a completely separate entity.

now if it was "pepsi.bz" then maybe?

 

[superprogrammer]

has a .bz ever sold for 3 figures?, nobody is going to pay "Mid $xxx" for this name, would say even getting the reg fee back would be unlikely.

Not last year but may be this year?
You never know time is changing and so is domain world

 

[ftech]

Hmm....
That really worries me about one of .bz name I own

One word: DEVELOP

If you develop your site to something else, not what trademarked business does I think you are safe.

Read on :

Through its investigation, Complainant has discovered that Respondent either owns or operates a company called ArabicDomains4All. In addition, Complainant claims Respondent registered the <about.biz> name through a bulk registrar in an effort to register as many domain names as possible. Furthermore, Respondent uses as a contact email address [email protected] and also owns the domain name <arbdomains.com>, clearly a derivation of the word “arbitrage,” which means the act of buying and selling at high profit with no risk. All of this evidence clearly indicates that the business of Respondent is buying and selling domain names and not using them for legitimate business purposes. Currently, there is no operating web site at <about.biz>, further indicating that Respondent has no intent to use the <about.biz> domain name for a legitimate business purpose.

Though, in this case, I think arbdomains.com was a typo for arabdomains...

 

[GT Web]

.cc, .bz, .nu - they are all the same

crap, who in their right mind would spend mid $xxx on this name when they can get a "real" solid .biz domain for the same amount.

$20 tops

 

[Legend.name]

Mid $xx >- Low $xx, IMHO.

 

[armstrong]

.cc, .bz, .nu - they are all the same

crap, who in their right mind would spend mid $xxx on this name when they can get a "real" solid .biz domain for the same amount.

$20 tops

How about someone who can profit from becoming an authoriy on Belize tourism? Try http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=belize+tour&btnG=Google+Search and you'll see tons of leads. If you can get any of those tour outfits interested, then mid-$XXX is certainly possible.

 

[ftech]

.cc, .bz, .nu - they are all the same

crap, who in their right mind would spend mid $xxx on this name when they can get a "real" solid .biz domain for the same amount.

$20 tops

I really don't think you could get strong keyword name .biz for the same amount as .bz. Tha price differance is more with the factor of 10.

 

[snoop]

How about someone who can profit from becoming an authoriy on Belize tourism? Try http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=belize+tour&btnG=Google+Search and you'll see tons of leads. If you can get any of those tour outfits interested, then mid-$XXX is certainly possible.

Sounds like a low probability event which requires time spent marketing. The reality is though that a domain is only worth what it would sell for today, in the wholesale market. End user sales are low chance and need to be balanced with the far more likely outcome-that the name never gets any interest from end users at all.

 

[simonj]

about.co.uk has a fairly developed site that has nothing to do with About.com