domains China could block GoDaddy’s $120 million MMX swoop

[Lox]

GoDaddy’s proposed $120 million acquisition of essentially all the meaningful assets of portfolio gTLD player MMX will be subject to Chinese government approval, it emerged this morning.

Following GoDaddy’s bare-bones press release announcing the deal last night, this morning MMX added a whole bunch of flesh, including a list of closing conditions, in its statement to shareholders.

GoDaddy is proposing to buy essentially MMX’s entire operating business — the 28 gTLD registry agreements with ICANN, including the four porn-related strings belonging to subsidiary ICM Registry.

Not only do MMX shareholders have to approve the deal — and holders of 64% of the shares have already promised they will — but ICANN approval will be required for the registry contracts to be reassigned.

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[platey]

interesting scenario whatever the outcome but this potential acquisition is absolutely hugely significant as its a vast amount of digital land on the intternet potentially moving across the world in part of the digital infrastructure being built

i dont think it will be long before godasdy buys an insurance company so that it can offer domain name insurance to its custoners

 

[CraigD]

i dont think it will be long before godasdy buys an insurance company so that it can offer domain name insurance to its custoners

Not sure exactly what you mean by domain name insurance.

Do you mean domain name theft protection?

 

[platey]

Not sure exactly what you mean by domain name insurance.

Do you mean domain name theft protection?

any asset requires insurance

eg a house or car etc

digital assets are no different

although no insurance is currently available for domains

too many people are losing their domain names in udrp etc and otherwise where if the investor or business had domain name insurance they could claim in such situations

 

[CraigD]

any asset requires insurance

eg a house or car etc

digital assets are no different

although no insurance is currently available for domains

too many people are losing their domain names in udrp etc and otherwise where if the investor or business had domain name insurance they could claim in such situations

I cannot imagine domains ever being insured against a UDRP.

There are however IP insurance products tailored to assist enterprises with the costs of defending a trade mark...