Righthaven.com Domain Auction Has Begun

from the place-your-bids dept

Tue, Dec 27th 2011 3:28am — Mike Masnick

As promised last week, it appears that the auction of the righthaven.com has begun over at SnapNames. The auction will apparently run until January 6th at 12:15 PT. So if you were planning to take up a collection to buy it for yourself, start counting those pennies. There have already been a few bids, and at the time I'm writing this, they're asking a bit over $1,000.

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Filed Under: assets, auction, domain, hoehn, righthaven, righthaven.com
Companies: righthaven

25 Comments

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The Infamous Joe (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 4:04am

confused
What makes that domain worth $1000? I don't get it.
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justok (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 4:17am

Re: confused
I don't get it either, but let's leave our sex lives out of this.

The domain isn't worth $1000, it's worth more. As to why, let's round up the usual suspects:
-name recognition, it's infamous, rather than famous, and good for lotsa hits. The new domain will get traffic just from the publicity alone, regardless of what ends up on the site.
-repurposing, with a name like RightHaven, there are several other marketing themes/strategies that could be used ("This is the Right Haven for ...")
-nyah, nyah to poke fun etc at Right Haven (as was) and the related DRM/SOPA/PIP/patent/copyright stuff.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 4:19am

Re: confused
Fertilizer isn't cheap.
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abc gum, 27 Dec 2011 @ 4:29am

Re: Re: confused
Hopefully, no one bids anything for it.
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Spaceboy (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 4:30am

It's hosted by GoDaddy! Righthaven should have moved it to protest SOPA.
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gorehound (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 5:16am

Hosted by Godaddy is a reason to not buy this anyways.
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Designerfx (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 5:42am

Re:
Righthaven should be thanking the buyer! They're stopping righthaven form being stuck with GoDaddy.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 6:12am

Someone needs to buy it and turn it into a WANTED poster for Steve Gibson.
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Overcast (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 7:12am

And as soon as they use the name, they'll get sued - I'd avoid it like the plague.
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Liz (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 7:14am

I'll bid Two bits!
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Manabi (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 7:28am

Re: Re: confused
I would find it infinitely amusing if, say, The Pirate Bay bought it and put up a torrent tracker on the site (or some other site that would royally tick off Righthaven's masters).

Or maybe just slap up a webpage that says "RightHaven sued me and all I got was this lousy domain."
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Chris-Mouse (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 7:31am

keep in mind that Righthaven won't get any of the money from this auction. It's all going to go towards paying the legal bills of one of Righthaven's victims.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 7:54am

Re:
You should, then you can move it :)
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 8:15am

I heard Ocean Marketting is wanting it to show Penny Arcade what REAL internet power is, because they've been wwebsite as on the internet for some time.
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David Sanger (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 9:04am

Trademark
What about the fact that they registered a trademark in the word Righthaven?

"IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Searching and retrieving information, sites, and other resources available on computer networks for others. FIRST USE: 20100301. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20100301"
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 9:09am

[auction guy talking real fast] blah, blahblahblahblah .... blah blah blah ... SOLD, FOR ONE DOLLAR!!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 9:11am

Re: Re: Re: confused
The RIAA/MPAA might ...
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 11:18am

Why would someone purchase a domain name functionally identical to the trademark of a notoriously litigious entity?

I guess there's a chance they've lost their taste for lawsuits (or enough assets to fund them), but I wouldn't bank on it.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 1:55pm

Re: Re: Re: confused
Then you missed where in the write-up it says there have already been bids...
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Dec 2011 @ 1:56pm

Re: Trademark
That would be an 'asset' to be turned over to the courts, wouldn't it?
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G Thompson (profile), 27 Dec 2011 @ 7:48pm

I've been thinking, and yes I know at this time of year its a strain ;) , but what say the Techdirt community buys up the RightHaven domain name and uses it in the same way that Groklaw is used but instead of for patents and software legals for copyright itself.

Use it to counteract the CP troll's worldwide.

Most of us pay for the "insider" badge and seeing as the Tshirt is currently sold out *grumbles* Maybe a one off payment for the RightHaven URL would be a good thing. Across 100 of us (or more) would be well worth it. Ownership might have to rest in hands of Floor64 though (unless someone can figure out a co-op situation)

We could then have a Haven online that shows the Right and ethically correct way copyrights should be used for the benefit of all.

Just a thought
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fb39ca4, 27 Dec 2011 @ 9:40pm

ppl on 4chan should hold a bake sale to raise money and then buy the domain to make it into a successful successful troll site
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abc gum, 28 Dec 2011 @ 4:58am

Re:
Never happen, they realize such a move would benefit those behind Righthaven.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Jan 2012 @ 5:54am

Overcast and #18 coward:
Sued by whom? Righthaven's assets are being seized and sold...this will eventually include the name and the trademarks.
Even if the current righthaven people sue, they will not get to keep the money, if any, that they win. If they can collect.

Besides, even if they do sue, they probably won't show up to court.
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MAtt, 9 Jan 2012 @ 8:09am

Re: confused
A domain is worth more than the actual cost to own/renew it because some idiot, marketing guy, work-from-home profiteer of people clicking on stuff, or domain buyer-seller is willing to pay for the assumption (and often reality) of a ROI on the inflated price paid.

But isn't that how the whole works? (wall street; real estate; etc.)
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