3 ms·

Domain "squatters" buy domain names and keep them to sell. As long as they aren't infringing on a trademark it is a legitimate and legal business. While I don

by larrys 14y ago

Domain "squatters" buy domain names and keep them to sell. As long as they aren't infringing on a trademark it is a legitimate and legal business. While I don't really even like the word speculation that would more accurately describe what is going on. People might not like it or get frustrated that they can't buy the domain at the price they would like. That's simply entitlement. And they also assume that if the "squatter" didn't buy the domain it would be just sitting waiting for them to purchase for $10 for their startup. In a free market system that would simply not be the case. Someone thought of an idea and purchased domains at the going rate (or more later on if not the original owner) and now the domain has value. If it was so apparent the domain had value to everyone then everyone would have done the same thing and they didn't. This is really no different than any type of gamble or investing someone does in business or in real estate. You can come up with any scenario to try limit domains to "actual use" and it will fail on it's face. There is no way to have the growth of the Internet that we have and police how someone uses their domain. This is not gas or war time rationing. There are many options if the domain that you think is perfect for your company is taken by someone else. Find a different domain. Get over it.

philwelch 14y ago
You seem to be arguing against a comment I didn't even write.
- larrys 14y ago
  I'm taking issue with the use of the word "squatters" in the way you used it.
  - philwelch 14y ago
    It's the commonly used term for the business model. Sorry if you find it offensive, but you've done a masterful job of missing the damned point.
dinkumthinkum 14y ago
Yeah I don't understand what you're arguing against either. The fact that you think domain squatting is a great, legitimate business is sort of irrelevant. Maybe you don't like the term "squatting" because you keep putting it in quotes, well even it is the best business in the whole wide world, it's still squatting. You don't like the word "speculation." You seem to not like to call things what they are ... Anyway, the parent did not make a case for why they're bad guys. Get over it. :)
- larrys 14y ago
  "Yeah I don't understand what you're arguing against either." I'm arguing against the use of the word squatting to describe people who buy domain names with the intent of reselling who are not infringing on obvious and famous trademarks. Squatting is identified commonly as: "Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land and/or a building - usually residential - that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting Specifically if we replace the real estate with the domain name we can see that the person who has acquired the domain name that they wish to sell does "own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use". Certain words and expressions have negative connotations and "squatting" is certainly one of them. They are used incorrectly many times by writers to get people's emotions up and band them together against something the writer is trying to achieve.

by larrys 14y ago

philwelch 14y ago

You seem to be arguing against a comment I didn't even write.

larrys 14y ago
I'm taking issue with the use of the word "squatters" in the way you used it.
- philwelch 14y ago
  It's the commonly used term for the business model. Sorry if you find it offensive, but you've done a masterful job of missing the damned point.

dinkumthinkum 14y ago

Yeah I don't understand what you're arguing against either. The fact that you think domain squatting is a great, legitimate business is sort of irrelevant. Maybe you don't like the term "squatting" because you keep putting it in quotes, well even it is the best business in the whole wide world, it's still squatting. You don't like the word "speculation." You seem to not like to call things what they are ... Anyway, the parent did not make a case for why they're bad guys. Get over it. :)

larrys 14y ago
"Yeah I don't understand what you're arguing against either." I'm arguing against the use of the word squatting to describe people who buy domain names with the intent of reselling who are not infringing on obvious and famous trademarks. Squatting is identified commonly as: "Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land and/or a building - usually residential - that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting Specifically if we replace the real estate with the domain name we can see that the person who has acquired the domain name that they wish to sell does "own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use". Certain words and expressions have negative connotations and "squatting" is certainly one of them. They are used incorrectly many times by writers to get people's emotions up and band them together against something the writer is trying to achieve.