Abstract

Juliet famously mused, “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet.” The same cannot be said for Internet domain names. One’s inability to own a specific domain name has delayed product launches, caused companies to change names, and led to disputes with alleged cybersquatters. The utility of domain names has led to a robust secondary market of buyers and sellers, where domain names that encompass generic words, or are comprised of very few letters or numbers, often change hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more. In short, domain names matter in the eyes of producers and consumers: the difference of one letter in a URL can mean the difference between an online visit that leads to a sale, or a distraction that leads to annoyance, confusion, or worse. ...

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2015

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