A. There is really no reason to buy an existing name from a registered owner unless:
a.) You feel it necessary because the name is very close to your trademarked name and you would like to have it to avoid possible confusion.
b.) You need the name as part of a marketing strategy, such as a generic name describing a product or service.
c.) You simply have to have it for no particular reason at all other than you like it!

Q.2. How much does a name sell for?

A. It depends. Short, descriptive, generic types of domain names such as "taxi" or "flowers", would command many thousands of dollars - if they were for sale at all. Most names sell in the range of $2,000 to $6,000 though prices have been paid in excess of $100,000 for domain names.

Q.3. What about Trademark and Copyright issues?

A. We suggest staying away from a name that has been Trademarked or Copyrighted to use as your new domain name. As the law in many countries has not yet been revised on these issues, it tends to be a very gray area. While an attorney may give sound legal advice about the laws of the country he/she practices in, the advice they give about the laws of other countries may be unintentionally shallow. We recommend seeking the advice of a competent professional regarding International Intellectual Property Law. The simplest and easiest route for many companies is to choose the name that they currently do business under or - if this is not possible due to the length of the name or other circumstances - choose a name that is descriptive or generic in nature for use on the Internet. This will usually suffice for Internet business, while the existing business name or product name is used for "regular" business.

Q.4. I've heard stories of Domain Names being registered and sold for a profit to companies that rightfully hold the Trademark. Can I profit from this?

A. Tempting though it may be to "steal" or "borrow" a competitor's - or anyone else's - possible future domain name, we strongly advise against it. Profit seekers in the past made a fast buck, but this is now rare. Furthermore, if you've registered a name with interNIC, then you'll no doubt be aware of the legal signoffs needed. Basically, you are guaranteeing that you have the right to own the name and you are not infringing on a third party's rights. The original name owners can, and probably will, go after you legally, to get what they claim is rightfully theirs. They will probably win. Some profiteers realized that it would cost money for a name owner to sue, so they registered a Domain Name and "held" many companies to ransom. While it was registered to the profiteer, it was not being used. The name just sat on the shelf. The profiteer wanted an amount of money that was equal to, or a little less than the amount the company would spend in legal fees to "acquire back" their name for use on the Internet. This is why many past names have been bought and sold for between $2,000 and $6,000. (See Q.2) This is the average range of money needed to initiate a lawsuit. Recently, an undisclosed company in Houston paid $150,000 to purchase the domain name, business.com from the British company that registered it free 4 years ago. This is the highest price ever paid for a domain name.

Q.5. Why are you offering Domain Names for Sale?

A. We are simply providing a medium to others for the buying and selling of existing Domain Names. Advertisers can now buy or sell their names on these pages. In the past, if you wanted a specific name and it was shown to be taken through a "whois" search, you had to call or email the party to the registration. This party may or may not be the correct person to deal with. If they were not the correct party, you still didn't know if the name was available and it was, for how much. Plus they may have just hung up the phone on you in disgust, indignation or whatever. Now you can find out by checking these listings regularly, if a particular name is available, or even list your own request(s) free, of a name or names you'd like to own. Just email us the details to names@InternetDepot.net

Q.6. Assuming I like a name, what do I need to do to acquire it?

A. Contact the responsible, named party, preferably via email. Once a price is reached, both parties need to strike an agreement. This can be accomplished in email or via fax or postal mail. You'll need to be specific about payment arrangements and who will be the transfer agent. (Perhaps your local Internet Service or Access Provider may act as transfer agent) Remember, interNIC handles the actual change of physical name and address and, more importantly, the change of I.P. (Internet Protocol) address but someone has to instruct interNIC to do these things. You may be able to accomplish the change yourself. It's not difficult, but you'll need to know certain items. For detailed instructions on Domain Name Registration changes visit interNIC

Q.7. How long does it take to change the registration once interNIC is notified?

A. It depends on how busy interNIC is. We've had some changes take one or two days, others have taken up to six weeks. New Domain registrations are usually handled much quicker than changes to existing registrations.

Q.8. How much does interNIC charge for the Change of Registration?

A. Currently, interNIC does not charge for Domain Name Registration Changes, though this may change in the future.