| Since every website needs a name, Dr. Steve | | | | by another search engine. But "fast" and "all the |
| Baba has written a free ebook that will help you | | | | web" are not unrelated or arbitrary. Other search |
| obtain a brandable, memorable domain name at a | | | | engines can also claim to be fast, speedy, quick, |
| reasonable cost, which will contribute to your | | | | the entire web, or something similar.The key to |
| brand equity and profits. The ebook, downloadable | | | | having the most trademark protection is to |
| from Seemly.com, explains how to select and buy | | | | choose an unrelated, arbitrary word. Descriptive |
| an elite domain name. You will be able to obtain a | | | | words, such as fast, are unlikely to earn much |
| better name than your competitors have.There | | | | trademark protection. Instead of fast, it may be |
| are at least 10,000 words in a dictionary that | | | | possible to use a suggestive name such as jet, |
| would make great domain names plus at least | | | | rocket, or race.With 10,000 good, short, |
| 10,000 proper names and 10,000 great short | | | | easy-to-spell dictionary words, it is always possible |
| coined-words. With a supply of 30,000 great | | | | to find one for a few thousand dollars. Shorter |
| names and millions of good names, obtaining a | | | | four or five character dictionary words are more |
| good name is easy.There is no need to pay more | | | | expensive. Three character dictionary words are |
| than a few thousand dollars for a great one-word | | | | extremely expensive.Coined or fanciful words are |
| domain name, and many good domain names are | | | | words such as Exxon or Kodak that had no prior |
| available for free. This book provides you with the | | | | use. In theory, coined words are the best from a |
| information needed to beat domain name | | | | trademark-legal point of view, since no one has |
| speculators at their games.Both naming | | | | used the word before. Ideally, a coined word is |
| methodology to identify great domain names and | | | | totally new and unrelated to any other word.But, |
| negotiating/purchasing methods to obtain great | | | | memorability requires a short name, which has led |
| domain names at low prices are covered. After a | | | | to a number of similar coined names such as |
| couple of introductory sections, the book starts | | | | Duron, Enron, and Micron, which diminishes the |
| with domain naming goals or the criteria for | | | | legal advantage, since confusion is possible. LexIs |
| choosing a great domain name: image, | | | | sued LexUs.While the legal protection is not |
| memorability, trademark-legal, and price. Then | | | | perfect, the legal protection is considered the |
| quality domain naming strategies are discussed. | | | | strongest of any category. But from a marketing |
| Inferior domain naming styles, which you want to | | | | point of view since no one has used the word, |
| avoid, are then discussed.The second half of this | | | | coined words may be as difficult to remember as |
| book explains how to buy a great domain name. | | | | nonsense syllables.With a supply of thousands if |
| Auctions, expired domains, speculators, and other | | | | not tens of thousands of short, coined words, it is |
| sources are discussed. Finally, many other topics | | | | always possible to find one for a few thousand |
| are expanded on.Steve Baba has a Ph.D. in | | | | dollars or less - often free.Because of the lack of |
| Economics and ebusiness experience. The ebook | | | | trademark protection for generic names, the lack |
| on domain names is available at for free. No | | | | of distinctiveness, and the cost of many generic |
| registration is required. The ebook is a PDF file of | | | | domain names, many businesses have used a |
| approximately 250K. The free ebook is advertising | | | | "generic plus" or "modified generic" naming |
| supported. The following paragraphs are book | | | | strategy.A prefix, suffix or second word can be |
| excerpts. Generic names, arbitrary dictionary | | | | added to the generic name. Examples of this are |
| words, coined or made-up words, modified | | | | Carmax, CarMart, eCars, CarDepot, CarOne and |
| generic names (generic plus) and unrelated | | | | CarLand.This works if the generic word, such as |
| two-word names are quality domain naming | | | | car, is short. Longer generic names, such as |
| strategies. But, each quality strategy has | | | | CarpetCleaningMax.com, can be too long. But |
| strengths and weaknesses. There is no such thing | | | | many of the longer generic words have common |
| as a perfect name.Generic names are highly | | | | abbreviations. For example, computer is often |
| controversial and expensive. Examples of generic | | | | abbreviated "comp" as in CompUSA. Software is |
| names are Hotels.com, and The generic name | | | | often shortened to "soft" or "ware" in names. |
| strategy was always controversial and peaked | | | | Tech is a common abbreviation for technology, |
| during the dotcom bubble.The generic naming | | | | overused in names.These names range from |
| strategy is virtually never used offline, but a very | | | | virtually generic, eCars.cars, to nearly coined, |
| few small stores do business under generic names | | | | QuanCars.com, with descriptive, suggestive and |
| such as the "Mattress Store" in Annapolis, | | | | arbitrary second-words in-between. Since the |
| Maryland. Offline, anyone can use the same | | | | generic word lacks any trademark protection, the |
| generic name and open a store name "Mattress | | | | trademark strength depends on the trademark |
| Store." Online, ownership of the domain name can | | | | strength of the "plus" part of the name.The |
| only prevent competitors from using the same | | | | generic plus strategy is often an attempt to have |
| exact domain name.Since, generic names cannot | | | | the benefits from both a generic and a distinctive |
| be trademarked, competitors can use Hotels.NET, | | | | name, but may have the problems of both if one |
| Rooms.com, Hotelrooms.com, Motels.com, | | | | is not careful. At worst, it could infringe on |
| (singular), Hotels.us, and so on. Often, there are a | | | | someone's trademark based on the second word |
| half dozen simple generic names for each industry | | | | such as CarsRus or CarBay. The generic part of |
| not to mention generic names with a prefix (e, i) | | | | the word is usually trademark safe.Another |
| or suffix such as Since competitors can use | | | | strategy is to use two unrelated words in a name. |
| similar generic names, developing a distinct, | | | | Examples of two unrelated words are and The |
| memorable brand is difficult. Memorability or the | | | | two unrelated words strategy differs from the |
| need to spend less on advertising is often an | | | | generic-plus strategy in that neither word is |
| argument for high domain name prices - but this | | | | related to the generic product. Technically red is |
| argument is only half true. At the same time, with | | | | related to envelope by being an adjective, but |
| only a few first-rate generic names in each | | | | neither word is closely related to the product or |
| industry, the generic domain names may be | | | | service being sold.The main advantage to this |
| unavailable or overpriced, and are rarely | | | | method, two unrelated words, is that it's cheap |
| bargain-priced. A generic name also hampers | | | | and often free. With 30,000 single words, there |
| brand extension beyond the generic category - | | | | are 900 million combinations of two single words |
| selling plane tickets?Another quality strategy is | | | | (30,000 x 30,000).The main disadvantage is that |
| unrelated, arbitrary dictionary words. Examples of | | | | two unrelated words are twice as difficult to |
| unrelated dictionary word names include | | | | remember as one. Two words that are |
| Yahoo.com, Google.com, Target and Staples. Both | | | | commonly related to each other such as "happy |
| the words yahoo and google are in the Oxford | | | | birthday" or "hot wire" are easier to remember, |
| dictionary, but were rarely used prior to becoming | | | | but rare and may be as expensive as single |
| famous brands.Compared to generic names, it | | | | words.From a trademark viewpoint, it could be |
| was not immediately obvious what business | | | | twice as risky. It could infringe on someone's |
| Amazon, Yahoo or Google was in. On the other | | | | trademark based on either the first or second |
| hand, Yahoo can legally prevent competitors from | | | | word. If you are selling computers, either Red |
| using similar names such as FreeHoo via | | | | Computers or Dog Computers could consider |
| trademark would be the generic name for Google. | | | | trademark action against you. |
| "Fast" and "All The Web" are used as trademarks | | | | |