IP Library Granted Patent US 7,493,403
Granted Patent B2
US 7,493,403 · App. 11/685,311 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Domain name ownership validation

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,493,403
App. No.
11/685,311
Granted
Feb 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for validating ownership of a domain name. According to one embodiment, a validating ownership of a domain name can comprise retrieving one or more domain name ownership records. For example, the one or more domain name ownership records comprise Who Is records. Validity of the one or more domain name records can be confirmed with a designated domain manager. According to one embodiment, confirming validity of the one or more domain name records with the designated domain manager can comprise authenticating the designated domain manager based on a certificate provided by the designated domain manager.

Claims (55)

1. A method for validating ownership of a domain name, the method comprising:

retrieving one or more domain name ownership records;

confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with a designated domain manager;

in response to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as valid;

monitoring the one or more domain name ownership records;

in response to a change in the one or more domain name ownership records, re-validating ownership of the domain name;

receiving a request from a web browser of a client system to verify a web site;

verifying the web site based on a domain of the web site being marked as valid; and

reporting results of verifying the web site to the web browser.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more domain name ownership records comprise Who Is records.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, determining whether the one or more domain name ownership records are substantially complete.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records is performed in response to determining the one or more domain name ownership records are complete.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, in response to determining the one or more domain name ownership records are not complete, marking the domain as not valid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager comprises authenticating the designated domain manager based on a certificate provided by the designated domain manager.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to not confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as invalid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the one or more domain name ownership records comprises periodically crawling one or more web sites containing the one or more domain name ownership records.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein re-validating ownership of the domain name comprises:

re-confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager based on the change in the one or more domain name ownership records; and

marking the domain as valid or invalid based on re-confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records.

10. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the processor and containing therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to retrieve one or more domain name ownership records, confirm validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with a designated domain manager, in response to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, mark the domain as valid, monitor the one or more domain name ownership records, re-validate ownership of the domain name in response to detecting a change in the one or more domain name ownership records, receive a request from a web browser of a client system to verify a web site, verify the web site based on a domain of the web site being marked as valid, and report results of verifying the web site to the web browser.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more domain name ownership records comprise Who Is records.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising, prior to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, determining whether the one or more domain name ownership records are substantially complete.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records is performed in response to determining the one or more domain name ownership records are complete.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising, in response to determining the one or more domain name ownership records are not complete, marking the domain as not valid.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager comprises authenticating the designated domain manager based on a certificate provided by the designated domain manager.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager comprises authenticating the designated domain manager based on the verification of one or more elements of the domain name ownership record.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager comprises receiving confirmation from the domain owner about the validity of the information in the domain name ownership record.

18. The system of claim 10 , further comprising, in response to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as valid.

19. The system of claim 10 , further comprising, in response to not confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as invalid.

20. The system of claim 10 , wherein monitoring the one or more domain name ownership records comprises periodically crawling one or more web sites containing the one or more domain name ownership records.

21. The system of claim 10 , wherein re-validating ownership of the domain name comprises:

re-confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager based on the change in the one or more domain name ownership records; and

marking the domain as valid or invalid based on re-confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records.

22. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to validate ownership of a domain name by:

retrieving one or more domain name ownership records;

confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with a designated domain manager;

in response to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as valid;

monitoring the one or more domain name ownership records;

in response to a change in the one or more domain name ownership records, re-validating ownership of the domain name;

receiving a request from a web browser of a client system to verify a web site;

verifying the web site based on a domain of the web site being marked as valid; and

reporting results of verifying the web site to the web browser.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the one or more domain name ownership records comprise Who Is records.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , further comprising, prior to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, determining whether the one or more domain name ownership records are substantially complete.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24 wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records is performed in response to determining the one or more domain name ownership records are complete.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 24 , further comprising, in response to determining the one or more domain name ownership records are not complete, marking the domain as not valid.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager comprises authenticating the designated domain manager based on a certificate provided by the designated domain manager.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , further comprising, in response to confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as valid.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , further comprising, in response to not confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records, marking the domain as invalid.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein monitoring the one or more domain name ownership records comprises periodically crawling one or more web sites containing the one or more domain name ownership records.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein re-validating ownership of the domain name comprises:

re-confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records with the designated domain manager based on the change in the one or more domain name ownership records; and

marking the domain as valid or invalid based on re-confirming validity of the one or more domain name ownership records.

Assignments (23)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2026
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: MARKMONITOR INC.
Reel/Frame 073379/0762 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2026
From: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB
To: MARKMONITOR INC.
Reel/Frame 073379/0646 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2025
From: MARKMONITOR INC.
To: KKR LOAN ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVEAGENT
Reel/Frame 073344/0539 →
SUPERPRIORITY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 17, 2025
From: MARKMONITOR INC.; NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC; NEWFOLD DIGITAL, INC.; A SMALL ORANGE, LLC; BLUEHOST INC.; HOSTGATOR.COM LLC; P.D.R SOLUTIONS (U.S.) LLC; MONSTERCOMMERCE, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073963/0186 →
SUPERPRIORITY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 17, 2025
From: MARKMONITOR INC.; NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC; NEWFOLD DIGITAL, INC.; A SMALL ORANGE, LLC; BLUEHOST INC.; HOSTGATOR.COM LLC; P.D.R SOLUTIONS (U.S.) LLC; MONSTERCOMMERCE, LLC
To: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073963/0121 →
FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: NEWFOLD DIGITAL, INC.; NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC; WEB.COM GROUP, INC.; MARKMONITOR INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 065268/0277 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2023
From: NEWFOLD DIGITAL, INC.
To: MARKMONITOR INC.
Reel/Frame 062461/0957 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2023
From: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: NEWFOLD DIGITAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 062296/0356 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN SPECIFIED PATENTS Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061879/0720 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN SPECIFIED PATENTS Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061879/0686 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN SPECIFIED PATENTS Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061879/0693 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN SPECIFIED PATENTS Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061879/0706 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN SPECIFIED PATENTS Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061879/0713 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: DECISION RESOURCES, INC.; DR/DECISION RESOURCES, LLC; CPA GLOBAL (FIP) LLC; CPA GLOBAL PATENT RESEARCH LLC; INNOGRAPHY, INC.; CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCATION
Reel/Frame 058907/0091 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2019
From: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051323/0972 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2019
From: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051323/0875 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2019
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 050911/0796 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2019
From: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, N.A. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050906/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2019
From: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050906/0284 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2016
From: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040205/0156 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2016
From: THOMSON REUTERS GLOBAL RESOURCES
To: CAMELOT UK BIDCO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 040206/0448 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2014
From: MARKMONITOR INC
To: THOMSON REUTERS GLOBAL RESOURCES
Reel/Frame 034141/0649 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2007
From: SHULL, MARK; SHRAIM, IHAB; SILVER, DAVID; CHEN, ALLEN ENFANT; COOPER, ELISA
To: MARKMONITOR INC.
Reel/Frame 019999/0954 →