Tag Archives: Demand Media

Domain Name Registry, New gTLDs

Rightside Announces CFO and Marketing Head to Join Leadership Team Executive Appointments to Help Establish Leadership Position in Historic New gTLD Launches

Rightside logo[news release] Rightside, the domain name services division of Demand Media, today (13 January) is pleased to announce the recent appointments of Tracy Knox as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Kelly Johnson as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Both will join the team in Kirkland, Washington, and serve to further strengthen the company’s position as the world’s largest wholesale domain name registrar and expansion into its new domain name registry services.

“We are excited to welcome Tracy and Kelly to the Rightside team. They will play important roles in helping to accelerate company growth and build brand awareness,” said Taryn Naidu, who will become Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rightside when the spinoff is completed. “Each brings a wealth of experience, innovative thinking and strong leadership skills that will prove invaluable at a time when we are bringing to market our first new gTLD extensions. They will round out the seasoned executive team in place today and be an integral part of our success as we help usher in this new era of the Internet.”

In her new role as CFO, Tracy Knox will lead the company’s financial operations including accounting and financial reporting, treasury and investor relations. Knox brings nearly 20 years of extensive experience in global finance across diverse industries including software development and ecommerce. Most recently, Knox was CFO for private equity-backed A Place for Mom, Inc., overseeing the company’s operating and capital plans, and directing all finance, accounting, human resources and training activities. During her career, Knox served as the CFO of Drugstore.com, leading the financial operations, business development and investor relations divisions of the company, as well as overseeing the company’s sale to Walgreen Co. in 2011. Prior to joining Drugstore.com, Knox worked for Western Wireless International as the Director of International Accounting where she managed the company’s global financial operations.

Kelly Johnson will oversee all marketing and strategic branding efforts for the Rightside brand, as well as lead the marketing and communications teams across the company’s portfolio of brands. Throughout her career, Johnson has led teams in the technology industry to drive brand innovation and product positioning. For the past ten years, Johnson was the owner and principal consultant of VELA trio, LLC. Johnson’s approach to strategic marketing development for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer products and services facilitated her company’s overall growth. Johnson also spent 13 years working for Microsoft Corporation in both product management and business development roles where she honed her brand building and management talents.

About Rightside

Rightside inspires and delivers new possibilities for consumers and businesses to define and present themselves online. The company will be a leading provider of domain name services, offering one of the industry’s most comprehensive platforms for the discovery, registration, development, and monetization of domain names. This will include 15 million names under management, the most widely used domain name reseller platform, more than 20,000 distribution partners, an award-winning retail registrar, the leading domain name auction service and an interest in more than 100 new Top Level Domain applications. Rightside will be home to some of the most admired brands in the industry, including eNom, Name.com, United TLD and NameJet (in partnership with Web.com). Headquartered in Kirkland, WA, Rightside will have offices in North America and Europe.  For more information please visit www.rightside.co.

About Demand Media

Demand Media, Inc. is a leading digital media and domain services company that informs and entertains one of the internet’s largest audiences, helps advertisers find innovative ways to engage with their customers and enables publishers, individuals and businesses to expand their online presence. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, Demand Media has offices in North America, South America and Europe. For more information about Demand Media, please visit http://www.demandmedia.com/

This news release was sourced from here.

Domain Name Registry, New gTLDs

Demand Media Announces Separation of Domain Services Business

Rightside logoDemand Media has filed documents to spin off its newly formed Rightside subsidiary as an independent publicly traded company.

According to the news release, republished in full below, “the new company will own and operate an ICANN-accredited registry (United TLD) and ICANN-accredited registrars providing services to wholesale customers through eNom and to retail customers through Name.com. It will also offer extensive aftermarket services for premium domain names, including domain name auction services through its NameJet joint venture.”

Demand Media Announces Filing of Form 10 Registration Statement for Planned Separation of Domain Name Services Business [news release]
Demand Media, Inc., a leading media and domain name services company, today (13 January) announced that its newly formed wholly owned subsidiary, Rightside Group, Ltd. (“Rightside”), has filed a Form 10 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the planned spin-off of Rightside as an independent publicly traded company. The filing marks an important step reached on Rightside’s path to becoming an independent company that will be one of the world’s largest pure-play, end-to-end domain name services providers.

“The Form 10 filing marks another key milestone for the planned separation and spin-off in 2014, as we have steadily been making progress in establishing Rightside as a leading player in the domain name services industry,” said Shawn Colo, Demand Media’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, who will also be a Director of Rightside following the separation.

In order to capitalize on the historic launch of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) under the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) program, Demand Media has made significant investments in its domain name services business, including securing interests in registry operator agreements or applications for more than 100 new gTLDs. The new gTLDs create a new and better way to organize the Internet, greatly expand the inventory of domain name suffixes containing descriptive web addresses, and open new business opportunities for international adoption of native language web addresses.

These investments further strengthen Rightside’s existing business, with approximately 15 million domain names under management and a network of more than 20,000 active resellers and more than 225,000 retail customers. The new company will own and operate an ICANN-accredited registry (United TLD) and ICANN-accredited registrars providing services to wholesale customers through eNom and to retail customers through Name.com. It will also offer extensive aftermarket services for premium domain names, including domain name auction services through its NameJet joint venture.

“We are the world’s largest wholesale Internet domain name registrar and with our newly launched registry, we believe that we will become the exclusive operator of one of the largest portfolios of new gTLDs in the industry. Our ability to provide a comprehensive platform for the discovery, registration, development, and monetization of domain names will enable us to fulfill Rightside’s mission to advance the way businesses and consumers define and present themselves online,” added Taryn Naidu, Demand Media’s Executive Vice President, Domain Name Services.

Demand Media previously announced that Taryn Naidu, who has led Demand Media’s domain name services business since 2011, will become Chief Executive Officer of Rightside, upon completion of the separation. Additionally, Rightside executive management will include Tracy Knox as Chief Financial Officer, Wayne MacLaurin as Chief Technology Officer and Rick Danis as General Counsel. Dave Panos, who previously served as Demand Media’s Executive Vice President, Emerging Markets and is currently a consultant to Demand Media, will be appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rightside.

About Rightside

Rightside plans to inspire and deliver new possibilities for consumers and businesses to define and present themselves online. The company will be a leading provider of domain name services, offering one of the industry’s most comprehensive platforms for the discovery, registration, development, and monetization of domain names. This will include 15 million names under management, the most widely used domain name reseller platform, more than 20,000 distribution partners, an award-winning retail registrar, the leading domain name auction service through its NameJet joint venture and an interest in more than 100 new Top Level Domain registry operator agreements or applications. Rightside will be home to some of the most admired brands in the industry, including eNom, Name.com, United TLD and NameJet (in partnership with Web.com). Headquartered in Kirkland, WA, Rightside will have offices in North America, Europe and Australia. For more information please visit www.rightside.co.

About Demand Media

Demand Media, Inc. is a leading digital media and domain services company that informs and entertains one of the internet’s largest audiences, helps advertisers find innovative ways to engage with their customers and enables publishers, individuals and businesses to expand their online presence. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, Demand Media has offices in North America, South America and Europe. For more information about Demand Media, please visit www.demandmedia.com.

The above news release was sourced from here.

ICANN and Governance, New gTLDs

Domain Name Association Launched To Educate On Domains

The Domain Name Association was launched yesterday (28 October) with the goal of educating internet users, promoting expansion of top level domains promoting the usage of domain names.The founding members serving on an Interim Board include ARI Registry Services, Demand Media, Donuts, FairWinds Partners, GoDaddy, Google, Momentous, United TLD and WhatBox?. DomainsBot Inc., Minds + Machines and RightOfTheDot, LLC are also founding members.”For too long the domain name industry has relied on ICANN to defend our commercial interests, even though this is not ICANN’s responsibility,” Adrian Kinderis, Chair of the Interim Board of the Domain Name Association Goldstein Report last week. “The formation of the Domain Name Association reflects a maturation of our industry in the corporate sphere and presents a united front in the promotion of domain names as the primary tool for users to navigate the internet.””I strongly encourage everyone involved in the industry to join the Domain Name Association and contribute to our collective growth.”More information is in the news release below:New Non-Profit Launched to Support the Growth and Development of the Internet Domain Name Industry [news release]The Domain Name Association seeks to educate Internet users and promote expansion, usage of domain names; and curates educational resource whatdomain.orgAs the Internet faces a historic transformation with hundreds of new domain names coming online, an international nonprofit organization has been created to promote the interests of the domain name industry by advocating the use, adoption, and expansion of domain names as the primary tool for users to navigate the Internet.The Domain Name Association (DNA), launched today by companies active in the Internet sector, will educate Internet users around the world about the benefits of domain names, with a specific focus on the imminent introduction of new Top-Level Domains which will revolutionize the way we navigate the Internet. The DNA will develop educational resources and campaigns to prepare users for these changes and support the success of the new domains.Membership is open to organizations involved in all aspects of managing domain names, including domain name registries, registrars, resellers, and registry service providers. Founding members serving on an Interim Board include ARI Registry Services, Demand Media, Donuts, FairWinds Partners, GoDaddy, Google, Momentous, United TLD, and WhatBox?. DomainsBot Inc., Minds + Machines, and RightOfTheDot, LLC are also Founding members.The DNA aims to play a key role in helping individuals, businesses, and public-benefit organizations understand the benefits and take advantage of the upcoming expansion of Internet domains. It will also promote, advance, and support the common interests of the domain name industry with respect to provisioning, expanded adoption, and use of domain names.”The domain name industry sorely lacks a vocal advocacy body that is prepared to fight for our commercial interests, and this is the gap the Domain Name Association is going to fill as the first-ever domain name industry trade group,” said Adrian Kinderis, Chair of the Interim Board of the DNA.”As such, we are ideally placed to help Internet users learn about the upcoming new Top-Level Domains and to help them navigate the changing Internet landscape. We will also work to build trust, exchange ideas, educate, and raise awareness of domain related issues within the industry, and we invite all stakeholders in the domain name industry to join the DNA and work together in support of our shared objectives.”The DNA’s first priority will be to educate Internet users around the world about new Top-Level Domains. Many Internet users are unaware that these changes are coming and they may be confused when they first arrive. The DNA is already working to develop educational resources and campaigns to prepare end users for these changes and ensure the success of the new domains. An example of the group’s efforts is the informative website whatdomain.org, an educational resource about the new Top-Level Domain program.DNA membership is organized as a multi-tiered structure that accommodates various levels of interest and desire for participation in the work of the DNA. More information is available on the DNA website.Industry participants are invited to join the DNA to collaborate with peers to promote and ensure mutual success through a period of major change. DNA membership will solidify a company’s role as a critical player in the next phase of the growth of the Internet, with the opportunity to influence important industry policy decisions. Members can also leverage the DNA’s marketing and education programs in their own activities, and they will receive exclusive information via newsletters and bulletins, as well as access to research results.About the DNAThe Domain Name Association (the DNA) is a non-profit business association that represents the interests of the domain name industry. It is independent and global in scope, and its membership is open to organizations involved in the provision, support, and sale of domain names, such as domain name registries, registrars, resellers, and registry service providers.Founding members serving on an Interim Board include ARI Registry Services, Demand Media, Donuts, FairWinds Partners, GoDaddy, Google, Momentous, United TLD, and WhatBox?. DomainsBot Inc., Minds + Machines, and RightOfTheDot, LLC are also Founding members.The DNA’s mission is to promote the best interests of the domain name industry by advocating the use, adoption, and expansion of domain names as the primary tool for users to navigate the Internet. More information is available at www.thedna.org.

Opinion

Demand Media’s CEO, Chairman And Founder Rosenblatt Resigns

Demand Media, one of the domain name and social media’s largest companies, announced Monday that its board of directors has accepted the resignation of Richard Rosenblatt as CEO, effective 31 October, 2013, and as Chairman, effective immediately.

The board has appointed Shawn Colo as interim President, effective immediately, and as interim CEO, to be effective upon Mr. Rosenblatt’s resignation. James Quandt has been appointed Chairman, effective immediately. The board will begin a search for a permanent CEO shortly.

“I look forward to working closely with our board of directors, executive team, and all of our employees to achieve our strategic goals,” said Mr. Colo in a statement. “Since co-founding the company in 2006, I have been involved in all facets of the business and am more confident than ever in Demand Media’s potential.”

Mr. Quandt stated, “The board is excited to have Shawn expand his responsibilities at Demand Media. Shawn has played a major role in the company’s success and is ideally suited to assume these added responsibilities because of his integral knowledge of all aspects of the business and his strong relationships throughout the industry.”

Demand Media’s board also confirmed its commitment to pursue its previously announced spin-off plan which was disclosed in February 2013, although the company is evaluating the timing for completing the separation.

Mr. Rosenblatt stated, “I want to thank everyone that helped to make Demand Media a leading content creation and media company. It has been a great honor to work with our investors, board and brilliant team over the past 7 years. I realize that all journeys must ultimately come to an end and want to wish Shawn and the entire team success as they continue to grow the business.”

The company was established in 2006 by a former private equity investor, Colo, and the former chairman of MySpace, Rosenblatt.

ICANN and Governance, New gTLDs

ARI, Neustar, Verisign, Demand Seek Community Support For Alternative Trademark Clearinghouse Solution

ARI Registry Services, Neustar, Verisign and Demand Media have spent the past three months producing an alternative solution for the operation of ICANN’s Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) for the new Top-Level Domain (TLD) program.This week they published the results in the form of three white papers that outline concerns with ICANN’s current TMCH proposal and provide recommendations for how ICANN can improve its model while meeting all the requirements outlined in the Applicant Guidebook.The white papers (along with a blog from ARI’s Chris Wright – which is also published below – about the subject) can be viewed at: www.ariservices.com/blog/community-support-required-for-alternative-trademark-clearinghouse-solution/Public feedback, comment and support for this alternative proposal are now being sought to demonstrate to ICANN that there is a consensus for change.See the article below for more information and/or follow the links included.Community support required for alternative Trademark Clearinghouse solution by Chris Wright, Chief Technology Officer at ARI Registry ServicesIt’s time for the community to demonstrate its resolve to see ICANN implement a successful and effective Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH).Let’s be clear here. The current ICANN implementation model and approach is flawed and needs attention.Following more than three months of consultation and negotiation, today I’m pleased to be able to present the domain name and trademark protection industries with an alternative solution for the operation of ICANN’s Trademark Clearinghouse for the new Top-Level Domain (TLD) program.ARI Registry Services – working in consultation with Neustar, Verisign and Demand Media – have developed three white papers for public review and comment.The white papers outline concerns with ICANN’s current TMCH proposal and provide an alternative model that addresses those concerns whilst meeting all the requirements outlined in the Applicant Guidebook and those further stipulated by ICANN.The white papers can be downloaded here:

  1. TMCH – Issues with the ICANN Proposed Model
  2. TMCH – Proposed Claims Model
  3. TMCH – Proposed Sunrise Model

I urge you to please read these documents and express your support.We need your supportThe approach outlined in the white papers above offer significant advantages for both trademark owners and new TLD registries. It is our concern that ICANN is simply stubbornly sticking with its original proposal for the TMCH, even in the face of justified consistent criticism from the community.We are now seeking action from the community on two fronts:

  • Public feedback on the documents, especially from rights holders, to help us further refine the solution to meet the
  • needs of all; and
  • Support for this alternative proposal to demonstrate to ICANN that there is a consensus for change.

I encourage everyone involved or interested in the new TLD program to review the white papers and voice your opinion on the matter to ICANN. We anticipate ICANN will publish these documents on their website in the near future to facilitate community discussion. You can express your support by communicating with ICANN through public comments, and through your relevant constituencies and stakeholder groups. There will also be significant opportunity to give feedback to ICANN during the upcoming ICANN meeting in Toronto where there are two sessions on the agenda dedicated to the TMCH.Why is the Trademark Clearinghouse important?The TMCH is a crucial element of the new TLD program and it will impact everyone involved in the registration and operation of new TLD domain names. We can’t afford to get this wrong.The TMCH is a central database of verified trademark holders designed to provide enhanced rights protection mechanisms for the registration of domain names.Put simply, the aim of the TMCH is to minimise burdens on trademark owners by allowing them to deposit their trademark data with one centralised source, rather than with each new TLD registry. The idea is for new TLD registries to cross-check domain name registrations with the centralised data from the Clearinghouse.What’s wrong with ICANN’s TMCH proposal?There has been considerable opposition to ICANN’s proposal for the TMCH because it is too complex and burdensome in the way it achieves the objectives.As described in the white papers above, there are significant privacy and security concerns with ICANN’s current model. There are also disadvantages in ICANN’s model which prevent registries using trademark data during sunrise periods to, for example, restrict eligibility to certain classes of rights holders.The white papers outline how ICANN can improve its model to implement a more efficient and effective system.This cannot be a case of “we have already gone so far and don’t want to change”. The current approach is broken and requires review.With your help we can help ICANN see reason here and consider the alternatives.Let’s get mobilized and address this important issue.This article by Chris Wright, Chief Technology Officer at ARI Registry Services, was sourced with permission from www.ariservices.com/blog/community-support-required-for-alternative-trademark-clearinghouse-solution

Domain Name Registrars, ICANN and Governance, New gTLDs

Daily Wrap: Including Donuts, Demand Accused Of, But Denies, Unsuitable gTLD Applicants

Donuts, applicants for more gTLDs then any other, along with Demand Media, have been accused of being unsuitable to participate in ICANN’s new gTLD programme, according to Domain Incite reports.

However Donuts have responded refuting the allegations that Demand Media, Donuts’ provider of backend registry services should be banned because of their history in losing cybersquatting cases.

The allegation against Demand Media and Donuts has come from Jeffrey Stoler of Boston law firm McCarter & English who wrote to ICANN’s leadership and the chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee, according to the Domain Incite reports.

When ICANN made their Big Reveal in June, it was revealed Donuts had applied for 307 gTLDs themselves and Demand Media another 26.

Meanwhile there are some busy people submitting comments on gTLD applications with Domain Name Wire noting that a trademark manager at Sunkist Growers Inc had submitted 467 comments on individual applications. The report notes that while the 467 applicants are identical, it appears they have targeted specific applications.

Meanwhile Go Daddy’s chief executive Warren Adelman stepped down this week with his replacement being an executive from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, one of its owners. According to the New York Times, “Go Daddy named Scott Wagner, a senior member of K.K.R.’s Capstone division, as its interim chief while it looks for a permanent new leader. While the company didn’t name a reason for Mr. Adelman’s stepping down, it said that the executive will remain at the company as a special adviser for strategy and global policy.”

Domain Name Registrars, New gTLDs

Canadian Bank Recommends Investing In Registrars

In a report prepared for investor clients, RBC Capital Markets have prepared a report on the new generic Top Level Domain expansion saying that “with potentially 100s more gTLDs becoming available for use in the next year or so, we think DMD (Demand Media) and WWWW (Web.com) – two companies in our coverage universe with major domain registrar operations – will be longer-term beneficiaries through the expansion of the domain name-space.”The report titled Say .anything – Opening Up the gTLD Landscape by a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada goes on to say that “should DMD/WWWW become official registry operators for certain new gTLDs (they currently do not have any registry operations), there could be significant value creation that we think is currently under appreciated by the market.””We estimate a registry that reaches 10mm domains in 7 years (with moderate growth thereafter) could be worth ~$260mm. We have a favorable view of the domain registry business given its high-margin and stable/growing cash flow characteristics. Our DCF analysis suggests a registry that reaches 10mm domains in 7 years (with moderate growth thereafter) could be worth ~$260mm in PV terms. We do note that assessing the potential size of a gTLD is more art than science.”In a section on “Valuing a Registry – Taking a DCF Approach,” the report says “we have a favorable view of the domain registry business given its high margin and stable/growing cash flow characteristics, which we think also makes the DCF approach an appropriate method for valuation.”To download the 17 page report, go to:
https://rbcnew.bluematrix.com/docs/pdf/b4a12ee4-90f0-44b0-84ed-bf7bba042781.pdf

New gTLDs

Neustar Applies for 234 gTLDs, Key-Systems 31 And Demand Media Another 26

As the Big Reveal approaches, more companies are coming out, so to speak, and beating their chests with announcements of how many top level domain applications they have submitted.Neustar has now eclipsed Verisign, who submitted 234 applications including 14 for itself, by submitting 358 applications including being selected by the City of New York as the registry service provider to manage the application process and operate .NYC.Other companies to submit multiple applications including KS Registry, a subsidiary of Key-Systems, who submitted 31 applications, who are running a Digital Archery service for customers and non-customers alike, although the latter will have to stump up €15,000 per application that uses their Digital Archery service.Digital Archery, Key-Systems explains, “Digital Archery means, that each applicant uses an online system to choose a date and time in the above mentioned timeframe. The applicant logs in and clicks the submit button as accurately as possible. The closer the click is to the preselected time, the sooner will the application be reviewed.”Demand Media is another player. The owner of Enom announced they applied for 26 names on a stand-alone basis. In addition they entered into a strategic arrangement with Donuts, who last week announced they were applying for 307 gTLDs, through which it may acquire rights in certain gTLDs after they have been awarded to Donuts by ICANN. These rights would be shared equally with Donuts and are associated with 107 gTLDs for which Donuts is the applicant. Additionally, a subsidiary of Demand Media has been selected as the technical registry operator for both Demand Media and Donuts.And in another report, ICANNWiki founder Raymond King and business partner Peter Brual say they have applied for ten gTLDs.

Domain Name Registrars, New gTLDs

Demand Media Invests $18m In Its Pursuit of New gTLDs

Demand Media invested $18 million in pursuit of their generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) initiative in April, which it believes represents a complementary strategic growth opportunity for its registrar services. What the investment was in, the company has not said.

The announcement came in their 2012 first quarter results, announced this week, that also included results for their registrar services. Registrar revenue grew 17 per cent year-over-year and three per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 while the number of registered domains grew by a net 593,000 compared to 442,000 in the first quarter of 2011, due to growth from new partners and organic growth from resellers.

“Driven by continued growth across our businesses, our first quarter revenue exceeded our seasonally strong Q4 2011 results,” said Richard Rosenblatt, Chairman and CEO of Demand Media. “We are pleased with our first quarter results and remain focused on investing in our long-term growth initiatives, including enhancing the quality of our Owned & Operated properties, expanding our content distribution channels and partnerships, and pursuing new generic Top Level Domain opportunities.”

Domain Name Registrants, Domain Name Registrars

ICANN asks Demand Media for answers after HostExploit report

ICANN is asking Demand Media’s eNom division for answers following complaints from Internet security groups, says an IDG report.

The report says that eNom has come under fire following a “report from HostExploit, a volunteer-run anti-malware research group. According to HostExploit, eNom is host to an unusually large number of malicious websites and is a preferred domain name registrar for pharmaceutical spammers.”

ICANN is now looking into the matter Kurt Pritz, senior vice president of services at ICANN told IDG.

According to the HostExploit report, “some eNom resellers are violating ICANN rules by allowing customers to provide false Whois database information, not following ICANN deletion policy and generally not complying with their obligations as resellers.”

To read the IDG report in full, see:
www.networkworld.com/news/2010/082010-icann-asks-demand-media-for.html
www.pcworld.com/article/203814/.html