[ga] Update: .travel and namesbeyond.com

[Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Update:

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1066684/000114420407069361/v098280_8k.htm

"On December 20, 2007, the Company, through its subsidiary, Tralliance 
Corporation (“Tralliance”), entered into a Bulk Registration Co-Marketing 
Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Labigroup, under Tralliance’s Bulk Purchasing 
Program available to entities committing to a minimum purchase of 25,000 
“.travel” domain names within one-year. Labigroup is controlled by the 
Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Egan and our remaining 
directors own a minority interest in Labigroup. Under the Agreement, Labigroup 
committed to purchase a predetermined minimum number of “.travel” domain names 
on a bulk basis from an accredited “.travel” registrar of its own choosing and 
to establish a predetermined minimum number of related “.travel” websites. As 
consideration for the “.travel” domain names to be purchased under the 
Agreement, Labigroup agreed to pay certain fixed fees and make other payments, 
including but not
 limited to, an ongoing royalty calculated as a % share of its Net Revenue, as 
defined in the Agreement, to Tralliance. The Agreement has an initial term 
which expires September 30, 2010, after which it may be renewed for successive 
periods of two and three years, respectively. Labigroup has paid Tralliance the 
sum of $262,500 under the Agreement to date."

Does this sound to anyone like insider trading?

The registry cuts a deal with an organization owned by the registry operator to 
engage in massive monetization of the namespace that they manage (essentially 
turning it into a giant parking lot and diminishing the value of the domains 
purchased in good faith by other users).

for an example of some of these monetized domains, see:
WHITEOAKEASTOHIO.TRAVEL or broadalbinnewyork.travel


--- On Sun, 6/1/08, Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [ga] .travel and namesbeyond.com
> To: ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: "Edward Hasbrouck" <edward@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Sunday, June 1, 2008, 12:58 PM
> For the longest time .travel has had total registration
> figures at the level of 27-28,000 names with the bulk of
> them being registered by EnCirca (that has maintained a
> level of 16-17,000 .travel names under management).
> 
> Suddenly in December namesbeyond.com (a registrar that
> typically had 3000 .travel names under management)
> registered 167,872 names.
> 
> So, are we looking at a startling blossoming of the travel
> industry, or has someone recently discovered a way to game
> .travel?  or is something else afoot?