{
  "patent_number": "US 8037168",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How to Automatically Track and Act on Internet Domain Name Expirations",
  "original_title": "Method, product, and apparatus for enhancing resolution services, registration services, and search services",
  "summary": "This patent describes a system that automatically checks when internet domain names are set to expire, calculates how much time is left, and can notify a user or even try to register the domain once it becomes available.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a method for automatically monitoring domain name expiration. It involves receiving a WHOIS record for a domain name at a first time, which includes an expiry date (a second time), as described in Claim 1. The system then calculates the time difference between the current time and the expiry date. This calculated time difference is then provided to a 'second entity' (a user or system) who does not have permission to modify the domain's registration information. For example, if a user requests information about 'example.com', the system retrieves its WHOIS record, sees it expires in 30 days, and can then notify the user that 'example.com' is nearing expiration, possibly adding it to a watch list (Claim 5) or even attempting to register it after it expires (Claim 6).",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "A system that only displays a WHOIS record without calculating or providing a time difference value (Claim 1).",
    "Monitoring domain names where the user receiving the information has permission to modify the domain's registration (Claim 1).",
    "A system that only provides a one-time lookup of an expiry date without determining if it satisfies a condition or monitoring for expiration (Claims 2-5).",
    "Monitoring other types of digital assets, such as social media handles or IP addresses, that are not domain names (Claim 1).",
    "A system that only notifies the original domain owner about their own domain's upcoming expiration.",
    "Attempting to register a domain name that is not determined to be available or soon-to-be available for registration (Claim 6)."
  ],
  "filed": "2004-12-06",
  "granted": "2011-10-11",
  "expires": "2024-12-06",
  "status": "expired",
  "holder": "ESDR Network Solutions LLC",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/esdr-network-solutions-llc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Eric Schneider",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/eric-schneider"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 55,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "software",
    "ecommerce",
    "internet_services"
  ],
  "abstract": "A WHOIS record of a domain name is retrieved at a first time, the WHOIS record including an expiry date of a second time, a time difference value can be calculated between the first time and the second time, and the time difference value provided to a user. Time difference value can be determined to satisfy at least one condition including a threshold value. An indication can be provided to the user that the at least one condition has been satisfied such as notifying the user of domain name expiration status, storing the domain name in a user expiration watch list, monitoring the domain name for expiration upon or after the second time, and attempting to register the domain name with a selected domain name registration provider after the second time or upon determining that either the domain name may soon be available for registration or available for registration. The WHOIS record can be retrieved in response to receiving or obtaining a request such as a resource location request, domain name resolution request, search engine request, WHOIS request, domain name availability request, and domain name registration request.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8037168/method-product-and-apparatus-for-enhancing-resolution-services-registration-services-and-search-services",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8037168/method-product-and-apparatus-for-enhancing-resolution-services-registration-services-and-search-services/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US8037168",
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}