2015-04-14

2nd article from DNS Seal.

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'''Domain Parking''' occurs when a domain does not have content.<ref>[http://docs.cpanel.net/twiki/bin/view/AllDocumentation/CpanelDocs/ParkedDomains Parked Domains], cPanel</ref> Domain parking can be monetized when registrars put advertising content on pages that have been registered but do not yet have original content.<ref name="money">[http://archive.icann.org/en/policy/briefs/domain-name-monetization-jun08-en.pdf ICANN Policy Issue Brief on Domain Name Monetization] (PDF), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)</ref> Registrants can also participate in monetization via domain name parking through an agreement with their registrars to leave their domains parked,<ref name="oscars">[http://www.thedomains.com/2013/12/26/the-oscars-files-another-suit-against-godaddy-under-acpa-alleging-continued-violations/ The Oscars Files Another Suit Against Godaddy Under ACPA Alleging Continued Violations] by Michael Berkens (December 26, 2013), TheDomains.com</ref> by creating pages with commercial content of their choosing, or by using a third party domain parking service.<ref>[http://www.domainwarning.com/ DomainWarning.com]</ref> Domain parking monetization takes advantage of type-in traffic, when a user types the "URL directly into their browser,"<ref name="money"/> and can be very lucrative when the parked site is highly trafficked. Domain parking does not necessarily have to be monetized as pages can be parked for a variety of reasons, such as the site being "under construction" or if the domain name has recently expired.<ref>[http://www.hostly.com/hosting-info/parked-domain-name-1525.html What Is a Parked Domain Name?], Hostly.com</ref>

==Public Perception==

Public perception varies on domain parking. Some view it as a means of making money through smart speculation on which domains will receive large amounts of traffic.<ref name="money"/> Supporters of this practice claim "it uses domain names to deliver relevant advertising and enhanced search options instead of serving Internet users with an error page."<ref name="money"/> Additionally, many registrars used parked pages to make revenue from pages that would otherwise have no other content. Extreme oppositional viewpoints see domain parking as Internet clutter that contributes no unique content to the Internet community and simply takes up name space that could be put to better use.<ref>[http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/icann-stop-domain-name-parking-and-cybersquatting Stop Domain Name Parking and Cybersquatting] by Moses Aronov, Change.org</ref>

==Outcome==

The outcome of monetized domain parking, very generally speaking, is the increased advertising.

==Historical Use==

Parked domains are frequently used to generate revenue through provided links or Pay-Per-Click advertising.<ref name="money"/> This can greatly benefit the registrar and registrant, and can result in millions of dollars in profit for large registrars.<ref name="money"/><ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/the_parked_domain_monetization_business/ The "Parked Domain Monetization" Business] by Joi Ito (December 1, 2005), CircleID</ref> Pages can be parked for a short duration or indefinitely depending on the responsible parties and the amount of revenue created. Sometimes, people target domain names that are similar to registered trademarks or company names to generate additional revenue through domain parking.<ref name="oscars"/> This can lead to claims of [[cybersquatting]] or [[typosquatting]].

Additionally, some research from the University of Indiana has indicated that certain domain parking companies use the services they offer to siphon money away from their clients. This research identifies abusive uses of domain parking, including providing links to malicious websites and under-reporting client click through rates in order to increase their own profits.<ref>http://domainnamewire.com/2014/12/04/researchers-study-the-dark-side-of-domain-parking/ Researchers Study the “Dark Side of Domain Parking” by Andrew Alleman (December 4, 2014), DomainNameWire</ref>

==ICANN Policy==

*ICANN's [[Expired Registration Recovery Policy]] (ERRP): this policy specifically mentions domain parking and requires registrars using an expired domain name as a parked page during the expiration grace period to also include renewal instructions for the registrant on the page.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-28feb13-en.htm Implementation of Expired Registration Recovery Policy] (February 28, 2013), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)</ref> However, it does not address domain parking in a comprehensive way.

*Also, because the financial gain is much greater for domains that are highly trafficked, domain names that are similar to trademarks or are misspellings of famous brands have been used as parked pages.<ref name="oscars"/> If this is the case, then the registrant and registrar may be subject to UDRP proceedings or an ACPA lawsuit due to [[Cybersquatting]], [[Typosquatting]], or trademark infringement.<ref name="oscars"/>

**For more information, see [[UDRP]] or [[ACPA]]

==Legislation==

The U.S. government currently has no legislation that specifically addresses domain parking.

==DNS Award==

Awardees have a clear policy on domain parking if they offer such services and do not monetize domains in a way that promotes abusive behavior, such as parking a cybersquatted domain.

==Additional Resources==

*Read [http://archive.icann.org/en/policy/briefs/domain-name-monetization-jun08-en.pdf ICANN's Policy Issue Brief on Domain Name Monetization]

==Related Articles==

*''Add a related article here!''

==References==

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[[Category: Cautioned Practice]]

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