# How do you find a domain name's owner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313 "2002-08-04T18:58:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/1 "2002-08-04T18:58:31Z")
Someone has a domain name that uses my last name, i.e., [www.b.com](http://www.b.com) ( 😃 ) . They used to have a small picture album there, but now all it returns is a white screen. How would I go about finding out who they are and contacting them to see if I could take over the domain name if they’re not going to use it? ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/2 "2002-08-04T19:16:16Z")
The easiest way IMO is [http://www.betterwhois.com](http://www.betterwhois.com) Domains registered with certain registrars will require you to go to their site to do the lookup, but betterwhois will at least tell which registrar the domain registered with. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/3 "2002-08-04T19:16:39Z")
You could try [Sam Spade](http://www.samspade.org/). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/4 "2002-08-04T19:17:29Z")
[Go here.](http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois) Haj ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/5 "2002-08-04T19:19:31Z")
Wow. A triple simulpost with three distinct yet correct answers. Haj ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/6 "2002-08-04T19:21:00Z")
btw don’t expect them to just _give_ it to you. I’ve sold domains for many thousands of dollars, and one letter domain like that has inherent value. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/7 "2002-08-04T19:26:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dirty1 \* > \*\*btw don’t expect them to just _give_ it to you. I’ve sold domains for many thousands of dollars, and one letter domain like that has inherent value. \*\* 😃 I just said [www.b.com](http://www.b.com) because “B” is all that’s appearent of my last name in my username here. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/8 "2002-08-04T19:27:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dirty1 \* > \*\*btw don’t expect them to just _give_ it to you. I’ve sold domains for many thousands of dollars, and _one letter_ domain like that has inherent value. \*\* Take a closer look 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/9 "2002-08-04T19:34:13Z")
**AWB** duh that makes sense… Whose last name is “B”? 😃 **Joey G** at what? [b.com](http://b.com) is actually reserved by ICANN and can’t be registered now anyway ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/10 "2002-08-04T20:04:01Z")
Is it really true that somebody sold [sex.com](http://sex.com) for squillions of dollars. Where was I in the nineties when these thngs were being registered for chicken feed? My usual place, with my head firmly up my ass. Sigh! ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/11 "2002-08-04T22:16:30Z")
I think [Business.com](http://Business.com) was sold for the most. 7 million or so. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/12 "2002-08-05T03:43:27Z")
> [@](#): > > **Joey G at what? [b.com](http://b.com) is actually reserved by ICANN and can’t be registered now anyway** I was pointing out that he didn’t actually want “[b.com](http://b.com)”, but he posted it at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/13 "2002-08-05T14:11:35Z")
**Joey G** , once again, “duh that makes sense”. sorry man :smack: > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by aldiboronti_ > **Is it really true that somebody sold [sex.com](http://sex.com) for squillions of dollars. Where was I in the nineties when these thngs were being registered for chicken feed?** Actually, no. However, the rightful owner, [Gary Kremen](http://www.sex.com/corporate/bios/gkremen.html) had the domain _stolen_ by an unsavory character by the name of [Steve Cohen](http://press.sex.com/press_cohen.html) who served forged documents to [Network Solutions](http://press.sex.com/press_appeal.html) and was subsequently awarded [$65 MILLION DOLLARS](http://press.sex.com/press_judgeaward.html). I was actually in this industry (and still am) when this first began to “go down” and Mr. Cohen also strong-armed several other people out of their legitimate domains that included his fraudulent “trademark” such as anything with both “sex” and “.com” in the domain name, such as “[sexq.com](http://sexq.com)” which was owned by a friend of mine. He simply didn’t have the money to defend big cash legal battles and signed it over to the crook. The $65 million dollar award was a victory for many people, including myself (not monetarily). The full story is [here](http://press.sex.com/). ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/14 "2002-08-05T14:20:45Z")
I should further state that Cohen is currently a fugitive from justive and there is a [$50,000 reward](http://press.sex.com/press_cohen.html) for information leading to his arrest. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/15 "2002-08-05T15:29:23Z")
A name is one thing, but a domain is a whole nother thing. When someone pays $7M for a name they can also be getting a domain, which can include thousands of clients, software, servers, Etc… ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/16 "2002-08-05T15:37:31Z")
**handy** in the case of [business.com](http://business.com) it was just the domain name… other examples: [altavista.com](http://altavista.com) sold for $3 million after the shortsighted executives at DEC failed to realize the potential of their [altavista.digital.com](http://altavista.digital.com) search engine. [loans.com](http://loans.com) sold for $3 million. [drugs.com](http://drugs.com) sold for $800,000. [forsalebyowner.com](http://forsalebyowner.com) sold for $835,000. [cinema.com](http://cinema.com) sold for $700,000 [tv.com](http://tv.com) sold for an undisclosed amount but the owner turned down several offers over $1m. All of these were for the domain rights only. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-find-a-domain-names-owner/122313/17 "2002-08-05T23:16:34Z")
dirty1, I guess it depends on when, e.g. "Domain Name “[business.com](http://business.com)” Sold June 6, 1997 A Texas company has paid $150.000 for the Domain Name “[business.com](http://business.com)”. The Domain Name was registered four years ago by a banking software company, Business Systems International of London. The deal, which is considered the highest price ever paid for a Domain Name, was negotiated by [Idnames.com](http://Idnames.com). June 6, 1997" [http://www.cmcnyls.edu/Bulletins/DMS150k.HTM](http://www.cmcnyls.edu/Bulletins/DMS150k.HTM) & "[Business.com](http://Business.com) name fetches $7.5M LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Houston entrepreneur sold the Internet domain name [business.com](http://business.com) for a record $7.5 million in a deal announced Tuesday that highlights the skyrocketing price tags of prime Web addresses. The $7.5 million price for [business.com](http://business.com) was the highest yet for a domain name, said Jeff Tinsley, chief executive of [Greatdomains.com](http://Greatdomains.com), an auction site for domain names. The record may not last for long. Greatdomains recently became agent for the name [America.com](http://America.com). A bid greater than $7.5 million already has been tendered and rejected by the seller, Tinsley said. " 12/01/99 [http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg786.htm](http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg786.htm)