Private domain name registration

Abstract

A service for protecting the privacy of domain name registrants while preserving the registrant's ability to directly change the registration information or transfer the registration. A domain name registration is created that reflects the registrant's actual identity but contains contact information that is entirely associated with a privacy service.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 creating, via at least one computing device, a domain name registration for a domain name requested by a registrant, the domain name being registered with a registrant name that is an actual name of the registrant and alternate contact information being entirely different from actual contact information of the registrant;   generating, via the at least one computing device, an action list defined by the registrant, the action list including a plurality of predefined rules corresponding to a plurality of actions associated with correspondence received using the alternate contact information;   identifying a particular action of the plurality of actions for a received correspondence based at least in part on an identified code within the received correspondence and the plurality of predefined rules, the identified code comprising at least one of at least a portion of a postal address, at least a portion of a subject line, or a number provided via a telephone keypad; and   performing the particular action with respect to the received correspondence.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, via the at least one computing device, a request to register a domain name from the registrant. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing, via the at least one computing device, the actual name of the registrant and the alternate contact information for the domain name registration. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the registrant retains control over the domain name registration. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alternate contact information includes an email address, and the method further comprises periodically changing, via the at least one computing device, the email address. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, via the at least one computing device, the plurality of predefined rules from the registrant. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action list further includes a plurality of sender classes, individual sender classes corresponding to individual actions of the plurality of actions, and wherein identifying the particular action is further based at least in part on an identification of a particular sender class of a sender of the received correspondence. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, via the at least one computing device that the received correspondence includes at least one of SPAM or malicious code, wherein the particular action comprises deleting the received correspondence. 
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a computer system comprising a processor and a memory; and   instructions executed by the computer system, wherein when executed, the instructions cause the computer system to at least:
 receive a request to register a domain name, the request being received from an applicant; 
 create a domain name registration with a registrant name being an actual name of the applicant and alternate contact information that is different from applicant contact information associated with the applicant; 
 receive correspondence using the alternate contact information from a sender; 
 identify a forwarding action of the correspondence based at least in part on a sender class of the sender of the correspondence, an identified code within the correspondence, and a plurality of predefined rules, the identified code comprising at least one of at least a portion of a postal address, at least a portion of a subject line, or a number provided via a telephone keypad; and 
 forward the correspondence according to the forwarding action. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the computer system to at least store, in the memory, the actual name of the applicant and the applicant contact information, the applicant contact information being correlated with alternate contact information for the domain name registration. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the correspondence is an email message, and wherein, when executed, the instructions cause the computer system to at least:
 determine that the email message is not SPAM;   determine that the email message is free of malicious code; and   wherein the correspondence is forwarded to a registrant e-mail address of the applicant contact information in response to the email message not being SPAM and being free of malicious code.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the computer system to at least generate a summary of the correspondence, and the forwarding action comprises:
 deleting the correspondence; and   sending the summary of the correspondence to the applicant using the application contact information.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the sender class is one of a plurality of sender classes, and wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the computer system to at least select the sender class from the plurality of sender classes according to at least one of a name of a sender, an email address of the sender, a sender domain, a geographic origin indicator of the sender, a corporate affiliation of the sender, or a telephone number of the sender. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the alternate contact information corresponds to a privacy service, and when executed, the instructions further cause the computer system to at least:
 receive a request to cancel the privacy service from the applicant; and   modify the domain name registration to replace the alternate contact information with the applicant contact information.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the applicant is a legal registrant of the domain name. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable storage device storing instructions executable by a processor, wherein, when executed, the instructions cause the processor to at least:
 receive from an applicant a request to register a domain name;   cause a domain name to be registered with a registrant name being an actual name of the application and with contact information that is entirely alternate contact information, the alternate contact information being different from actual contact information associated with the applicant;   identify a plurality of predefined rules designated by the applicant, individual predefined rules of the plurality of predefined rules specifying a respective action associated with correspondence received indicating the alternate contact information;   identify a forwarding action of the correspondence based at least in part on an identified code within the correspondence and at least one predefined rule of the plurality of predefined rules, the identified code comprising at least one of at least a portion of a postal address, at least a portion of a subject line, or a number provided via a telephone keypad; and   perform the forwarding action associated with the correspondence.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the processor to at least:
 receive a request to modify the contact information from the applicant; and   modify at least a portion of the contact information in response to receiving the request from the applicant.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the processor to at least:
 identify one or more characteristics associated with a sender of the correspondence;   select a particular sender class from a plurality of sender classes based on the one or more characteristics; and   wherein the forwarding action is further based at least in part on the particular sender class of the sender.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the applicant retains control over the domain name registration. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the processor to at least generate a summary of a received correspondence, and the forwarding action comprising:
 sending the summary of the received correspondence to the applicant using the applicant contact information; and   deleting the received correspondence.