A naming system that gives consumers a direct route to corporate Internet sites picked up another big endorsement from the Web search community Tuesday when LookSmart signed a deal with RealNames to distribute the latter’s global naming system.
Under the deal, LookSmart will incorporate the subscriber list of RealNames into its own Web directory. In addition, LookSmart will resell subscriptions to RealNames directly to other Web sites. This distribution scheme will likely extend the reach of RealNames beyond its already robust monthly unique-user count of over 3 million.
RealNames, owned by Centraal Corp., made a big splash last May when AltaVista became the first major Web search engine to use the naming service. The RealName System allows companies to purchase their brand names on search engines and elsewhere on the Web, so that a user searching for a particular brand name will see a graphic link to the company's official homepage figuring prominently on the results list.
The system works by linking a company’s brand with its URL in the RealNames databases, which are linked to the search engines that choose to license the system. For example, a user on a RealName-enabled site wanting to reach the Web site for Southwest Airlines would just type in "Southwest Air," instead of having to recall the site’s domain name, iflyswa.com.
The emergence of RealNames could lay to rest the growing battle over domain names. Individuals have tried to profit by registering as domain names lucrative brand names and celebrities in the hopes of extracting a large sum from the company or individual who seeks to purchase the rights to its own name online. RealNames only accepts the US$100 annual subscription fee from the registered trademark holder of a name or slogan.
LookSmart officials said they would have the RealNames System incorporated into their Web site by the end of October.
