where do domain name companies buy their domain names?

Question

when i buy a domain name it is obvious the company isn't purchasing or registering it until i pay for it, hense being able to go to godaddy or yahoo, or anywhere else and buy the same name, but the real question here is are these companies purchasing it or just registering a number with ARIN?

Answer 1

Each domain extension is managed by a single authoritative database record holder called the "Registry". Just as there's a registry for managing a state's total number of records for civil marriages, there's one to manage the total number of registration records for an extension.

As one of the posters said, for example, Verisign currently manages the registry for .com and .net domain names. Contract stipulations prevent them from registering domain names directly, so they "outsource" it to other companies.

These companies must pass certain criteria especially with ICANN (icann.org) to become accredited domain registrars. Go Daddy is one of them.

In essence, when you register a .com domain name through Go Daddy, Go Daddy's systems will notify the Verisign COM NET Registry that someone has registered this domain name with them and are transmitting any and all records attached to it. Verisign will note them and eventually advise Go Daddy they've accepted it and so on.

In a way, your last sentence is correct. The only difference is these domain registrars are creating records within themselves and then registering them ASAP with the Registry.

First come first served, of course.

Answer 2

It depends if you are talking about .com or .org or .gov. The .com and .net are owned by verisign.

Hey, since they own .com and .net, they even tried to redirect all unavailable URL to their search engine back in 2003.

See related article from CNET.
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5086101.html
"VeriSign, the administrator of the .com and .net domains, made plans to shut down its new Site Finder service Friday, after the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ordered the company to undo controversial changes."

Answer 3

they don't buy the domain names... they only have to use a router to host the webpage (which keeps it up and running.)
if you need more info on this you contact me at [e-mail] or go to angelfire.com .