Network Solutions Site to Offer Name Resale

Network Solutions, the company that has registered more than 10 million Internet names, is getting into the resale business. Last week, the Herndon, Va., firm said it will let customers offer their “pre-owned” names ending in .com, .net and .org on the busy Network Solutions Web site.

Dozens of Web sites have sprung up in the last few years allowing profit seekers to resell the Internet names they have registered. The companies that often broker the deals say such sales are becoming increasingly common. A handful of names have been resold for millions of dollars, including Business.com, which Santa Monica-based ECompanies bought last year from a Houston businessman for $7.5 million.

Network Solutions said it will offer its new service for free during an introductory period. Later this year, the company plans to integrate the resale listing service into its regular name search and registration process.