InternetBrands.com Selling for $640,000,000 in Proposed Private Equity Deal

Forum Moderators: buckworks & webwork

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InternetBrands.com Selling for $640,000,000 in Proposed Private Equity Deal

A combination of active robust domains, popular sites, forums, VBulletin included

Webwork

3:16 pm on Sep 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

TechCrunch.com [techcrunch.com ] is reporting the private equity deal, subject to shareholder approval.

If ever there was a deal where "generic descriptive domains" = "internet brands" THIS is THAT deal. "Brands" such as Autos.com, Loan.com, Gardens.com, VacationHomes.com, DoItYourself.com, BusinessFinance.com, . . .

To see a list of Internet Brands "brand of website name" look here -> [internetbrands.com ]

An examination of their brands shows that IB has also been buying websites/companies that have driven traffic by means other than their domains.

Brett_Tabke

6:11 pm on Sep 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

A closer look at their portfolio shows the majority of those sites are community based forums. To wit - they acquired vBulletin a few years ago. Generic is part of the equation, but the real value is in the content and community that those domains hold. Chicken or egg? (a little of both)

rocker

6:27 pm on Sep 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

A closer look at their portfolio shows the majority of those sites are community based forums.

Almost all of the Automotve forum sites are infringing on trademarks. How are they able to get away with that, let alone somebody buy them?

Here is just a very small sample:

BlazerForum.com
Buickforum.com
Cadillacforum.com
CamaroForums.com
ChevroletForum.com
CobaltSS.net
CorvetteForum.com
CorvetteForums.com

Brett_Tabke

7:07 pm on Sep 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

> infringing on trademarks.

I think they have agreements to use trademarks with all those manufactures. They sell all those cars at carsdirect.com - a major source of revenue is in selling those cars online.

rocker

9:21 pm on Sep 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

Brett, thanks for clearing that up.