How much will Excel.com sell for?

Today I randomly noticed a press release from Hilco Streambank announcing the listing of Excel.com for sale. My first thought was probably the same as yours – doesn’t Microsoft own that one? My second thought might have also been the same…doesn’t Microsoft have a Trademark on the word Excel?

Well it turns out that no, Microsoft does not own Excel.com, and you might have forgotten that excel is actually a word itself…not just a product name.

excel-definition

So yes, the new buyer can use this domain for just about anything they want…except for spreadsheet software or really anything related to Microsoft Excel. Excel.com was originally registered back in 1998 and has been used by a company offering VOIP services:

The minimum bid on domain is $500,000 and I’m still on the fence about whether this will lead to a frenzy of interested buyer, or scare everyone away. For me at least, I’d just be nervous shelling out six-figures for a domain that exactly matches one of the most well-recognized products in the world. That being said, I don’t have a company called Excel, and if I did, I’d be pretty darn excited to get my hands on Excel.com.

What do you think? Will bidding heat up and we’ll all watch Excel.com sell for big bucks…or are we going to see this domain listed at $250k a few years from now? I want to hear from you, comment and let your voice be heard!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton