DALLAS — George W. Bush's presidential library domain name has been retrieved after a Web developing company accidentally let it expire – and it apparently came at a high price.
Raleigh-based Illuminati Karate, a Web design firm, paid less than $10 for the www.GeorgeWBushLibrary.com domain name and sold it back earlier this year for $35,000 to the library's contracted Web developers, Yuma Solutions, said George Huger, lead Web developer for Illuminati Karate.
Mark Mills, owner of Yuma Solutions, did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.
The Tallahassee, Fla.-based company has a history with the Bush family, hosting Web sites for Bush's 2000 campaign and for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's 1998 and 2002 campaigns.
Records indicate that in March 2007, the George W. Bush Library Foundation, using Yuma Solutions as its contractor, bought the domain name from a private citizen for $3,000. But the registration was set to expire within a few months.
Hunger, 26, told WRAL News he was suprised to see the library name available and grabbed it after it expired.
Months later, Huger had received some offers on it, but he declined to provide details.
After the Dallas Morning News reported that the library had lost the domain, Mills contacted Illuminati Karate and asked to buy it back, Huger said.
At the time, a library foundation spokesman said officials were unaware that the name had been lost.
Yuma finally reached a deal to buy the Web address back for $35,000, which the company, not the library foundation, apparently paid, Huger said. The site changed hands in April and won't expire until 2013.
With the money, Hunger said he purchased new computers for his business and lifetime North Carolina State University football tickets.
Mark Langdale, president of the George W. Bush Library Foundation, said he didn't know about the Web site being lost and recovered. But, he said, he would know if the library had been stuck with a surprise $35,000 expenditure.
The George W. Bush Presidential Center - which will include a library, museum and public policy institute - is being built at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Hunger said he owns more than 150 domain names.
"We have JohnMcCainLibrary.com, but that is not going to be worth a lot," Hunger speculated.



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What drink are you having? It is bad form for not sharing.
December 12, 2008 9:17 p.m.
I agree that it's good business. I also don't believe it should be illegal. I'm just questioning if it's against the T&C of ICANN or registrars.
There are a lot of businesses out there that are legal, but a little shady such as short term loans and check cashing companies.
On the other hand, there's also no reason they had to pick that domain. There have been plenty of domains that I've wanted that's someone has squatted on, so I keep researching till I find the one I want.
December 12, 2008 12:53 p.m.
For everyone still making comments about charging Bush more, Bush didn't pay the $35k. The web development company messed up and let the registration expire, so THEY had to eat the $35k to buy back the domain name.
December 12, 2008 11:35 a.m.
I've been in the IT business for over half my life now, and I could swear it's against the terms of registering domain names. If it's not, I believe it's in bad taste.
December 12, 2008 11:06 a.m.
Thank you President Bush for standing strong against the terrorist and the Socialist good luck in your retirement. These young Socialist will grow up and realize how wring they were about you and how big of a mistake they mad in November just like previous generations.
December 12, 2008 10:58 a.m.