Yes, people do lease domains. I have personally licensed two domains so far. It's not been easy and has taken a lot of work as people are more inclined to buy (including me).
I read the article mentioned in the post above, and do liken domains to real estate. There will have to be more transparency, liquidity added and proper financing available. As it becomes more difficult to find good domains for business use, people will have no choice but to lease for the same reasons they rent office space or a home-they only plan to use for a limited time or don't have the means to outright purchase particulary as prices move higher.
I hope LeaseThis.com is successful and leasing/licensing becomes mainstream. I've had a difficult time finding anyone on the forums that does much leasing/licensing. I'd like to see a specific area on the forums dedicated to the subject but I'm not sure there's enough of it going on yet to justify.
The beauty of licensing is that my clients are spending money and having websites built to promote themselves and the domain name. I am very fair and give them long-term contracts (as long as 8-10 years). At the end of the licensing contract, I'll get the name back and may even purchase my client's websites very reasonably if they opt to retire. My domain will be worth much more and I'll be able to earn revenue from ads or referrals.
It's a win-win as my clients choose the length of the license and will do more business with the great generic, geo-specific domain. I make some money on the licensing but the biggest payback will come at the end of license when my clients retire or opt not to renew the license.
Bill
