Angels’ Domain Name Is for Sale

For sale: The domain name www.losangelesangelsofanaheim.com.

Terry Notko, a Laguna Hills businessman, spent $8.95 to register the name in November 2004. The Angels changed their name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim two months later, and Notko hoped he could cash in. But the Angels had no interest in buying the name, and he declined a $1,000 offer from the agency that controls major league websites.

After reserving the site for more than a year without providing any content, Notko is selling the domain name on EBay, starting today. He said he would share proceeds with Hope University, an Anaheim school that offers art, music, dance and drama training to developmentally disabled adults.

Notko said his decision to sell was not prompted by the trial between the Angels and the city of Anaheim. If the city has its way, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim name could disappear within weeks, but Notko said he did not believe that prospect would dissuade potential bidders for the domain name.

“It could be a collectors’ item,” he said.

The city alleges the team name violates the purpose of a stadium lease provision requiring the name to include Anaheim. The trial resumes today, with a second day of testimony from Angel owner Arte Moreno.

If the city prevails, Judge Peter Polos would decide whether the Angels could simply pay financial damages or whether they would have to drop “Los Angeles” from the name. The city expects to rest its case this week.