Law NEWS - Review of .au domain name policy framework
The Australian domain name administrator, .auDA, has established the 2007 Names Policy Panel (Panel) to review the policies for allocation and use of .au domain names.
The Panel has issued Draft Recommendations for the public's review and comments. The Draft Recommendations convey the Panel's opinion on a number of issues, including that:
- direct registrations under .au (eg, domainname.au) should not be allowed at this time;
- the eligibility criteria for 2LDs (eg, .org.au, .asn.au) should remain the same, but an additional 2LD, ".info.au" should be re-established as a catch-all for users whose activities do not fit within the 2LDs currently available; and
- .au domain name licence conditions should be amended so that, upon request by an Australian law enforcement agency or a regulator, auDA can suspend a domain name without notice.
The Panel has not yet formed an opinion on whether registrants should be permitted to sell their .au domain names.
In light of the Draft Recommendations, the Panel has asked the public for comments on 3 issues:
- Should .au domain names be opened up to direct registrations (eg, domainname.au)?
- Should the policy rules be changed for .org.au, .asn.au and other 2LDs? If so, what changes should be made?
- Should registrants be permitted to sell their .au domain names?
Submissions are due on 19 October 2007.
Source: Blake Dawson Waldron Lawyers