[SLUG] OT domain name and company name

[Ben Donohue]

Hi all,

It used to be that to get a .com.au domain name you had to have a
company or business name.
Is this still the case as I've heard different responses.

Also what if you have .com.au domain name and you close your company or
business related to the domain name, do you lose the .com.au domain name?
Or is it once you have the domain name, it's yours forever? (so long as
you pay the yearly fee).

TIA,
Ben

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[Richard Hayes]

>It used to be that to get a .com.au domain name you had to have a
>company or business name.
>Is this still the case as I've heard different responses.

Yes, almost you need to 'prove' that you are entitled to register the name.

To quote the auDA policy:

1. To be eligible for a domain name in the com.au 2LD, registrants must be:

a) an Australian registered company; or

b) trading under a registered business name in any Australian State or
Territory; or

c) an Australian partnership or sole trader;

d) a foreign company licensed to trade in Australia; or

e) an owner of an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or

f) an applicant for an Australian Registered Trade Mark ; or

g) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or

h) an Australian commercial statutory body.

2. Domain names in the com.au 2LD must:

a) exactly match, acronym or abbreviation of the registrant’s company or
trading name, organization or association name or trademark; or:

b) be otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant.

>Also what if you have .com.au domain name and you close your company or
>business related to the domain name, do you lose the .com.au domain
name?
>Or is it once you have the domain name, it's yours forever? (so long as
>you pay the yearly fee).

Yes, for all practical purposes. There is no need to 'prove' continuing
substantially connected to the registrant.

regards

Richard Hayes

[Sam Lawrance]

Don't rely on it. If the registrant eligibility is based on the
company or business, and the company or business no longer exists,
there is no eligibility to use the domain.

[david]

On Thu, 2007-03-08 at 07:37 +1100, Sam Lawrance wrote:
> On 08/03/2007, at 7:21 AM, Richard Hayes wrote:
>
> >> It used to be that to get a .com.au domain name you had to have a
> >> company or business name.
> >> Is this still the case as I've heard different responses.
> >
> > Yes, almost you need to 'prove' that you are entitled to register
> > the name.
> >

My experience is that once you have a name, it's unlikely to be taken
from you. I have some legacy names that haven't been registered business
names for years. OTOH, I wouldn't rely on that! If I registered a
business name and then found that someone was illegally sitting on that
domain name without authority, I would definitely take action and I'm
sure any business person would.

You have to quote some form of authority (ABN, business name
registration etc) but I'm pretty sure it isn't checked. I may be wrong.

Personally, I think it's silly to register a name you aren't entitled
to. It's a recipe for trouble.

I've even gone to the trouble of trademarking .com names in the USA if I
thought it was really going to matter down the track. As I'm sure most
of you know, the .com tld is set up specifically to maximise income for
registrars. The Australian system is nominally better in my not so
humble opinion.

[Sam Lawrance]

On 08/03/2007, at 11:37 AM, david wrote:

> On Thu, 2007-03-08 at 07:37 +1100, Sam Lawrance wrote:
>> On 08/03/2007, at 7:21 AM, Richard Hayes wrote:
>>
>>>> It used to be that to get a .com.au domain name you had to have a
>>>> company or business name.
>>>> Is this still the case as I've heard different responses.
>>>
>>> Yes, almost you need to 'prove' that you are entitled to register
>>> the name.
>>>
>
> My experience is that once you have a name, it's unlikely to be taken
> from you. I have some legacy names that haven't been registered
> business
> names for years. OTOH, I wouldn't rely on that! If I registered a
> business name and then found that someone was illegally sitting on
> that
> domain name without authority, I would definitely take action and I'm
> sure any business person would.
>
> You have to quote some form of authority (ABN, business name
> registration etc) but I'm pretty sure it isn't checked. I may be
> wrong.
>
> Personally, I think it's silly to register a name you aren't entitled
> to. It's a recipe for trouble.

I think we can agree that like so many things, it's all around
managing risk :-)