COMMERCIAL
GEOGRAPHIC NAMES BALLOT FAQ
What
is a "geographic name"?
Under auDA policy a "geographic
name" is defined as any location with an Australian postcode, as listed on
the Australia Post postcode
database.
What
names will be included in the ballot process?
All names on the Australia Post postcode database
as of 19 May 2005 will be included in the ballot process, with the following
exceptions: airport names; hospital names; university names; defence force
names; government names; postal names or names with Australia Post designators
(eg. BC, MC, PO); names that have already been registered as com.au or net.au
domain names.
How
many geographic names will be included in the ballot process?
Approximately 20,500 geographic
names will be included in the ballot process.
Who
is eligible to enter the ballot for a geographic domain name?
In order to lodge a ballot
application, applicants must satisfy the normal com.au and net.au eligibility
and allocation criteria in the Domain
Name Eligibility and Allocation Rules for the Open 2LDs (2005-01). In
brief, this means that:
All applicants
should confirm that they satisfy the eligibility and allocation criteria in the
Domain Name Eligibility and
Allocation Rules for the Open 2LDs (2005-01) before lodging a ballot
application.
How
do I lodge a ballot application?
Ballot applications must be lodged
through a Participating Registrar.
When
can I lodge a ballot application?
Ballot applications must be lodged
with a Participating Registrar by 31 July 2005. No further Ballot Applications
will be accepted after this time.
How
much does it cost to lodge a ballot application?
There is no fee for lodging a ballot
application.
Can
I lodge ballot applications for more than one domain name?
Yes, provided that you satisfy the
eligibility criteria for each separate domain name.
Can
I lodge more than one ballot application for the same domain name?
No. After the ballot application
period has closed, all eligible ballot applications will be submitted to the
registry and checked for duplication. There are three types of duplication:
In all cases of
duplication, the relevant ballot applications will be removed and the
applicant/s will be entirely excluded from the ballot for that geographic
domain name.
When
will the ballots take place?
It is intended that "first
round" ballots will take place between 7 August 2005 and 21 August 2005.
auDA may amend these dates from time to time. If you would like to participate
in the ballots you should regularly confirm the ballot times and keep up to
date with any changes by visiting auDA's website.
How
will I be notified of the ballot result?
Your Participating Registrar will
notify you of the ballot result. If you think that your ballot has taken place
but you haven't been notified of the result, you should contact your
Participating Registrar.
If
I win the ballot, what do I have to do next?
If you are a ballot winner you must
pay the Release Fee ($825 inc GST) and proceed to register your domain name within
the 30 day Release Period. Registration will be subject to the domain name
licence terms and conditions offered by the Participating Registrar, and any
applicable registration fees. If you have any questions or require assistance
with registration, you should contact your Participating Registrar.
Can
I register the domain name with any registrar?
For technical reasons, you must
register the domain name through the same Participating Registrar that you
lodged your ballot application with. You may choose to transfer to another auDA
Accredited Registrar after your domain name has been registered.
How
much does it cost to register the domain name?
You must pay the Release Fee ($825
inc GST) AND any domain name registration fee charged by your Participating
Registrar. For more information on applicable fees, you should contact your
Participating Registrar.
How
long is my domain name registered for?
Your domain name will be registered for a 2 year licence period, the same as
other com.au and net.au domain names.
When
I renew my domain name, will I have to pay another Release Fee?
No. The Release Fee is a one-off
fee. When you renew your domain name you will just need to pay the renewal fee
charged by your registrar.
What
happens if I don't pay the Release Fee and/or don't register the domain name
within the Release Period?
If you are a "first round"
ballot winner and you fail to pay the Release Fee and register your domain name
within the Release Period, the name will be returned to the ballot process for
a second round. You will not be eligible to participate in the second
round.
If you are a
"second round" ballot winner and you fail to pay the Release Fee and
register your domain name within the Release Period, the name will be withdrawn
from the ballot process and released by auDA at a later date.
Can
I appeal against a ballot result?
Each ballot result is final and no
correspondence will be entered into.
Will
auDA publish the ballot results?
No.
What
happens to domain names that are not allocated by ballot?
Domain names that are not allocated
by ballot will be released by auDA at a later date. auDA's intention is that
the names will be available for registration on a first come, first served
basis in the same way as other domain names.
Will
auDA publish the list of domain names that are not allocated by ballot?
No.
Can
I register a pre-existing interest or right in a geographic domain name?
No. auDA policy does not recognise
pre-existing interests or rights in domain names.
Having a
company/business name or trade mark that is also a geographic name does not
give you an automatic right to register, or to stop someone else from
registering, that geographic name in com.au or net.au. For example, just
because your company name is Williamstown Pty Ltd does not give you an
automatic right to register "williamstown.com.au" or to stop someone
else from registering "williamstown.com.au".
Having a
geographic name registered in one domain space does not give you an automatic
right to register, or to stop someone else from registering, the same
geographic name in com.au or net.au. For example, just because you have
registered "northcote.com" does not give you an automatic right to
register "northcote.com.au" or to stop someone else from registering
"northcote.com.au".
The .au Dispute
Resolution Policy (auDRP) provides an alternative to litigation for the
resolution of disputes between the registrant of a .au domain name and a party
with competing rights in the domain name. For more information click here.
Can
I offer my domain name for sale after I register it?
No. Because a domain name is not a
property asset, you cannot purport to sell your domain name to another party.
See auDA's Clarification of
Domain Name Licence - Prohibition on Sale of Domain Name by Registrant
(2002-24).
There are
limited circumstances under which you may transfer your domain name licence to
another party. See auDA's Transfers
(Change of Registrant) Policy (2004-03).
What
is the difference between com.au and net.au? Do I have to register the same
geographic name in both com.au and net.au?
The .au domain space is divided into
different second level domains (2LDs) with different purposes. The com.au and
net.au 2LDs are for commercial purposes and the same eligibility rules apply to
both.
All domain names
work on the Internet in the same way, so there is no technical difference
between registering a com.au or net.au domain name. Choosing whether to
register a name in com.au or net.au (or both) is a business decision. If you
have any questions or require advice about domain names appropriate to your
business, you should contact your Participating Registrar.
Why
did auDA decide to lift the restriction on geographic names in com.au and
net.au?
In July 2004 auDA conducted a public review of the restriction
on geographic names in com.au and net.au.
Following the
review, at its August 2004
meeting the auDA Board decided that geographic domain names are useful and
desirable for Australian businesses and that the restriction on using
geographic names as domain names in com.au and net.au should be lifted.
Why
have some geographic names already been registered in com.au and net.au? Will
these names be included in the ballot process?
Some geographic names were
registered as com.au and net.au domain names before the restriction was
introduced in 1997-98, or before the name became a geographic name (eg. new
suburb names). These domain names will not be included in the ballot process.
How
will auDA use the proceeds of the Release Fee?
Ballot proceeds will be used by auDA
to support the implementation of the new
community geographic name space.