How will the end of the 5 year grace period affect the market.
The
market needs a very
strong reason to decide that the
.uk extension has a
significant value. Since the launch date
10 June 2014. registrants have
five years to
decide to register the equivalent shorter .uk equivalent which ends
10 June 2019. In this regard It has initially reduced the need of pressure for the necessity to register the shorter equivalent in the knowledge that the .uk equivalent is reserved for them. It is natural and expected for the market to continue with the status quo. Now
when the five year grace period approaches close to and end on
10 June 2019. I will be interested to see how
the market responds. There will be those who will continue there business oblivious of the picture in the uk market and potentially could get stung by
predatory registrants levering an
advantage over the
.co.uk registrant who has carried out their business for many years.
There will be those who feel pragmatically they will not be prepared to take the
risk and will register the shorter .uk and forward it at the .co.uk domain or secure their long term future.
The third option that businesses will take is to
register the shorter .uk extension and to actively promote this domain over the .co.uk original. At that time
10 June 2019. this could potentially have a
profound affect on the market as the
pressure to register could substantially increase. At this time the
internet market could
dramatically see a seed change in the value of the shorter .uk extension. Indeed the
symbiotic effect of having
registration of the
.co.uk an the .uk extensions will increase their values further. If they were
generic domains in the areas of business that have very high search volumes such as
Insurance (example keywords in this category include "
car insurance " and "auto insurance price quotes")
Loans (example keywords include "consolidate graduate student
loans" and "cheapest homeowner loans")
Mortgage (example keywords include “refinanced second
mortgages” and “remortgage with bad credit”)
Attorney (example keywords include “personal injury attorney” and “dui defense attorney”)
Credit (example keywords include “home equity line of
credit” and “bad credit home buyer”)
Lawyer ("personal injury lawyer," "criminal defense lawyer)
Donate ("car donation centers," "donating a used car")
Degree ("criminal justice degrees online," "psychology bachelors degree online")
Hosting ("hosting ms exchange," "managed web hosting solution")
Claim ("personal injury claim," "accident claims no win no fee")
Conference Call ("best conference call service," "conference calls toll free")
Trading ("cheap online trading," "stock trades online")
Software ("crm software programs," "help desk software cheap")
Recovery ("raid server data recovery," "hard drive recovery laptop")
Transfer ("zero apr balance transfer," "credit card balance transfer zero interest")
Gas/Electricity ("business electricity price comparison," "switch gas and electricity suppliers")
Classes ("criminal justice online classes," "online classes business administration")
Rehab ("alcohol rehab centers," "crack rehab centers")
Treatment ("mesothelioma treatment options," "drug treatment centers")
Cord Blood ("cordblood bank," "store umbilical cord blood")
then domains values could sky rocket as they their implication for business could be substantial.
Nominet have published a great deal as shown below.
Some key feature in their text are
-For the vast majority of existing registrants (over 96% of 10.56 million), we will
automatically reserve the shorter equivalent of their current .uk domain for free
for five years. At any point during that period they can decide to register the new .uk in addition to, the domain they already have.
-Holders of third-level .uk domains that are eligible for the free reservation period don’t need to pre-register the .uk equivalent. The shorter address will be
automatically reserved for them f
or five years. Our marketing and customer outreach will continue to make it clear that registrants should not feel obliged to make a snap decision.
-The free reservation period will be
for five years from the date the new domains are
launched,
10 June 2014.
________________________________________________________________
What are the benefits for businesses?
It’s sharper and snappier, while still signalling a connection with the UK. A business choosing a .uk domain name will benefit from being part of a trusted, popular namespace that is overwhelmingly preferred by end users searching and buying online in the UK.
Some businesses may decide that a second-level domain name offers a better opportunity to highlight their brand, show how linked they are to the UK online economy, and demonstrate the forward-thinking nature of their business. As search engines and apps are making domain names less about finding a website and more about showing the world who you are and what you stand for, this is an increasingly important consideration.
Why are you introducing this change?
We think shorter domains will prove popular, and may persuade more people to join the .uk namespace, which we want to be as strong, popular and well-recognised as possible. Furthermore, we believe we have an obligation to provide UK registrants with options comparable to what is available internationally, so that they are able to choose what best suits them while still signalling their UK presence.
Most other country-code domain registries already offer registration at the second level (example.de, example.fr). For further background information on why we are introducing this change please see:
http://www.nominet.org.uk/how-participate/policy-development/Introducing...
Will existing .uk customers be offered the equivalent shorter domain first?
For the vast majority of existing registrants (over 96% of 10.56 million), we will automatically reserve the shorter equivalent of their current .uk domain for free for five years. At any point during that period they can decide to register the new .uk in addition to, the domain they already have.
Fewer than 4% of registrants will not be eligible for this, because the same domain string is registered to two or more individuals or businesses across the different suffixes (for example, one person owns website.co.uk and another owns website.org.uk). In these instances, the .co.uk registrant will be eligible for the equivalent shorter domain. For full explanation of who has rights please see our customer information site:
www.dotuklaunch.co.uk.
How do I find out who has rights to a .uk domain?
Use our WHOIS tool – simply type in the shorter .uk domain you’re interested in and it will show who, if anyone, holds the right-of-registration.
What will happen to existing .uk domains?
All existing Nominet domains – .co.uk, .org.uk, .me.uk, .net.uk, .plc.uk, .ltd.uk and .sch.uk – will continue to run as normal.
Will the rules of registration be the same as those for existing .co.uk, .org.uk domains or more like the rules for new gTLDs?
The rules will be largely the same as for existing .co.uks, .org.uks, with a few exceptions.
- Where the registrant is overseas an address for service in the UK will be required.
- PO Boxes will be unacceptable in the address.
Will second-level registrants be able to effectively set themselves up as new third-level registries?
No, this is prohibited within the rules.
How will you prohibit / police this and what are the sanctions for registrars / registrants if this happens?
We will prohibit this via the rules of registration and will work with registrars where necessary to prevent such activity. Ultimately this could result in suspension and/or cancellation of the relevant domain name.
How are the rights checked when I submit an application on behalf of a customer?
For a .uk domain that has a UK address, the five fields that have to match exactly are: registrant name, street1 address, postcode, country code and administrative email address . When the domain has an address outside of the UK, you will need to ensure that in addition to the registrant name and administrative email address all the address fields match the existing domain (that has rights) exactly and as they are outside of the UK, a service address will also need to be added.
How do I apply for example.uk on behalf of my customers?
See an overview of the domain registration process here.
Can I take pre registrations from my customers?
Holders of third-level .uk domains that are eligible for the free reservation period don’t need to pre-register the .uk equivalent. The shorter address will be automatically reserved for them for five years. Our marketing and customer outreach will continue to make it clear that registrants should not feel obliged to make a snap decision.
Registrars should be aware that misleading pre-registration activity is prohibited and we will always take steps to prevent it. We expect that many registrars will wish to keep their registrants informed about the process for registering second level domains and encourage you to do this.
What is the domain transfer mechanism for example.uk domain names?
The domain transfer process for example.uk domains will be the same as the existing domain transfer process for .co.uk domains.
What is the registrar change mechanism for example.uk domain names?
The registrar change process for example.uk domains will be the same as the existing registrar change process for .co.uk domains.
How soon after registration can a registrar change take place?
A registrar change can take place immediately after registration.
How soon after registration can a transfer take place?
A transfer can take place immediately after registration, except in the instance where a right to register a domain is exercised through a different registrar to the domain that the original registrant had rights to. In this case the transfer would have to wait until the email verification process was complete. The registrant will have 7 days to verify the email. If this is not completed the domain name will be deleted.
Will there be a separate API for registering example.uk domain names?
No. The same tools will be available. EPP, Automaton, Web Domain Manager. For more details please see the Rules for the release of domain names at the second level in .uk
Will I have separate lists in the WDM for my example.uk and example.co.uk domain names?
No. You will be able to get an alphabetical list of all of your domains and this can be exported.
If I make a change to my example.co.uk customer details, will this automatically update the details for the example.uk customer and vice versa?
No. The domains are not linked beyond the point of registration.
If I register the example.uk domain name to the customer of example.co.uk domain name, and it is validated and approved, can I then fork the customer and make separate changes?
Yes.
Can I put my address as the address for service? If I do, what are the consequences?
Yes a registrar can use their address as their customer’s address for service. Registrars offering such a service would need an arrangement for the delivery of notices to the registrant. If we are unable to contact the registrant via the registrar address this could lead to suspension or cancellation of the domain.
My resellers are not UK based but I am. Can they use my address as the address for service? What are the consequences?
Same as above.
My customer qualifies and has applied to me for the example.uk domain name, however I don’t have enough credit (or my TAG is suspended). What would you advise?
If your credit limit needs revising please contact customer support on 01865 332233 or
[email protected]
Can two different registrars hold the example.co.uk and example.uk domain names?
Yes.
I have been asked to register a .uk name by a registrant with rights but his existing domain is on another registrar's TAG - can I register this name for him?
Yes. However, please note that we will email the registrant asking them to authenticate that they have applied for the domain name and we require their confirmation in order for the registration to be completed. Registrars should also bear in mind that the name, address and email they submit will need to match the qualifying registration exactly.
My customer (example.co.uk) qualifies but has expressly said they don’t want the example.uk domain name – can I register it for them and transfer it to myself?
No.
Will you send warnings after 5 years to all those that haven’t taken up the option, but still have rights?
We are developing a communications outreach programme which will be considering this as an option.
Will you invoice me separately for example.co.uk and example.uk as I want to manage these as separate streams?
No, you will continue to be invoiced as before.
If the example.uk is registered and then cancelled within the 5 years, can someone else register it on a first-come, first served basis or does the example.co.uk owner still retain rights up to the end of those 5 years?
If example.uk is registered and then cancelled within the 5 years, it becomes available on a first-come, first-served basis.
What if the example.co.uk domain name is also cancelled during this time?
If example.co.uk is cancelled all rights are given up too.
Can I register in bulk? I have 500+ domain names that qualify and want to apply in bulk?
No, you would need to register them individually through one of the registration systems
Can I get a list of who has rights for each of the domains on my tag?
You will be able to use the query tools to look up the rights for each domain.
Can I do a bulk WHOIS lookup?
No, you will need to query one at a time.
You mention data validation. Why have my registrant's details not been validated as a PO BOX is perfectly legitimate?
A PO Box is acceptable at the third level (i.e. a .co.uk, .org.uk domain, etc.) but not for second level, .uk registrations. We decided not to allow the use of a PO Box as an address for a registrant or as an address for service because we think it is important that internet users can find out who is responsible for a .uk domain name.
How will you prevent PO Boxes in .uk domain registrant address?
We will be checking data at the time of registration. If a registrant address has a PO Box, we will not accept it. However, in order to smooth the registration process for those who are exercising a right to register, we will initially accept the .uk registration with a PO Box address. This will then need to be updated within a reasonable timeframe.
As I have to register twice as many domain names, will you automatically double my credit limit?
No. If you believe you will require more credit than now, please get in touch with the support team. It is also possible to put money on account at any time should this be required.
Will you increase my data lookup quotas as I have to register twice as many domain names? i.e. DAC, WHOIS, WHOIS 2, PRSS?
No, we are not intending to increase lookup limits.
When will .uk launch?
Example.uk domain names will be available from 10 June 2014.
When does the free reservation period start?
The free reservation period will be for five years from the date the new domains are launched, 10 June 2014.
What is the exact cut-off time on 28th October?
The cut-off time is 23:59:59 on 28th October 2013.
How much does .uk cost?
The wholesale price for the new domain is £3.50 per year for single year registrations and £2.50 per year for multi-year registrations. This is the same wholesale price as a .co.uk.
What is the cost to transfer an example.uk domain name?
The cost of transferring an example.uk domain will be the same as the existing cost of transferring .co.uk domains.
What is the cost if registrants do it directly with you?
The cost of registering directly with Nominet will be the same as it is currently: We charge non-members £80 plus VAT per domain name registration for two years.
How will existing customers find out about the new .uk?
Nominet is planning a major programme of communication and outreach to its customers to ensure people are aware of the new .uk and how they may be affected.
As a registrar, you play a key role in communicating this new opportunity to your customers. We have provided registrars with new .uk marketing and brand assets in order to help you raise awareness of .uk to both existing and new customers.
