Shorter .uk domain names may be on the horizon.
.UK domain name registry Nominet wants to allow businesses to register shorter .uk domain names.
The group has opened a three month consultation period for what it’s calling direct.uk — which is a catchy name for offering second level .uk domain names.
Right now only third level domains, such as name.co.uk, are available. Direct.uk would let businesses register name.uk.
The second level domains would likely include added security features such as daily malware scanning and Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). Registrant verification may also be required.
Wholesale pricing would be ÂŁ20 per year, which is nearly ten times the current third level pricing.
Registrants of existing third level .uk domain names may not automatically get rights in the same second level domain name, although there will be a sunrise period in which unregistered rights in a term may be considered.
All of the details are still up in the air pending the results of the consultation.
Dopy Nominet.
The conclusive domain name ending for the UK is; and always has been .uk (see IANA Root) and for whatever reason, Nominet decided to insert .co beside the .uk to delineate a company.
Should they amend it by making it shorter, or to the original standard, as used in Canada, with .ca, the domain name or brand, left of any number of ‘dots’ remains the same … at the end of the string.
This act would account for nothing more than pure greed and not stand in a UK Court.
Cheers, Graham.
How does class action work in UK?
Otherwise the gov’t should step in and find another registry to run .uk
There are many countries which have similar setup like UK. Examples would be .co.jp, .co.ke, .co.za or .com.co.
Why have .com, .net and .org ? Why not only have .com, and delete the rest. Must be all greed, I guess.
@Graham Schreiber
Since when is greed illegal?
Greed & Capitalism is good.
However, greed becomes illegal the moment ones ambitions infringe, harm or damage that of another.
If your the Nic I think you maybe, you’d know the string details that define a web address are always the final two or three characters, beside the last dot.
i.e. .ca or .uk or .com > Those all constitute the full TLD.
Cheers, Graham.
@Graham Schreiber
I doubt that I am that Nic.
But having read the document, I generally agree.
What I particularly do not like is that the proposed Sunrise, gives priority to trademark holders (fine), but it does not give priority to those trademark owners who own the corresponding .co.uk extension.
The net effect is that these people (me included) will have to fight it out with other mark holders, at auction. Because, however Nominet package it up, at the end of the day, the ccTLD world is going to second level.
And what about all the poor people who have invested in large portfolios or those that have bought one of the large portfolio holder’s names for a large price? They have to fight it out all again?
If Nominet genuinely wanted to create a safe name space, why dont they launch the “safe.uk” ccTLD?
What they are seeking to do is profit from the exercise, and they are trying to do it in a way that gives it some merit.
Hopefully some people with good “statement of claim” writing skills will chime in with some litigation and influence the process so .co.uk holders get priority, without any conditions whatsoever. Line .cn did, and countless others.
Nic
Hi @Nic and all:
The “Sunrise” period has, to my knowledge no legal standing in Court, anywhere; and if an owner of a Trademark happens to miss the window, offered by Nominet, the “registered” owner, has recourse through the UK (or any) Federal Court and the IPO.gov.uk, issued document will win well after the sunrise.
Side note 1 > Nominet are an appointed Government agency; and where they use the word “Registered” gives you as an official government sanctioned, domain name. You are / have a “Mark in Commerce” and when used, is “Bona fide” and is protected by “Common Law”.
Side note 2 > NEVER use a UDRP, they’re “non binding” gather your facts and present your case & Yourself, before a real Court.
@Nic, with your .co.uk domain name you’ll not need to buy additionally the .uk domain name; and here’s why … .UK is the end of what the Internet Industry call a “STRING” and the .UK is the TLD (Top Level Domain) for the United Kingdom. Please see > http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/
Therefore, if you own > “123.co.uk” then “123.uk” will be identical and infringing. Based on the parts 123 and the TLD String of .uk .
Under American Law, there is “Contributory Infringement” and I’m sure that there’s something similar, in the UK.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/contributory_infringement
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1065
If Nominet do undertake to dilute a domain “mark” and then expect existing ‘mark holders’ to purchase the 2nd, as a preventative measure … read up on Ransom. (Thanks “unofficial ICANN” for word clarification, from shakedown.)
So … if Nominet sell out your position to the left of the .UK, they’ll be ~ profiting ~ from Contributory Infringement.
They’ll also be a “manufacturer” of this too, since they began with .co.UK’s as the National TLD, they would be “manufacturing” the abbreviation to .UK.
Cheers, Graham.
Closing remark: Should your business also own a UK.com, or any other Country Code, left of “.com” i.e. .de.com or .eu.com … prepare to loose it, unless your business also owns the TLD as 123.com.
This glorious; and unbridled firestorm against domain name ‘infringement’ and ‘contributory infringement’ was recently introduced to the US Federal Court, where upon conclusion, shall set off a domino effect, that’ll WIPO-UT many.
🙂 🙂
@Nic
One other comment.
Will the IPO.gov.uk, the USPTO or here in Canada, our CIPO begin opening up …. “Sub-Trademarks” ???
i.e. … sTM ???
NOPE! You’ll never, ever see an sTM.
They’ve done a great job of making classifications, of 123TM in Sports, vs 123TM in Clothing, or 123TM for Cars, etc.
The ONLY place Nominet and ICANN can turn, or may turn, with their TMCH is to oblige all future domain name holders to state brand name, with classification, then .com or .co.uk.
AND NIC … It’s incumbent upon YOU to exercise your “writing skills will chime in with some litigation and influence the process” .
Don’t rely on the Lawyers to do it!
They {Lawyer’s} know the wrong in the system, but will do nothing. Like Vultures, they consider you a tasty Carcass!
Cheers Graham.
This is a wrong decision of Nominet and will totally undermine the existing market.I am not going to register anymore .co.uk UNTIL or UNLESS this proposal is removed from the table and shelved officially. Of course .uk is a BETTER than .co.uk BUT why did Nominet not think of this 15 years ago when they first started out ?. What Nominet are seeking to do is bypass the voting rights and mechanism of the Nominet Members (Tag holders) who they know full well would vote against an increase in cost of .co.uk registration, so instead what they now seek to do is cause confusion with the Public by introducing .uk at a much higher price.
In my opinion what Nominet should do instead is ,with agreement, SWAP all .co.uk domains over to .uk and then point .co.uk TO .uk
Nominet are just money grabbers who seek to make a few at top rich at expense of all the rest.
What the introduction of .uk will do is undermine the current .co.uk domains and cause visitors to the present .co.uk
domains to instead visit .uk It will also cause much confusion to the public and effectively make .co.uk domains worthless or
worth less.
I hope that Members will have an opportunity to vote yes or no regarding these proposals.
Hi John:
Here are some rules regarding the .UK as a TLD: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.uk http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-other/t-infringe.htm http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-protect/t-protect-unreg/t-protect-passingoff.htm <
If you have not registered your trade mark you may still be able to take action against someone who uses your mark on his or her goods or services without your permission, using the common law of passing off.
To be successful in a passing off action, you must prove that:
the mark is yours
you have built up a reputation in the mark
you have been harmed in some way by the other person's use of the mark
How do I protect my unregistered trade mark?
Section 5(4)(a) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 prevents the registration of a mark by virtue of passing off.
You or your company must prove, through factual evidence, that you have an established trade mark that has acquired a reputation and/or goodwill in the mind of the relevant public; the offending trade mark has been, or is likely to be, confused with your established trade mark; and your business under your established trade mark has been, or is likely to be, "damaged” by use of the offending trade mark.