About Australian domain names

The following article was written by auDA and has been reproduced for your reference.

Structure of Domain Name System in Australia

auDA manages the .au domain and is the industry self-regulatory body for the Domain Name System in Australia. It grants licences to Registry operators. It accredits and licenses Registrars who can sell domain names in .au to eligible individuals, companies or organisations. auDA facilitates the au dispute resolution process and develops and implements consumer safeguards.

Registry operators are licensed by auDA to manage one or more second level domains (e.g. com.au, net.au, id.au). Appointment of Registry operators is by way of competitive tender. Registry operators manage and maintain the database that contains the domain names registered by Registrars on behalf of Registrants.

Registrars sell domain name licences to Registrants. Registrars are accredited by auDA. A Registrar checks that the Registrant is eligible for the domain name and is also responsible for updating information in the Registry database on behalf of the Registrant. Registrars deal directly with Registrants or may use a Re-seller.

Re-sellers operate under an agreement with a Registrar. Re-sellers deal directly with the Registrant. Re-sellers are not accredited by auDA but are regulated via Registrars. Unlike Registrars, Re-sellers do not deal directly with the Registry.

Registrant is an individual, company or organisation that is granted a licence for a .au domain name.

What is auDA

auDA (au Domain Administration Ltd) is the government-endorsed manager of the Australian domain name space. auDA is an independent, notfor- profit body.

auDA grants licences to Registry operators. It accredits and licenses Registrars who can sell domain names in .au to eligible individuals, companies or organisations.

auDA sets policies for domain registration in Australia, for example the types of names that can be used as domain names. It also facilitates the .au dispute resolution policy.

Name Policy

The .au second level domains (or '2LDs') have different purposes:

*Not open to the public. Special rules apply.

Registrants do not own domain names. A domain name is licensed to a registrant for a two year period and must be renewed every two years.

There is no limit to the number of domain names that a registrant can license provided that there is a connection. A connection is established under eligibility criteria for each 2LD.

There is no absolute or automatic right to a domain name. Often more than one registrant is eligible for a name so domain names are licensed on a first come, first served basis.

Dispute Resolution

The .au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) provides a cheaper, speedier alternative to litigation for the resolution of disputes between a registrant and another party who claims to have rights to the domain name.

The .au Domain Name Application Appeals Process provides an independent review mechanism for those whose application for a domain name has been declined by a registrar.

Registrant Safeguards

auDA's consumer policy protects the rights. of registrants in dealings with registrars and to some extent with re-sellers. auDA publishes an industry Code of Practice, Consumer Safeguards and, from time to time, Consumer Alerts.

All registrars sign a Registrar Agreement with auDA that includes:

• compliance with the Privacy Act 1988
• prohibition on selling or granting access to registrant data
• prohibition on the solicitation of business using domain name database information, and
• compliance with the industry Code of Practice and auDA policies.

Registrars that use re-sellers are responsible for ensuring that those re-sellers also comply with the industry Code of Practice and other auDA policies.

Registrant rights include the right to:

• choose their own registrar or re-seller
• if using a re-seller, know which registrar the domain name will be registered with
• be made aware of all material terms and conditions and all costs and charges for the domain name registration, before registering a domain name
• be able to transfer domain names between registrars or re-sellers
• have a complaint heard fairly by the registrar and if dissatisfied with the result to have the complaint referred to auDA.

Registrants also have consumer rights under Commonwealth and State fair trading and consumer laws.

The retail price of a domain name (i.e. the price charged by registrars or re-sellers to registrants) may vary depending on the services being offered.

Registrants should shop around for an arrangement that suits their needs. A list of registrars is available at www.auda.org.au.