Hi,

I have had a rejection from Hostess for a domain purchase based on 'close & substantial connection' policy.

The domain is a generic dictionary word and would be nigh impossible to trademark as a text word.

Just wondering:
- can they reject an application for generic / dictionary words!?
- if names can be registered for monetisation then surely close & substantial is not really that close & substantial?
- have others had similar issues with Hostess or other re-sellers / registrars? Which registrars are best to avoid these sort of issues?

Thanks!

Notes:

Hostess order page includes the following with a checkbox which must be checked:

I certify that the domain has a close & substantial connection to the person/business that it is intended to represent.

Rejection email is:

Unfortunately, we have not been able to determine a 'Close & Substantial' connection between the domain name and the registrant's provided details. According to auDA regulations for registration, a domain name must relate in some meaningful way to the registrant. For further information on this criteria, please refer to current auDA policy at this link: http://www.auda.org.au/policies/auda-2005-01/.
Please respond to this email outlining your eligibility for the intended domain name to proceed with this application.

Go to a different registrar!

Very strange. Care to share the domain (by PM?). Must be something funny with it...

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CocktailRecipes.com.au ★ Photographers.com.au ★ DebitCard.com.au ★ Hockey.com.au ★ Boxing.com.au ★ DomainName.com.au

That's ridiculous, I don't like much .com.au because of this blurred policy where some get away with it and some don't.

90 % of backordered names then should be deleted if this was the rule.

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Domain Brokerage - Website Development - SEO

I'm suprised Hostess of all registrars would do that.. maybe auDA is getting on their case

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Index > Rank > Monetise

Was it a net.au / .com.au domain? Not .id.au?

auda policy needs changing. We need a free and open internet for registration and selling like they have in most other countries. If they can have freedom for .com, .co.uk .. etc why not .com.au?

Cancel the No sell within 6 month rule and cancel the need for abn, acn's etc!

Auda needs to change or they will keep Australia behind the rest of the world

When I arrived in Australia the only thing more impressive than a duck-billed platypus was the .au namespace. I felt that consumers where being protected by having all .com.au and .net.au domains connected to legal entities and their ACN/ABN being part of the whois record. I feel that the .au namespace is actually ahead of the "rest of the world" in this regard.

I agree that the 6 month rule is a bit silly, but the ABN/ACN rules are excellent.

In my opinion the entities who make money using the .com model are the registry and the controlling body (88 million .com domains @ $10 per year), yet auDA expends so much effort protecting the namespace for us and we expend so much energy criticising them. They have the world to gain by removing these restrictions yet they don't, I applaud them for that and will cover my head in ash and observe a year of mourning for the death of a good idea if they do remove them.

Do you understand the eligibilty conditions for an ABN?
Do you think that ordinary Australian wage and salary earners, students, the disadvantaged and people who do not seek to make a profit from a business undertaking should be allowed to register a .com.au or a .net.au domain name ?
I think all Australians should be able to register or own the licence to .com.au and .net.au names, not just those eligible for an ABN
I can see no advantage to denying the vast majority of Australians the right to hold a licence to a .com.au or .net.au domain name

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Joes.com.au

Aren't all Australian's eligible for an ABN? At least the 'vast' majority and it's free - just cos you have an ABN doesn't mean you need to trade or even register for GST.