Interesting Registrant

[neddy]

Ned am I correct in assuming that if AUDA approves Australian citizens or residents owning domains without an ABN, then there would be nothing stopping an international individual buying an Australian domain and owning it until someone challenged their eligibility to own the domain?

Or would registrars need to require that Australian citizens and residents prove their eligibility prior to registering a domain?

Excellent questions Chris.

Bear in mind I can't give you an exact answer because implementation suggestions haven't even got to first base as yet. And then ultimately it will be up to the auDA Board.

However, assuming that an implementation working group decides that the Names Panel suggestions were good ones (in terms of individuals), then my opinion is that you would be correct. As to the second part of your question, that's an unknown. I don't imagine registrars would want to be "policemen". It could just be as it is now - a "complaints based" system that auDA controls. Time will tell!

 

[Scott.L]

What has auDA done to improve identity verification procedures for registries and existing registrants? well in 10 years I cant find one instance of any identity process improvements. I think, Mr Elz had good intentions in the 80's / 90's to restrict .com.au to Australia, possibly for administration purposes rather than economic advantages when he created that policy. But times have changed and It boggles the mind why this rule hasn't?

ABN criteria is about government monitoring cyber behaviours and having greater ability to track and trace, or shut down malicious or unlawful activities -

 

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

What has auDA done to improve identity verification procedures for registries and existing registrants? well in 10 years I cant find one instance of any identity process improvements. I think, Mr Elz had good intentions in the 80's / 90's to restrict .com.au to Australia, possibly for administration purposes rather than economic advantages when he created that policy. But times have changed and It boggles the mind why this rule hasn't?

ABN criteria is about government monitoring cyber behaviours and having greater ability to track and trace, or shut down malicious or unlawful activities -

Hey Scott, the simple answer to your question is that numerous Names Policy Panels over many years have never recommended that the Eligibility and Allocation rules be amended. There are some who have criticised auDA for not requiring 100 points of identification each time someone wants to register a domain (serious)!! The current rules tend to have a lot of support including amongst people on DNTrade - but I suspect that this issue will remain on the agenda for future Names Policy Panels.

 

[chris]

I think this is a lot better. Still the main issue is .com.au, maybe if .au had this rule it could prompt change for .com.au. .Com.au is where it could have a big effect on usage.

Even with that rule though there will still be instances where the criteria is too restrictive. Eg I tried to register a .org.au for an unincorporated association about a year ago and was unable to, ended up registering a .org. If I had done a whole lot of appealing I’m sure I could have got it through but who wants to do what when similar alternatives (.org, .com) are a drama free 60 second process?

I've seen a few people end up using .com's (or even .co's and .io's) because of the ABN requirement and it being a side project etc.

I'm not sure the requirement helps the namespace or hinders it, either way people are getting around it. If you add more checks, it's makes it harder for legitimate registrants, so it's a catch 22.

 

[Scott.L]

It's as simple as an automated verification of the ABN contact within a database to ensure registration continuity.

If a registrant is verified via a linked database then any registrations associated to that ABN must conform to the contact information stored within that database, If not registration fails. The contact database can be verified or modified by a secured ABN representative via email or secured database log in.

I imagine if auDA wants to defend against this type of occurrence then auDA would have implemented something similar.

 

[neddy]

our mates at the NAB have been busy buying up domains again today

Yes indeed - First Page Results noted that on my blog!

I'm sure Bruce Tonkin will sort it out (if there is indeed a problem).

Nothing seems to have happened on the "NAB" domains. Still in "their" name - not even in Policy Delete.

This is are the list of domains that they supposedly registered. All resolve to Netfleet parked pages.

• technologynews.com.au
• home–loans.com.au (that's a double hyphen!)
  
• onlinepaymentsystem.com.au
• callforwarding.com.au
• coincounter.com.au
• networktools.com.au
• bitcointraders.com.au
• silverstone.com.au

So I wrote about it today, and alerted NAB on both LinkedIn and Twitter. That might hopefully motivate some action.

 

[snoopy]

Nothing seems to have happened on the "NAB" domains. Still in "their" name - not even in Policy Delete.

This is are the list of domains that they supposedly registered. All resolve to Netfleet parked pages.

• technologynews.com.au
• home–loans.com.au (that's a double hyphen!)
  
• onlinepaymentsystem.com.au
• callforwarding.com.au
• coincounter.com.au
• networktools.com.au
• bitcointraders.com.au
• silverstone.com.au

So I wrote about it today, and alerted NAB on both LinkedIn and Twitter. That might hopefully motivate some action.

It would probably take along time for AUDA etc to get an answer back from the NAB on it, I'd say they'd need a definite answer that it is not owned by them. Still who really cares, it is some guy with a few names? The only people to profit from this will be Netfleet when they get to re-auction the same names.

AUDA need to reduce the red tape so people can legitimately register names without resorting to fake ABN's.

 

[Erwin]

maybe this will happen with direct .au registrations..

 

[findtim]

maybe this will happen with direct .au registrations..

No it won't because we will all be out their doing "defensive " registrations first so that the australian .au space can " GROW ", ( ummmm duplicate itself )
GROWTH, thats moths in your wallet and money on trees for them !

tim

 

[Erwin]

No it won't because we will all be out their doing "defensive " registrations first so that the australian .au space can " GROW ", ( ummmm duplicate itself )
GROWTH, thats moths in your wallet and money on trees for them !

tim

Lol!

 

[snoopy]

maybe this will happen with direct .au registrations..

It might, but who is going to want a .au? It is a bit like the .id.au argument from years ago.

Problem: "People want to register personal name, you know johnsmith.com.au."
AUDA solution: "Let's give them JohnSmith.id.au then".

If .au is brought in with no restrictions it is just another case of giving people what they don't want instead of going to the obvious solution.

 

[helloworld]

maybe this will happen with direct .au registrations..

Nope because these domains are picked up for PBNs nothing else

 

[neddy]

Nothing seems to have happened on the "NAB" domains. Still in "their" name - not even in Policy Delete.

All these domains have been Policy Deleted, and are on the drops today.

 

[findtim]

cool, but how much gets missed?
tim