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1. Domain Name Guidelines –Background

1.1 What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is the user–friendly form of an Internet address. They are commonly used to find websites, for example, www.cabinet–office.gov.uk is used to find the Cabinet Office website. A domain name also forms the basis of other methods or applications on the Internet, for example, email addresses (naming@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk), and for file transfer – ftp addresses.

1.2 The Domain Name System

The Domain Name System (DNS) comes from the early days of the Internet when it was a small network for defence and academic research purposes. The DNS system that we use today was introduced in 1984. The system is essentially a global addressing system. It is the way that domain names are distributed, located and translated into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and vice versa; a process known as ‘resolution’. A domain name is a unique alias for an IP address (a number for example, IP 212.24.85.85), which is an actual physical point on the Internet. For example, your PC if you have an internet connection.

The DNS forms a hierarchy with Top Level Domains (TLDs), Second Level Domains (SLDs), Third Level Domains (3LDs) and so forth. The Top Level Domains (TLDs) are administered internationally by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which is also the overall body for providing the Uniform Domain Resolution Policy.

1.3 Administrative bodies

The Top Level Domain names are divided into various types, for example:

ICANN does not act as the Registry for domain name. Each of these Top Level Domains has its approved Registry that manages the administration and registration formalities for the domain according to published regional or national polices. In the UK the ccTLD .uk registry is controlled, managed and operated by the private not-for profit company Nominet.uk and in Europe the non-profit organisation EURid is the registry for the ccTLD .eu.

1.3.1 Restricted gTLDs

Many of the generic Top Level Domains have eligibility limitations of some kind, for example:

.int is a reserved domain used only for registering organisations established by international treaties between governments, for example, the United Nations (www.un.int) and NATO (www.nato.int). The .int domain registry is administered by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) – www.iana.org/int–dom/int.htm.

.eu is a new domain name and broadly every organisation, company or person established in the European Union will have the right to apply for a .eu domain name. The Public Policy Rules were agreed in April 2004 but public registration is not yet open. This is being administered by a central registry the European Registry for Internet Domains (EURid) www.eurid.org.

.net broadly seen as intended to have been used by telecommunications organisations, Internet Service Providers (ISPs). It is administered by VeriSign Global Registry Services – www.verisign-grs.com.

.org is for organisations whose primary focus is non-commercial, for example, charitable organisations, cultural institutions, foundations, volunteer groups etc. It is administered by the Public Interest Registry – www.pir.org.

1.3.2 Unrestricted gTLDs

The generic Top Level Domains, for example .com and .info, are seen as unrestricted because owners do not need to satisfy any geographical requirement or be of a specific type or from any particular sector. Interestingly, many assume that .com means that it must be from the USA. Worldwide over 45% of all registered domain names are from within the .com domain.

1.3.3 Country Code Top Level Domain Names (ccTLDs)

There are over 250 Top Level Domain names organised on a country-by-country basis and based upon ISO 3166–1. For example:

.au (Australia) .ca (Canada)

.de (Germany) .uk (United Kingdom)

Some countries allow anyone to register a domain name in that country; others require a local connection, or if there is no such connection, that the domain name matches trademark registration within that country.

The design of the naming structure under a country code rests with the country manager (Registry). Some ccTLDs are only available with a second level domain (SLD) attached. For example, under the rules of the United Kingdoms country code manager it is not routinely possible to register [sample].uk; we are more familiar with our domain names divided into three levels

top–level (ccTLD) – .uk.uk

second–level (SLD) – .gov.uk

.co.uk

third–level (3rdLD) – electronic.gov.uk electronic.co.uk

1.3.4 United Kingdom Second Level Domains (SLDs)

The following are examples of available Second Level Domains:

.co.uk – for commercial use
.org.uk – for non-commercial use
.plc.uk – for public companies under the Companies Acts
.ltd.uk – for limited companies under the Companies Acts
.net.uk – for networks and ISPs etc
.ac.uk – for academic organisations
.sch.uk – for schools

See www.nominet.uk.org.uk for further details on second level domains.

For information on the UK public sector SLDs see paragraphs 2 for .gov.uk and 2.5 for other public service SLDs.

.uk Top Level Domain rules [External link]

1.4 Registration

This is usually on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. This has led to problems such as ‘cybersquatting’. However, in an attempt to reduce this, the recent introductions of new gTLDs have commenced with a sunrise period; a given period during which trademark and other rights owners are allowed some priority to register their names.

Registration of a domain name does not automatically means ownership of it for ever. Registrations are usually for a fixed period which has to be renewed. Initial periods are usually 10 years for gTLDs and 2 years for ccTLDs.

Risk management – public organisations wishing to maximise a web presence in relation to their name and/or their brands need to think about registration as soon as opportunities arise, and to plan defensive registrations to ward off similar domain names falling into the hands of others – see 5 Do you need a domain name strategy?.

.uk Top Level Domain Disputes Resolution Service [External link]

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