Prohibited domain names

This is a follow up article regarding .au domain names that are a definite no-no in Australia.

No matter how good a domain may appear at first glance, sometimes there is a very good reason why you should avoid purchasing it.

The last thing you want is to invest big bucks only to have the domain name taken away from you by auDA. It happens!

Here is a current example:

The domain name AnzacDay.com.au appeared earlier this year on the expired domain name auctions.

Very topical and important name – according to Google Australia, the term gets approximately 49,500 searches a month.

So on the face of it, this would seem like a great domain to acquire. Quite a few people thought so, because there was spirited bidding on a couple of the drop auction platforms. (I was not a bidder).

The bid on Netfleet (NF) was $702 + GST + registration fee (so over $800); and on Domain Shield (DS) it was $800 inclusive of costs. DS were successful in acquiring it for the domain investor.

Now comes the bad news:

Remember the recent furore about Woolworths and Anzac Day? They ended up pulling a costly ad campaign.

Well, the domain name AnzacDay.com.au is on auDA’s Reserved List . Not many people know this (I have since spoken to the buyer of the domain and he certainly wasn’t aware of this).

3.1 The table in Schedule A lists words and phrases that are restricted under Commonwealth legislation, and the consent required for their use. It is the responsibility of the registrant to ensure they have obtained the requisite consent prior to registering a domain name that contains a word or phrase listed in Schedule A. Where auDA becomes aware that a registrant does not have the requisite consent, auDA reserves the right to revoke the domain name licence and delete the domain name.

So I guess you know where I’m heading! The domain name was Policy Deleted by auDA, and the domain investor did his dough. (Though big “hat tip” to DS – given that the purchaser wasn’t aware of restrictions (many people weren’t), they refunded most of his money. Nice gesture. 🙂 )

Buyer Beware

Because the domain was “policy deleted”, it is going to appear again on the expired auctions in approximately 10 days. Already one of the dropcatchers is advertising it (automated system).

And if someone unauthorised buys it again, the cycle will repeat itself ad infinitum. The only one who benefits is the dropcatching platform.