Many registrants that I know haven’t as yet put a submission in (to the Policy Review Panel) with regards the potential implementation of direct registrations in Australia. Submissions close next Friday.
I know there is lots of commentary on forums and blogs, but this doesn’t help the PRP. If you want your opinion to be heard and counted, then you simply have to make a submission. As I wrote on October 17th:
“Everybody acknowledges that one of the complexities of introducing direct registrations is addressing prior rights of existing registrants and stakeholders – and doing so in a fair and equitable manner. In order for the PRP to make informed recommendations to the auDA Board, it’s important that registrants participate by lodging a submission on the questions in the Issues Paper (page 4). Deadline is 10th November.”
Some people have told me that the questions are not user friendly. If you find that to be the case, then simply answer what you can. It’s vital that you express your point of view.
These Are The Questions
1. What date should be chosen as the cut-off date for determining registrant eligibility for priority registration of the second level domain name, and why?
2. Should registrants of domain names at the fourth level within edu.au and gov.au be eligible for priority registration? If so, what rules should apply?
3. What process should be implemented to resolve competing claims to the same .au name and why? Should registrants whose claim is unsuccessful be given priority to register another second level domain name?
4. How much time should priority registrants have to exercise their right to register the matching second level name before it is made available to the public for registration?
5. Should certain names be reserved for future use as 2LDs? Please indicate which names and why they should be reserved as future 2LDs?
6. Are there names whose use is not prohibited at law that should be reserved?
7. Should names that are potentially confusing or misleading when registered at the second level be reserved (ie not available for registration)?
8. Should names that are a deliberate misspelling of the existing 2LDs be prohibited from being registered at the second level?
9. Should direct registration be implemented in .au using a staged process or concurrent reservation and open availability process, and why?
10. Should other registrants or rights holders be given priority during the landrush or reservation period to register a second level domain name (trademark owners)?
Submissions must be received no later than 10th November.
These can be emailed to policy.review@auda.org.au ; or posted to:
Policy Review Panel
c/o .au Domain Administration Ltd
PO Box 18315
MELBOURNE VIC 3001
My Disclaimer
♦ I am a member of the PRP, and have given my commitment as to the confidentiality of the process. Whilst you are welcome to make comments and ask questions, I may only be able to respond generally.
Ned O’Meara – 2nd November 2017
Disclaimer
*This is your chance to tell AUDA whether the .AU proposal should be scrapped or not.*
Ignore suggestions from AUDA staff that the merits of the proposal should not be discussed. AUDA hopes to quietly push this through without notifying the owners of the 3 million domains that this would effect. There needs to be a public debate on the merits of this proposal before AUDA can legitimately implement it.
Why does auDA and the auDA board continue to refuse to email and contact the existing .au registrants who will be affected?
auDA has over $10 million in the bank from domain name profits. They made another profit of over $2 million last financial year which could have been more if so much waste did not occur again on expenses and again over $1 million on “Consultants” etc. How can auDA justify over $7 million spent on “Consultants” over the years?* ( hard to get an accurate figure from auDA it may be more!).
auDA is setting themselves up for a possible Class Action Lawsuit by not contacting all of the existing .au registrants and providing them the real facts and some proper full disclosures ( in my opinion and the opinion of some others who should know the risk).
Some of the material put forward was false and misleading to even get to this stage. Surveys and questions where where in some cases “rigged” in my opinion… and some people are pushing for it for their own personal and company gain to the detriment of Australian business and existing .au registrants and consumers.
https://www.arnnet.com.au/article/589784/accan-voices-concern-over-proposed-domain-name-system-changes/
“ACCAN has consulted with a number of small businesses who have expressed concern over the proposed changes to Australian domain names. There is a strong likelihood that small businesses will incur extra costs due to defensive registrations, not to mention the extra time and effort they’ll need to spend ensuring their domain name and business are protected.
“We are concerned that to date feedback on the changes has largely been from the domain name industry and the consultation has not adequately taken into account other perspectives such as those of small businesses. A lot of small businesses may not even be aware of the proposed changes,” she said.”
https://www.auda.org.au/about-auda/our-org/constitution/
3.2 Activities
Without reducing the effect of clause 4, auDA will see to achieve its principal purposes as set out in clause 3.1 through:
b. establishing mechanisms to ensure it is responsive and accountable to the supply and demand sides of the Australian Internet Community;
c. the promotion of competition in the provision of domain name services;
d. the promotion of fair trading;
e. the promotion of consumer protection;
f. adopting open and transparent procedures which are inclusive of all parties having an interest in use of the domain name system in Australia;
g. ensuring its operations produce timely outputs which are relevant to the needs of the Australian Internet Community.
(Amended by Special Resolution, 14 August 2006)
http://mitchfifield.com/Media/MediaReleases/tabid/70/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1459/Modernising-Australias-au-domain.aspx
https://www.communications.gov.au/documents/terms-reference-review-au-domain-administration
https://www.communications.gov.au/file/31716/download?token=XGUWhNyj