Users may look up the contact details of a domain name registrant which they are interested in. In a local context, this includes all the major TLD variants within Australia. This feature is particularly useful for those who are looking to open negotiations with a domain holder with respect to acquiring a name. Another purpose served by the service is to ensure that a domain is not registered. Even if a webpage suggests that there is no active domain operating (for example, through an error message or similar), a registrant may have recently acquired the name and not yet attributed it to a web host.

Some of the notable information that one can establish from a WHOIS search is detailed below:

–          When the domain was last modified

–          The name of the domain registrant (e.g. personal name or business name)

–          A domain registrant’s eligibility to hold the domain (e.g. Company, Sole Trader, etc.)

–          A contact name and email address for the registrant

–          A contact name and email address for the domain’s technical representative

–          The domain name registrar overseeing the registration

The au Domain Administration has also developed a policy that governs the balance between a registrant’s right to privacy, a well-functioning marketplace, and the interests of law enforcement agencies on behalf of the wider community. Most notably, guidelines stipulate that registrars should advise registrants about their details being displayed online, while registrants must provide their consent to release such information. The onus is also on registrants to maintain accurate details, which is argued to be in their own best interests as well as those of the industry.

To safeguard against fraud and malicious practices, the auDA does not require a physical address to be provided as part of the published contact details. Similarly, creation or expiry dates are not listed within the search engine, for fear that those with sinister intentions could use the data to solicit or scam registrants. Lastly, users who wish to use the WHOIS search service are also limited by the number of searches they may make within a certain period, while a manual process also goes some way to deter and prevent unscrupulous activities by those seeking to make commercial gains.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

In this context, cybersquatting involves the registration of a domain by someone when they are ineligible to do so. More specifically, it is the “deliberate and abusive” registration of a domain name related to “marketable and trademark” terms. The registrant often uses the domain in bad faith and attempts to profit from this practice by: licensing or selling the domain to the trademark holder (usually, with a ridiculous mark-up); using  the incumbent’s name to promote their own business and compete against them; or by generating click-through revenue that has come from misdirected traffic.

Over the years, an abundance of cases have been brought to the attention of relevant authorities, both locally and abroad. From a global perspective, ICANN developed and administer the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP). Locally however, the .au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) governs proceedings.

Where companies or business owners feel that their trademark rights have been infringed by the use of another party that is not connected to the business, they should first initiate contact with the other party and clarify their respective position and legal coverage. As some cases may be attributed to a genuine mistake or lack of knowledge, this will assist in understanding the context of the registration. More commonly, the registrant may make it clear that they are unwilling to cooperate, or try to sell the domain to the party with trademark rights for an exorbitant sum.

In this case, the trademark holder may initiate proceedings per the auDRP guidelines. This approach will require the applicant of the dispute to pay for the exercise, where costs are dependent upon the number of arbitrators appointed to oversee the case. It’s also worth pointing out that cybersquatting is not restricted to names that specifically match that of the trademark holder. In fact, they may also relate to similar names, or those with a misspelling, as defined by the au Domain Administration – something we covered in one of our previous articles.

The lessons from this topic apply to both sides of the spectrum – on the one hand, if you’re a buyer, make sure you check that you’re not infringing on the rights of any other parties when you register a domain name. As a trademark holder, not only does it pay to lock away your domain name as soon as possible so you don’t have to incur expenses to acquire it, but you should regularly monitor the web to ensure your trademarks or intellectual property are not being used without your knowledge.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

First of all, let us consider domain name resellers. Resellers act as an intermediary between registrants and registrars. They will typically acquire domains to offer them to prospective registrants. They are tasked with overseeing the transaction, and maintaining all the necessary details and documentation. Furthermore, they are the conduit between a registrant and registrar, working with both to address any issues that are brought to their attention by either party. It is not uncommon for resellers to also function as registrars, as the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Overseeing their integrity and efficacy, resellers are bound by consumer legislation as well as guidelines established by the auDA in the “au Domain Name Suppliers Code of Practice”. While extensive in length, the policy covers areas including: general conduct, methods of communicating with registrants, services offered (particularly, bundles), advertising principles and guidelines, disclosure obligations, the process and rules in dealing with complaints, and protection afforded to consumers.

Whereas resellers do not require accreditation or authorization from the au Domain Administration, registrars require such approval. As part of their role within the industry, registrars manage the registration component of the domain. For example, if one decides to renew or terminate the tenure of their domain, the registrar is responsible for executing this task. Also, not only do they oversee the registration of domains or any changes, but they are sometimes tasked with the responsibility to push domains into a hold or delete status subject to a dispute resolution outcome.

While it might appear simple enough for any reseller to also operate as a registrar, they must contend with arduous requirements that are designed to preserve the veracity of the industry. Not only do registrars need to invest a significant sum of money to clear initial hurdles, they must continually renew their licensing rights. And if you thought that was it, it isn’t. Registrars must also be able to demonstrate competency in others areas, particularly their ability to comply with policies and regulations, while also operating a robust web platform.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

While the policy’s intent has been met with favour from large businesses who already own their primary domain name, many smaller businesses and individuals are often left surprised when the auDA questions their entitlement to the misspelt name. In most cases, said domains are revoked on the basis that a party has no ‘legitimate’ right(s) to use the name.

However, as a registrant, it’s important one familiarises themselves with the respective proceedings surrounding a prohibited misspelling. First and foremost, always check the most recent list of prohibited misspellings published on the auDA’s policy page (link above). The list is populated by domains which are spelled incorrectly, including:

a) the singular version of a plural name, or the plural version of a singular name (eg. woolworth.com.au, safeways.com.au);

b) a name with missing letters (eg. yhoo.com.au);

c) a name with additional letters (eg. quantas.com.au);

d) a name with transposed letters (eg. goolge.com.au, wetspac.com.au);

e) a name with letters replaced by numbers, or numbers replaced by letters (eg. 9msn.com.au);

f) a hyphenated version of a name (eg. e-bay.com.au, micro-soft.com.au);

g) a name prefixed by “www” (eg. wwwseek.com.au); or

h) any other name that auDA determines is a deliberate misspelling, having regard to the surrounding circumstances.

However, said prohibitions are applicable where the domain misspells an entity, brand or personal name, and the registrant has done so to trade upon the reputation of the other party. Therefore, the auDA make provision for the specific context of the domain name, including similarly named parties.

Following routine audits by the auDA, the governing body may ask the relevant registrar to delete the domain name after 14 days of being held in suspense. During said time, the onus will be placed on the registrant to prove their right(s) to maintain the misspelled domain name, which if successful, will result in the name being reinstated and removed from the misspelling list. However, it should be made clear that this does not absolve DRP or trade mark rights.

Similarly, if another party believes a name should be deemed a prohibited misspelling, or the registrant believes the name should not be on the misspelling list to begin with, they may make a complaint to the auDA. In both cases, again, the onus will be on the registrant to prove their cause within the specific timelines as requested by the auDA.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

What many business registrants fail to recognise, is that their domain name is often part of the brand they are operating. That is, customers know and associate a particular domain with the company, even if the two are not necessarily aligned. In essence, you will have a portion of your web traffic that comes from direct ‘type-in’ entries, which you may compromise by failing to clarify any changes.

When one does decide to change their domain, they should always let their target audience know about the change beforehand. This can be done via announcements or banners on the website’s home page, or through mailing list correspondence. One could also retain the former domain for a limited period to advise of the changes and redirect traffic accordingly, however, you don’t want to be relying on this method too long if you are pursuing a change in branding and looking to keep costs down. Having said that, if the domain could become valuable property to competitors, you may want to maintain its registration.

One way to circumvent a change in web address is through a “301 redirect”, which redirects web traffic from your old name to your new domain. This strategy relies on a little bit of tech know-how. Basically, commands are installed on the old domain to notify web traffic about the change in domain, before then transferring them automatically. Depending on the complexity of the website in question, the migration can vary in difficulty.

The other aspect to consider, is the tangible performance that your former domain was achieving. If you’re switching to a name with a higher domain authority score, increased web traffic, or improved search ranking, then your worries will be minimal. On the other hand, if you’re transitioning to a newer domain or one that lags current performance, you’ll want to map out how you’re going to bring this up to the same standard pretty quickly, or your business performance could deteriorate.

Something else that should not be taken for granted are the links pointing towards your website. Not only does this include internal links which you may need to update, but also those from other sites. Unless you’re prepared to keep the old domain active, these links will effectively become useless. In such circumstances, you’ll need to ask external parties to update their links to reflect your website’s new domain, which can often amount to nothing short of an arduous task.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

Portfolio Management

Like with any investment, domainers often consider spreading their risk across a diverse range of holdings. In this particular context, that means several domain names. While some consider a portfolio comprising exclusively of short domains (which are generally valued dearer) as desirable, the reality is, some domainers find value in also holding keyword oriented domains (e.g. geographic locations combined with services) and international domains to ‘balance’ their portfolio.

With that said, some domainers try to capture lots of  domain names rather than focusing on acquiring good ones which retain their value. Although smaller, cheaper purchases tend to assist domainers with their initial cashflow position, there is a risk that these domains are not favoured by others. In these instances, domainers are forced to either, write off the domain, or pay ongoing registration fees which add up across an entire portfolio.

Cash Flow

As we detailed in our last educational article, flipping domains within a short timeframe (for a profit) is not as easy as it once was. Domainers often sit on a particular domain for a lengthy period of time before selling their name. In the meantime, some elect to monetise their domains by parking them and displaying advertisements.

However, relying exclusively on domains to generate sufficient working capital is easier said than done – this sort of success is usually reserved for domainers who hold a high quality and large portfolio. Making a living from domain name investing is certainly the exception rather than the norm, and even then, many domainers only use the capital they can afford to tie up, or in a worst-case scenario, lose.

Know Who You’re Selling To

While high quality domains are more likely to sell themselves, for most domain investments domainers try to identify who they will sell their domain to – that is, another investor, or an end user.

In the case of an end user, domainers often try to foresee how the domain (including any keywords) might contribute towards the end user’s business, and what impact (if any) there might be if they are unable to attain this – for instance, a competitor gaining an advantage, or lost web traffic.

Another aspect considered by domainers is the likelihood of any preference a buyer may have towards a particular TLD. A business owner who is second to market might be open to acquiring a .net.au domain, however, a domainer may be privy to the lower liquidity level often associated with the .net.au TLD. Domainers who understand future trends and their potential customers often positions them well at the negotiating table.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for our next educational article. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au

This information on this website is for general information purposes only. It is not intended as financial or investment advice and should not be construed or relied on as such. Before making any commitment of a financial nature you should seek advice from a qualified and registered financial or investment adviser. No material contained within this website should be construed or relied upon as providing recommendations in relation to any financial product.

It should come as no surprise that few people, if any, visit www.google.net.au or www.facebook.net.au. After all, .net.au domains are often perceived as playing second fiddle to .com.au in Australia. Not only are web users less receptive towards them, people are typically less likely to remember or click on them. Whereas a good .com.au domain exudes authority and credibility to prospective customers, a .net.au domain suggests the website is unlikely to be the leader in their field, and may be a late entrant.

More importantly, if you use a .net.au domain to run your website, you are likely to leak traffic and potential customers. The extent depends on your industry and how you use your website, however, such a choice will have a significant impact on any offline marketing that you do – whether it be word-of-mouth, print, or radio. Tell 100 Australians to go to www.yoursite.net.au and 15-20 of them will go to www.yoursite.com.au. That’s 15-20% of potential customers not finding you but even worse, they may be going to a competitor instead!

Then there’s email – how many emails are you likely to miss because people make the mistake of typing .com.au out of habit? It’s unlikely you’d ever know the number but you can bet it happens – a lot!

Running a site exclusively with a .net.au domain can cost you opportunities year in, year out. Of course, having strong keywords in the title, or optimising your SEO, can mitigate these losses. However, even then, it’s like owning a great shopfront but you’ve leased a property out the back of Bourke! Therefore, should you have a personal preference for .net.au, run with that by all means – but at the very least, make sure you also acquire the .com.au equivalent and point it at your existing website.

The same can also be said for .com domains, particularly if you are operating a site that is targeting audiences outside of Australia. By capturing the major TLD variants, this will help you establish a unique and unified brand. Users searching for your website via Google, or looking for your presence on social media, are less likely to be confused, and more likely to remember you.

In terms of less common TLDs, these are typically restricted to niche users, including: .org.au for non-commercial businesses, associations, unions, and sporting clubs; .gov.au for government bodies; and .edu.au for educational providers. Meanwhile, localised domains, such as .melbourne or .sydney, have had little traction in gaining popularity thus far, and have their own difficulties because most users are unfamiliar with them.

Given the ease of redirecting multiple names or TLDs to the one site, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t seek to protect your brand. And in today’s day and age, where premium names are becoming increasingly scarce, you have every reason to do so.

That’s it for this occasion, stay tuned for the next of our educational articles, where we’ll cover the importance of domain pointing.

Best wishes,
The Netfleet Team

http://www.netfleet.com.au