IE Domain Registration Rules about to change?!

IS DOT IE DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION ABOUT TO BE RELAXED?

There are potential changes afoot for the domain registration process in Ireland.

Ireland’s Domain Registry (IEDR) is proposing to liberalise the process for .ie registrations. If it goes ahead, it will remove the ‘claim to the name’ requirement, which is currently applicable for registrants to prove a legitimate claim to the name when applying for a IE domain registration.

Applicants will still however need to prove a connection to Ireland and prove their identity, so not all the administration has been removed.

This is a positive move, although it has been met with a mixed reception.

Benefits to the Change

The changes have been proposed to remove unnecessary bureaucracy from the process. In turn, this should make it easier and quicker to register a .ie domain name in the future.

Ireland’s domain registry believe that this move will help many business’ grow. This includes start-up’s which may not be in a position to prove their ‘claim’ to a brand prior to its launch.

In their manifesto, IEDR say: “We believe that now is the right time to remove the claim, so that those with real Irish connections can get any available dot ie domain they want, without delay. We want to grow dot ie, especially with Irish Small Office/Home Office/Micro businesses.”

The process has been proven to work in other markets already, including .co.uk which has an unrestricted policy.

Industry Concern?

On the flip side of the argument, there is concern that registrations may now go ‘unvetted’. However, all applicants will still have to present IE documentation requirements as already mentioned, to guarantee some level of legitimacy.

There are also valid concerns that this may open up opportunity for abuse, where registered domains can be phished and trademark’s infringed upon. But, this is not a new issue, and there is already an IE Dispute Resolution Policy in place to manage such claims.

When will the Changes Happen?

The proposal is currently at consultation stage, with a view to implementing any changes in early 2018, if it goes ahead.

The governing body agrees to undertake a ‘ten stage process’ to consider all the factors in great detail, which involves a public consultation. However, the multi-stakeholder Policy Advisor Committee and the IEDR Board of Directors have already given approval in principle for the change, so it seems likely that it will go ahead.

In Summary….

There will always be concern around changing of established policies, but overall we see this as a positive move in the right direction.

Currently, it takes longer to register and buy Irish domains, and it can be more costly than choosing a .com name due to the process and vetting involved.

By removing some of this red tape, it opens up the doors for companies and individuals to support Irish domains and proudly show off their Irish identity online, and that is no bad thing!

For more information on the consultation process, please visit: www.iedr.ie/public-consultation

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