If you’re reading this its likely that you already have a domain name. Notice that I didn’t say “own” a domain name – because you don’t. You apply for and have the right to use the name while you (a) have a close and substantial association between your business entity and the name you’re registering or renewing, (b) pay the renewal fee and (c) are still using it. You can relinquish a domain name at any time. You can also transfer it to another person or entity . It can only be seized from you in exceptional circumstances – for instance if you’ve encroached on someone else’s intellectual property or registered trade mark.

We register and manage domain names on behalf of clients. To all intents and purposes, you own the right to that domain name because its your name on the certificate. The Pagesmith may manage it, but its yours.

Some developers – usually those offering cheap deals – will offer to register your domain name but you’ll find that they may use their registration credentials to secure your domain. That’s naughty, and there’s not a lot you can do about it because you’ve probably wanted to forge ahead and get the domain at all costs. Pay peanuts – you get monkeys!

When we register a domain name for you we take care of the administration e-mails that come through and we also protect you from unwanted poachers who may expect you to “transfer” the domain to them. We provide a specific e-mail address associated with the domain so that we can monitor and filter the responses.

Some “poaching” prompts may get through to you and these will usually offer domain renewals at inflated prices. You may also receive fabulous offers to acquire a domain similar to yours – for instance a .com or a .net.au when you already have a .com.au domain. Generally these notices will arrive by mail because these promoters won’t send an e-mail to us. They’ll look like a genuine invoice but in reality (and if you read the content carefully) you’ll notice that they are an “offer” to register or renew with them. This makes it legal – but confusing to the uninitiated. Any odd and erroneous snail-mail offers we receive in our PO box are discarded.

The domain registration authority in Australia is AuDA (the Australian Domain Administrator) and it is to this body that our registry is responsible. We deal with one registry only – NetRegistry – because they have the credentials and track record for service. We operate a reseller account with them and have several hundred domains registered for clients.

Domain names in Australia (.com.au) are registrable for two years at a time. There is no one-year or five-year option. To apply for and be granted a domain in the Australian domain space you must provide an ABN (Australian Business Number) or an ACN (Australian Company Number) and be able to substantiate your eligibility for wanting the name. If you are applying on behalf of an association, you have to supply the appropriate registration details. As you can see, the domain regulations in this country are closely regulated and, as a consequence, we have only a handful of domain “cowboys”. This is not often the case in the .com (known as a top-level domain).

Can you have too many domains?  Yes. There is little point in registering more than one or two domains per “project”. The success or otherwise of the website attached to the domain will rely on appropriate construction (the code) and the information on the site (written by you). The name itself is important, but content is “king”.

In the top-level domain space its possible to easily sell a domain name. This is not necessarily the case in Australia. The original owner may offer the site for sale – and the sale can proceed providing the new owner has the appropriate credentials. The sting in the tail here is that there is a fee levied by AuDA of $200 per domain for transfer of ownership. Refer to www.auda.org.au for other requirements.

So, why do we charge $99 per two years for a domain name? Because we not only acquire it but we also manage it, ensure that it is renewed on its two-year anniversary and protect you from cowboys. All that for less than 14c a day.

Copyright 2009 © David W James

Further reading:

http://www.bitlaw.com/internet/domain.html

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/DomainNameRenewalScams#h2_10