The auDA Board, formed as the industry self-regulatory body for the .au namespace, says it will overhaul its licensing system to make it easier for Australians to register domain names.
"The new policy rules will also provide a greater degree of consistency and predictability in the allocation of .au domain names," auDA CEO Chris Disspain said.
auDA develops policy using a panel made up of 30 representatives from a range of industry organisations and regulators.
The Board accepted the following recommendations from the panel:
- There will be no limit on the number of domain names per entity
- A renewal period for all domain names
- Inclusion of trade marks as eligibility criteria for a domain name
- A close and substantial connection between a domain name and its licensee
- Creation of a 'reserved list' for domain names that may not be licensed
The Board agreed that the prohibition on generic domain names in the com.au space should be removed, however, a suitable method of delivery is still being worked on.
Changes to domain name policy will not come into play until the second half of this year, in conjunction with the introduction of competition in the domain name services market.
Currently, the auDA has in place a panel to deal with competition with regards to the provision of domain names in the .au space.
