Hostess rejecting generic names based on 'close & substantial' connection policy.

[AndyC]

Hi,

I have had a rejection from Hostess for a domain purchase based on 'close & substantial connection' policy.

The domain is a generic dictionary word and would be nigh impossible to trademark as a text word.

Just wondering:
- can they reject an application for generic / dictionary words!?
- if names can be registered for monetisation then surely close & substantial is not really that close & substantial?
- have others had similar issues with Hostess or other re-sellers / registrars? Which registrars are best to avoid these sort of issues?

Thanks!

Notes:

Hostess order page includes the following with a checkbox which must be checked:

I certify that the domain has a close & substantial connection to the person/business that it is intended to represent.

Rejection email is:

Unfortunately, we have not been able to determine a 'Close & Substantial' connection between the domain name and the registrant's provided details. According to auDA regulations for registration, a domain name must relate in some meaningful way to the registrant. For further information on this criteria, please refer to current auDA policy at this link: http://www.auda.org.au/policies/auda-2005-01/.
Please respond to this email outlining your eligibility for the intended domain name to proceed with this application.

 

[Nova]

Go to a different registrar!

 

[DavidL]

Very strange. Care to share the domain (by PM?). Must be something funny with it...

 

[Lorenzo]

That's ridiculous, I don't like much .com.au because of this blurred policy where some get away with it and some don't.

90 % of backordered names then should be deleted if this was the rule.

 

[FirstPageResults]

I'm suprised Hostess of all registrars would do that.. maybe auDA is getting on their case

 

[Lucas]

Was it a net.au / .com.au domain? Not .id.au?

 

[DomainNames]

auda policy needs changing. We need a free and open internet for registration and selling like they have in most other countries. If they can have freedom for .com, .co.uk .. etc why not .com.au?

Cancel the No sell within 6 month rule and cancel the need for abn, acn's etc!

Auda needs to change or they will keep Australia behind the rest of the world

 

[ant]

auda policy needs changing. We need a free and open internet for registration and selling like they have in most other countries. If they can have freedom for .com, .co.uk .. etc why not .com.au?

Cancel the No sell within 6 month rule and cancel the need for abn, acn's etc!

Auda needs to change or they will keep Australia behind the rest of the world

When I arrived in Australia the only thing more impressive than a duck-billed platypus was the .au namespace. I felt that consumers where being protected by having all .com.au and .net.au domains connected to legal entities and their ACN/ABN being part of the whois record. I feel that the .au namespace is actually ahead of the "rest of the world" in this regard.

I agree that the 6 month rule is a bit silly, but the ABN/ACN rules are excellent.

In my opinion the entities who make money using the .com model are the registry and the controlling body (88 million .com domains @ $10 per year), yet auDA expends so much effort protecting the namespace for us and we expend so much energy criticising them. They have the world to gain by removing these restrictions yet they don't, I applaud them for that and will cover my head in ash and observe a year of mourning for the death of a good idea if they do remove them.

 

[Honan]

When I arrived in Australia the only thing more impressive than a duck-billed platypus was the .au namespace. I felt that consumers where being protected by having all .com.au and .net.au domains connected to legal entities and their ACN/ABN being part of the whois record. I feel that the .au namespace is actually ahead of the "rest of the world" in this regard.

I agree that the 6 month rule is a bit silly, but the ABN/ACN rules are excellent.

In my opinion the entities who make money using the .com model are the registry and the controlling body (88 million .com domains @ $10 per year), yet auDA expends so much effort protecting the namespace for us and we expend so much energy criticising them. They have the world to gain by removing these restrictions yet they don't, I applaud them for that and will cover my head in ash and observe a year of mourning for the death of a good idea if they do remove them.

Do you understand the eligibilty conditions for an ABN?
Do you think that ordinary Australian wage and salary earners, students, the disadvantaged and people who do not seek to make a profit from a business undertaking should be allowed to register a .com.au or a .net.au domain name ?
I think all Australians should be able to register or own the licence to .com.au and .net.au names, not just those eligible for an ABN
I can see no advantage to denying the vast majority of Australians the right to hold a licence to a .com.au or .net.au domain name

 

[Timmy]

Do you understand the eligibilty conditions for an ABN?
Do you think that ordinary Australian wage and salary earners, students, the disadvantaged and people who do not seek to make a profit from a business undertaking should be allowed to register a .com.au or a .net.au domain name ?
I think all Australians should be able to register or own the licence to .com.au and .net.au names, not just those eligible for an ABN
I can see no advantage to denying the vast majority of Australians the right to hold a licence to a .com.au or .net.au domain name

Aren't all Australian's eligible for an ABN? At least the 'vast' majority and it's free - just cos you have an ABN doesn't mean you need to trade or even register for GST.

 

[Honan]

Aren't all Australian's eligible for an ABN? At least the 'vast' majority and it's free - just cos you have an ABN doesn't mean you need to trade or even register for GST.

No they are not entitled, not if they tell the truth
An ABN is for people who operate or propose to operate a business
Therefore most Australians are excluded
See
http://help.abr.gov.au/content.asp?doc=/content/16985.htm&usertype=BC

 

[FirstPageResults]

Do you understand the eligibilty conditions for an ABN?
Do you think that ordinary Australian wage and salary earners, students, the disadvantaged and people who do not seek to make a profit from a business undertaking should be allowed to register a .com.au or a .net.au domain name ?
I think all Australians should be able to register or own the licence to .com.au and .net.au names, not just those eligible for an ABN
I can see no advantage to denying the vast majority of Australians the right to hold a licence to a .com.au or .net.au domain name

If id.au didn't exist you're argument would have merit

 

[ant]

If id.au didn't exist you're argument would have merit

There is also .org.au for those "who do not seek to make a profit from a business"

 

[djuqa]

I don't see the reasoning behind NOT wanting to have an ABN or ACN if that is all that is stopping you from buying a Australian Domain Name.

My Wife has her own ABN , and I have 2 ABN's and 1 ACN. Total cost <$600

You all want to make MONEY from your domains/sites but don't wish to do the most important step needed to acquire the domains.

If you don't want to acquire an ABN/ACN/Registered Trademark to satisfy auDA rules than just buy gTLD's

You all posture and claim to be professional DOMAINERS, but without an ABN or ACN you are only hobbyists with names.

 

[Honan]

If id.au didn't exist you're argument would have merit

Do you realize that .id.au is restricted to personal names, either exact match, abbreviation or closely related to the registrants name?

 

[DavidL]

If id.au didn't exist you're argument would have merit

Not really. id.au is very restrictive - can only be your name or a nickname.

Someone who wants to write a blog about birdwatching might prefer to use birdwatching.ext rather than johnsmith.id.au for example. Also a lot of people don't like the look/sound of it - why should they be discriminated against?

There is also .org.au for those "who do not seek to make a profit from a business"

Again org.au doesn't cater for the student who wants to publish his/her paper on the mating habits of the lesser spotted reed warbler. It's only for 'non-profit organisations, associations, clubs and special interest groups' rather than individuals.

It's good there is this discussion as it mirrors part of what's been going on at the Names Panel. These is a discussion paper that will be relaesed shortly where we can all give feedback.

I think everybody agrees there is a section of Australian website owners that are not being catered for...

 

[Honan]

I don't see the reasoning behind NOT wanting to have an ABN or ACN if that is all that is stopping people from buying a Australian Domain Name.

My Wife has her own ABN , and I have 2 ABN's and 1 ACN. Total cost <$600

You all want to make MONEYfrom your domains/sites but don't wish to do the most important step needed to acquire the domains.

If you don't want to acquire an ABN/ACN/Registered Trademark to satisfy auDA rules than just buy gTLD's

You all posture and claim to be professional DOMAINERS, but without an ABN or ACN you are only hobbyists with names.

I do not believe that eligibilty for .com.au and .net.au domain names should be based on intention to make a profit

Yes , many Australians do send their money overseas to buy gTLDs because they are not eligible for an ABN

It appears to me that the intention of the domain name rules is to reserve the .com.au and .net.au space for people and entities doing business in Australia

I disagree with that
I think the .com.au and .net.au space should be for all Australians, not just the business sector

 

[DavidL]

I don't see the reasoning behind NOT wanting to have an ABN or ACN if that is all that is stopping people from buying a Australian Domain Name.

My Wife has her own ABN , and I have 2 ABN's and 1 ACN. Total cost <$600

You all want to make MONEY from your domains/sites but don't wish to do the most important step needed to acquire the domains.

If you don't want to acquire an ABN/ACN/Registered Trademark to satisfy auDA rules than just buy gTLD's

Why should a chess club that meets once a month have to be forced into getting an ABN?

And I disagree with saying you can just go and buy a gTLD. Everytime I see a van drive by with a .biz domain on it or an Aussie website using .com, I am disappointed... .AU should be able to cater for ALL Australians.

You all posture and claim to be professional DOMAINERS, but without an ABN or ACN you are only hobbyists with names.

Get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning did we? I really don't think there's much 'posturing' going on around here and many members are happy to describe themselves as hobbyist domainers - nothing wrong with that.

 

[snoopy]

I don't see the reasoning behind NOT wanting to have an ABN or ACN if that is all that is stopping people from buying a Australian Domain Name.

Paperwork and expense, for those without revenue neither is something people usually "want".

You all posture and claim to be professional DOMAINERS, but without an ABN or ACN you are only hobbyists with names.

Not sure this is accurate, who are the people claiming to be professional domainers that don't have an ABN or ACN?

What people seem to be saying is that the ABN and ACN requirements stifles the market. I think that is true, not sure if it should be changed or not. I think it would increase aftermarket values and encourage speculation if it were though.

 

[FirstPageResults]

I didn't mean to convey that id.au is any good, just that it is there for for non-professionals and hobby sites.

Students generally have allocated subdomains/sub folders on .edu's - that seems sufficent to me, or even publishing their paper on a .id.au is a good fit for that purpose.

Chess club can have .asn.au - I don't see anything wrong with that, it's instantly recognisable as an association or club.