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Update on direct registration

Drop.com.au

Top Contributor
I just wanted to give you a quick update with the latest news from auDA after their monthly briefing.

Timeline, we are about 2 months into a the 6 month rollout before go-live 24 Mar 2022.
1) The public Priority Allocation Tool is still not live yet, it is however due next week.
2) After go live new registrations without any matching domains will become available immediately.
3) Registrations with only a single matching domain will become available immediately.
4) Domains with multiple possible matches will go into the pending registration state to wait for the ownership to be resolved. Once resolved the domain will be allocated on a scheduled job the following day.
5) Category 1 applications need to be made between 24 Mar 2022 and 20 Sept 2022 then they will all expire on 20 Sept 2023.
a) This gives applications 1 year to resolve the contention between them.
b) On 20 Sept 2023 the applications will be automatically renewed for another year.
c) Registrars are going to need applications to withdraw their applications hopefully at least 30 days prior to 20 Sept 2023
d) Normal rules apply for underlying domains, so if an underlying domain breaches policy and is deleted or expires then the rights to the .au are lost.
6) Transfers (Change of Registrant) during the application period ie (24 Mar 2022 - 20 Sept 2022)
a) After you make an application you will not be able to update or change your registrant details for the underlying domain and you cannot transfer the license to another Person during the application period.
7) Transfers (of Registrar) will continue like normal but the priority tokens will be made available to the gaining registrars within a week of transfer so there could be small delays there.
8) Transfers (Change of Registrant) after the application period (so 20 Sept 2022 and beyond)
a) Registrant Transfers for Category 1 names will be allowed
b) The .au registrant information will be update for the .au direct application,

Let me know if you have any questions around Direct registration and how it will affects you next year.

Also a few more general comments about common misconceptions around the introduction of .au and the "lack of demand".
1) When comparing .com.au/.au and .co.uk/.uk it it important to remember that .com.au domains are strictly reserved for the companies in Australia, .co.uk was not limited in that way. There are only approx 2.4 million actively trading businesses in the Australian economy. By comparison there are 16.64 million people aged 18 - 64 in Australia (64.8% of 25.69 million) who are eligible for .au domains.
2) When comparing the size of .com.au to the size of the .com zone it is important to remember that we are limited by the size of the English language in Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dictionaries_by_number_of_words
The reality is that we only have 155,000 words in the English dictionary and even if you count wiktionary it is only around 500,000 by comparison if you added together the words from other languages you get into the tens of millions. This makes the .com zone file seem quite small by comparison as it seems that many language combinations have not even been considered yet in the .com zone. It reminds me of the fact that a giraffes neck is actually really short if you think about it, I think they might be the only herbivore (apart from the Okapi) that cannot drink water or graze grass with straight legs.

In my opinion there are lots of opportunities relating to Music, Art, Protest/Statements, Personal Vanity domains which cannot currently be realised in the .com.au zone and offer an interesting opportunities for those looking past the trees and thinking about the giraffes.

Anthony
 
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Bacon Farmer

Top Contributor
Thanks for keeping us up to date. It's much appreciated.

I'd point out that people by and large don't need websites or domains but businesses do and they are the main stakeholders here and around the world. The concept of peak demand for domains is a concept that the supply side needs to come to grips with... perhaps they have thus the drive for direct registrations.

I'd also point out that there were lots of opportunities that the Kiwis and Poms didn't take up when they got access to .uk and .nz because there was no demand.
 

trellian

Top Contributor
Hi BF,

since .co.uk were not restricted to companies like .com.au I suppose it would be hard to compare the results. In AU this need has to date gone to other domain extensions such as .com .xyz etc... as no one really wanted .id.au or asn.au so will be interesting to see the take up of .au now that users like this do not need to look at other extensions.
 

Bacon Farmer

Top Contributor
Do you know if the Priority Allocation Tool will identify the earliest creation dates for Category 2 (ie the winnner)?
 

Drop.com.au

Top Contributor
Do you know if the Priority Allocation Tool will identify the earliest creation dates for Category 2 (ie the winnner)?
Yes the domains will be listed in create order so you will tell if you are first in line.
Also inside drop.com.au's personalised list for your domains the Category 2 is listed in order and you can now see your domain in the correct order, so once again you can tell if you are the Category 2 winner.
 

David Goldstein

Top Contributor
Thanks for keeping us up to date. It's much appreciated.

I'd point out that people by and large don't need websites or domains but businesses do and they are the main stakeholders here and around the world. The concept of peak demand for domains is a concept that the supply side needs to come to grips with... perhaps they have thus the drive for direct registrations.

I'd also point out that there were lots of opportunities that the Kiwis and Poms didn't take up when they got access to .uk and .nz because there was no demand.
So why are you making an issue out of "people" not needing domain names? It's a rather stupid comment because they do register them and should have as much right to them as anyone else. Instead .au has ludicrous rules that have effectively prevented individuals from registering domain names, rules I have opposed for years. The CEO of Afnic told me when they liberalised eligibility years ago, individuals quickly made up close to half of all registrations. Social media probably means .au will never see that possibility. And yes, as was noted, individuals went to other TLDs ,.co and .me, as well as .com, probably being the main beneficiaries.
 

Bacon Farmer

Top Contributor
Can anyone FindTim to take this one? Tim... TIM... TIIIIMMMMM!!!!!

Most people don't need a domain name. That's an easy statement to defend.

However, the reason for saying so in the context above, is to negate the claim in support of arguments for direct registrations.

You seem to have suffered amnesia in regard to .id.au domains. Their extremely low take up gives overwhelming evidence to support my "stupid" comment.

Perhaps you'd care to name a few reasons why an every day bloke or sheila, would require one. Please make it germane for the .au environment.
 

David Goldstein

Top Contributor
Can anyone FindTim to take this one? Tim... TIM... TIIIIMMMMM!!!!!

Most people don't need a domain name. That's an easy statement to defend.

However, the reason for saying so in the context above, is to negate the claim in support of arguments for direct registrations.

You seem to have suffered amnesia in regard to .id.au domains. Their extremely low take up gives overwhelming evidence to support my "stupid" comment.

Perhaps you'd care to name a few reasons why an every day bloke or sheila, would require one. Please make it germane for the .au environment.
Obviously individuals do want domain names. Evidence around the world suggests so. Nobody wanted to register in .id.au. That was obvious. It was nothing to do with individuals. Why do you think Australians have one of the highest registrations in .me and .co? Why do other ccTLDs that allow individuals to register domain names have significant numbers doing so? People register domain names for a whole range of reasons - blogs, hobbies, business ideas, personal interests... why should it be "germane for the .au environment"? It's pretty limiting, but it suits your limited argument.
 

Bacon Farmer

Top Contributor
Yes it does suit my argument because the title of this post is "Update on direct registrations" in.... wait for it.... Australia.
 

Bacon Farmer

Top Contributor
Oh, wait for it... the internet is G L O B A L. .au rules weren't developed in a bubble.
Yes the internet is G L O B A L. Nobody was arguing otherwise or even mentioned it wasn't. And the .au rules were developed in a bubble at auDA HQ. The differentiation of .au vs .com.au vis a vis the reduction of eligibility requirements were presented to us without discussion.
 

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