Australian Geographic Names Ballot - Frequently Asked
Questions
What is a "geographic name"?
Under auDA policy a "geographic name" is
defined as any location with an Australian postcode,
as listed on the Australia Post postcode database.
What names will be included in the ballot
process?
All names on the Australia Post postcode database
as of 19 May 2005 will be included in the ballot process,
with the following exceptions: airport names; hospital
names; university names; defence force names; government
names; postal names or names with Australia Post designators
(eg. BC, MC, PO); names that have already been registered
as com.au or net.au domain names.
How many geographic names will be included
in the ballot process?
Approximately 20,500 geographic names will be included
in the ballot process.
Who is eligible to enter the ballot for a
geographic domain name?
In order to lodge a ballot application, applicants
must satisfy the normal com.au and net.au eligibility
and allocation criteria in the Domain Name Eligibility
and Allocation Rules for the Open 2LDs (2005-01).
In brief, this means that:
· applicants must be registered to trade in
Australia (eg. company with ACN, business name owner
with RBN, trade mark owner with TM number, sole trader
with ABN); and
· the geographic name must be an exact match,
abbreviation or acronym of the applicant's name, or
the applicant must have a "close and substantial
connection" with the geographic name.
All applicants should confirm that they satisfy the
eligibility and allocation criteria in the Domain
Name Eligibility and Allocation Rules for the Open
2LDs (2005-01) before lodging a ballot application.
How do I lodge a ballot application?
To fill in an Expression
of Interest Form please click here
When can I lodge a ballot application?
Ballot applications must be lodged with a Participating
Registrar (www.intaserve.com) by 31 July 2005. No
further Ballot Applications will be accepted after
this time.
How much does it cost to lodge a ballot application?
There is no fee for lodging a ballot application.
Can I lodge ballot applications for more
than one domain name?
Yes, provided that you satisfy the eligibility criteria
for each separate domain name.
Can I lodge more than one ballot application
for the same domain name?
No. After the ballot application period has closed,
all eligible ballot applications will be submitted
to the registry and checked for duplication. There
are three types of duplication:
· if the same applicant lodges more than one
application for the same domain name using the same
eligibility criteria - for example, if John Smithfield
lodges two applications for smithfield.com.au using
his registered business name "Smithfield Plumbing"
and RBN; or
· if the same applicant lodges more than one
application for the same domain name using different
eligibility criteria - for example, if John Smithfield
lodges one application for smithfield.com.au using
his registered business name "Smithfield Plumbing"
and RBN, and another application for smithfield.com.au
using his own name and ABN; or
· if more than one applicant lodges an application
for the same domain name using the same eligibility
criteria - for example, if business partners John
and Jane Smithfield each lodge an application for
smithfield.com.au using their registered business
name "Smithfield Plumbing" and RBN.
In all cases of duplication, the relevant ballot applications
will be removed and the applicant/s will be entirely
excluded from the ballot for that geographic domain
name.
When will the ballots take place?
It is intended that "first round" ballots
will take place between 7 August 2005 and 21 August
2005. auDA may amend these dates from time to time.
If you would like to participate in the ballots you
should regularly confirm the ballot times and keep
up to date with any changes by visiting auDA's website.
How will I be notified of the ballot result?
Your Participating Registrar (www.intaserve.com) will
notify you of the ballot result. If you think that
your ballot has taken place but you haven't been notified
of the result, you should contact your Participating
Registrar.
If I win the ballot, what do I have to do
next?
If you are a ballot winner you must pay the Release
Fee ($825 inc GST) and proceed to register your domain
name within the 30 day Release Period. Registration
will be subject to the domain name licence terms and
conditions offered by the Participating Registrar
(www.intaserve.com) and any applicable registration
fees. If you have any questions or require assistance
with registration, you should contact your Participating
Registrar.
Can I register the domain name with any registrar?
For technical reasons, you must register the domain
name through the same Participating Registrar www.intaserve.com
that you lodged your ballot application with. You
may choose to transfer to another auDA Accredited
Registrar after your domain name has been registered.
How much does it cost to register the domain
name?
You must pay the Release Fee ($825 inc GST) AND any
domain name registration fee charged by your Participating
Registrar www.intaserve.com. For more information
on applicable fees, you should contact your Participating
Registrar.
How long is my domain name registered for?
Your domain name will be registered for a 2 year licence
period, the same as other com.au and net.au domain
names.
When I renew my domain name, will I have
to pay another Release Fee?
No. The Release Fee is a one-off fee. When you renew
your domain name you will just need to pay the renewal
fee charged by your registrar.
What happens if I don't pay the Release Fee
and/or don't register the domain name within the Release
Period?
If you are a "first round" ballot winner
and you fail to pay the Release Fee and register your
domain name within the Release Period, the name will
be returned to the ballot process for a second round.
You will not be eligible to participate in the second
round.
If you are a "second round" ballot winner
and you fail to pay the Release Fee and register your
domain name within the Release Period, the name will
be withdrawn from the ballot process and released
by auDA at a later date.
Can I appeal against a ballot result?
Each ballot result is final and no correspondence
will be entered into.
Will auDA publish the ballot results?
No.
What happens to domain names that are not
allocated by ballot?
Domain names that are not allocated by ballot will
be released by auDA at a later date. auDA's intention
is that the names will be available for registration
on a first come, first served basis in the same way
as other domain names.
Will auDA publish the list of domain names
that are not allocated by ballot?
No.
Can I register a pre-existing interest or
right in a geographic domain name?
No. auDA policy does not recognise pre-existing interests
or rights in domain names.
Having a company/business name or trade mark that
is also a geographic name does not give you an automatic
right to register, or to stop someone else from registering,
that geographic name in com.au or net.au. For example,
just because your company name is Williamstown Pty
Ltd does not give you an automatic right to register
"williamstown.com.au" or to stop someone
else from registering "williamstown.com.au".
Having a geographic name registered in one domain
space does not give you an automatic right to register,
or to stop someone else from registering, the same
geographic name in com.au or net.au. For example,
just because you have registered "northcote.com"
does not give you an automatic right to register "northcote.com.au"
or to stop someone else from registering "northcote.com.au".
The .au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) provides
an alternative to litigation for the resolution of
disputes between the registrant of a .au domain name
and a party with competing rights in the domain name.
For more information click here.
Can I offer my domain name for sale after
I register it?
No. Because a domain name is not a property asset,
you cannot purport to sell your domain name to another
party. See auDA's Clarification of Domain Name Licence
- Prohibition on Sale of Domain Name by Registrant
(2002-24).
There are limited circumstances under which you may
transfer your domain name licence to another party.
See auDA's Transfers (Change of Registrant) Policy
(2004-03).
What is the difference between com.au and
net.au? Do I have to register the same geographic
name in both com.au and net.au?
The .au domain space is divided into different second
level domains (2LDs) with different purposes. The
com.au and net.au 2LDs are for commercial purposes
and the same eligibility rules apply to both.
All domain names work on the Internet in the same
way, so there is no technical difference between registering
a com.au or net.au domain name. Choosing whether to
register a name in com.au or net.au (or both) is a
business decision. If you have any questions or require
advice about domain names appropriate to your business,
you should contact your Participating Registrar.
Why did auDA decide to lift the restriction
on geographic names in com.au and net.au?
In July 2004 auDA conducted a public review of the
restriction on geographic names in com.au and net.au.
Following the review, at its August 2004 meeting the
auDA Board decided that geographic domain names are
useful and desirable for Australian businesses and
that the restriction on using geographic names as
domain names in com.au and net.au should be lifted.
Why have some geographic names already been
registered in com.au and net.au? Will these names
be included in the ballot process?
Some geographic names were registered as com.au and
net.au domain names before the restriction was introduced
in 1997-98, or before the name became a geographic
name (eg. new suburb names). These domain names will
not be included in the ballot process.
How will auDA use the proceeds of the Release
Fee?
Ballot proceeds will be used by auDA to support the
implementation of the new community geographic name
space.
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