After a domain name is shut down or rejected, many people struggle to understand what caused the problem. There are thousands of names that can easily be registered as domain names, but not every name or idea you come across can be registered for free instantly. There are rules and regulations regarding what domains can be registered, and what they can be used for after registration.
There are endless choices as to what can be registered as a domain name. However, there are several restrictions as well. Without these regulations, it would be impossible to have fair competition and ensure ethical practice in the industry. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, also known as ICAAN, is responsible for creating and enforcing the regulations necessary to keep the industry ethical worldwide.
ICAAN accredits trustworthy internet domain name registration services for several reasons. It is important for a domain name registration service to be accredited because without an ICAAN accreditation, the company will have trouble finding customers. To get the ICAAN’s approval, a company must adhere to the rules and regulations surrounding domain name registration.
One of the reasons for ICAAN to review these companies is to ensure their ability to hold registration services accountable if they do act in unlawful or unethical ways. These accreditations also protect the consumer from being taken advantage of by dishonest or unprofessional registration services. This ensures consistency between the many registration services and what domains they will allow their customers to register.
People hoping to purchase a domain are strongly encouraged to use a company from the list of ICAAN’s accredited domain registration companies. By doing this, the customer can be confident that the domain they registered is actually theirs and avoid any companies that only claim to register domain names, only to wait for payment and not actually register the domain. ICAAN frequently reviews companies already on its accredited list to ensure their compliance. If a company is discovered to have broken their agreement and is not acting ethically, ICAAN will retract its accreditation and update their list.
There are several reasons that a domain name registration would be cancelled, sometimes long after the registrant originally acquired the domain. It is crucial to know these limitations to avoid this happening to a domain that you own.
One of the most common reasons is trademark infringement. Registering a domain name that contains previously trademarked words or phrases can lead to the domain being cancelled. The law protects companies from having their copyrights infringed upon in the cyber world. In most cases, the registrant will be allowed to purchase the domain name, but upon the trademark holders complaint it will be shut down. They can even take you to court and you may get fined. It is very important to check the copyrights on any domain you are thinking of purchasing to avoid these consequences.
Another reason for cancellation is using a domain name for unlawful or unethical purposes. An internet domain must satisfy a valid purpose, such as selling a legitimate product. Having a domain name that is being used for an illegitimate purpose can lead to the domain being cancelled. Domains created simply to undercut rival companies or distribute pirated material are often shut down for this reason.
After registering a domain name, it is extremely important to remember to renew. It is impossible to buy a domain name and own it indefinitely. All domain names expire within 10 years. Many domain registrations expire much sooner than that. If it is not re-registered at the end of the period it will be cancelled. When registering a domain name, one selects the length of period they would like to pay for. Most all domain registrars will accept credit cards for your initial purchase as well as subsequent renewal purchases. If it is not renewed, it will go back on the market and can be bought up by another party, so it is very important to keep track of your domains and renew them as they expire. The longer the period you select when purchasing a domain name, the longer you have between renewals so it is very beneficial to choose a period of 5 or more years to simplify the task of keeping up with your domains.
Lying during the application process can lead to cancellation of your domain. Any information required by the domain registration company, such as full name, address and telephone number of applicant must be accurate. It is important to keep this personal information up to date with the domain registry so they can contact you if needed. If it is discovered that this information is incorrect even after the domain has been bought, it is likely to lead to a cancellation.
Discovery that the registrant is engaging in namejacking will lead to a cancellation. Domain names cannot simply be another person’s name, used without their authorization, created with the intention of garnering traffic off the fame or success of that person. This is known as “namejacking,” and if, after investigation, it is discovered that a domain was created to do this it will be shut down. This mostly pertains to domains named after celebrities without their consent.
There are also reasons that a company would reject a domain name during the registration process. Certain domains are reserved for websites created by the government (such as websites ending in .gov). These are known as restricted domain names, and can only be used if the registrar fulfils certain criteria.
Invalid credit card processing information is a simple but common reason that a domain name cannot be registered. If the company cannot collect their fees for registration of a domain name, they will not allow the domain to be sold.
Use of certain characters may also disqualify a domain name, such as the dollar sign, trying to register a domain name using only numbers, or beginning a domain name with a hyphen.
There are caps on the length a domain name can be. The most characters a domain name can have is sixty three. Any attempts to register a domain name that exceeds that limit will lead to the application being rejected.
About the author:
Marc McDermott is the Online Marketing Manager at Merchant Express, a full-service merchant services provider that has helped thousands of businesses with their credit card processing needs since 1998. Connect with Marc on twitter @merchantmarc.