Domains Australia

Australian Domain Names .AU – General Information

A registrant of an Australian domain name (.AU) does not hold proprietary rights to a domain name but a licence to use a domain name for a specified period of time and under certain terms and conditions.

There is no hierarchy of rights in the Domain Name System (DNS). For example, a registered trade mark is not granted any better entitlement to a domain name than a business name or a registered company. Australian domain name licences are assigned on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, provided that all relevant eligibility and allocation requirements are met.

For detailed information regarding Australian domains and Local Presence services offered by Web Solutions, please contact our Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu or via phone on +44 (0) 20 4571 1971.

STRUCTURE OF .AU DOMAIN

The .AU domain is sub-divided into a number of Second Level Domains (2LDs), such as .COM.AU, .EDU.AU, .ID.AU. All .AU domain names are registered as Third Level Domains (3LDs). Registering domain names as 2LDs directly under .AU is not possible.

Each 2LD has a purpose. For example, .COM.AU is for commercial entities, .GOV.AU is for government bodies and .ORG.AU is for non-commercial organisations. The eligibility and allocation rules for those 2LDs are specified according to the purpose of a given domain.

There are two categories of 2LDs:
a) open 2LDs – open to all users, subject to some eligibility requirements; and
b) closed 2LDs – designated for defined community of interest and closed to the general public.

APPLICATION OF POLICY RULES
Australian Domain Authority reserves the right to revoke domain names should any policy rules be breached.

All registrants shall comply with the policy rules in accordance with their domain registration application and subsequent agreement:

• The application is made in good faith and all information necessary to register or renew the domain name is true, correct and complete, and not misleading in any way;
• The registrant meets, and will continue to meet, the eligibility criteria prescribed in the policy issued by the Australian Domain Authority for the duration of the domain name license;
• The Registrar can cancel the domain name registration license if any information provided is found to be untrue, incomplete, incorrect or misleading.
• The registrant accepts privacy policy of the Australian Domain Authority and agrees to the publication of data relating to the registered domain name in WHOIS registry as well as the disclosure of data relating to the registered domain name to third parties as specified in the privacy policy.
• The registrant shall give notice to Web Solutions of any change in the registrant data relating to the domain name throughout the term of the domain name licence. The failure to comply with this requirement may result in cancellation of the domain name licence.
• Australian Domain Authority reserves the right, at its discretion, to cancel the registration of a .AU domain name, or to revoke a licence to use a .AU domain name:
  • if the registrant breaches the Policy issued by the Australian Domain Authority; or
  • in order to comply with a court order, a request of a law enforcement agency, or under any applicable law, government rule or requirement, or under any dispute resolution process.

• The Australian Domain Authority shall not assume any liability to the registrant for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, punitive or exemplary losses or damages of any kind suffered by the registrant in connection with any act or omission whatsoever of the Australian Domain Authority, its employees, agents or contractors.
• The registrant agrees to indemnify and hold the Australian Domain Authority, its employees, agents and contractors harmless from all and any claims or liabilities, arising from the registrant’s registration or use of their .AU domain name.

“OPEN” SECOND LEVEL DOMAINS (2LDS)

ELIGIBILITY AND ALLOCATION RULES FOR OPEN .AU 2LDS

First come, first served
Australian domain names are allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Applicants cannot pre-register or otherwise reserve a domain name.

Registrants must be Australian
Only Australian residents can apply for an Australian domain name licences.

To satisfy the Australian presence requirement, Web Solutions offer Local Presence/Trustee Service. For more information, contact our Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu or via phone on
+44 (0) 20 4571 1971.

Australian domain names
Domain names must:
a) consist of at least two characters;
b) consist of only letters (a-z), numbers (0-9) and hyphens (-), or a combination of these;
c) begin and end with a letter or a number, not a hyphen; and
d) not contain hyphens in the third and fourth position (e.g. ab–cd.COM.AU).

Australian domain licence period
The Australian domain name licence period is fixed at two years without the possibility of reducing or prolonging it.

A domain name licence can be renewed at the end of the two year period subject to the registrant’s continuing eligibility.

Number of domain names
There is no restriction on the number of Australian domain licences that a registrant may apply for.

Australian Domain Authority’s Reserved List
Australian Domain Authority’s Reserved List contains names that may not be licensed.
The following names are included in the Reserved List:
a) names restricted under Commonwealth legislation:

b) names and abbreviations that denote Australian states and territories including the name “Australia”; and
c) names that may potentially pose a risk to the Australian domain’s operational stability and utility.

Prohibition on registering domain names for sole purpose of resale
It is not permitted to register an Australian domain name for the sole purpose of resale or transfer to another party.

ELIGIBILITY AND ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR .COM.AU

The .COM.AU is for commercial purposes.

To satisfy the domain name eligibility requirements in the .COM.AU, registrants must be:
a) an Australian registered company; or
b) trading under a registered business name in any Australian State or Territory; or
c) an Australian partnership or sole trader; or
d) a foreign company licensed to trade in Australia; or
e) a holder of an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or
f) an applicant for an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or
g) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
h) an Australian commercial statutory body.

To satisfy the Australian presence requirement, Web Solutions offer Local Presence/Trustee Service. For more information, contact our Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu or via phone on +44 (0) 20 4571 1971.

.COM.AU domain names must be:
a) an exact match, acronym or abbreviation the registrant’s name or trademark; or
b) otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant, in accordance with the categories of close and substantial connection*.

* Close and substantial connection can apply where a domain name is connected but not directly related to the registrant in accordance with the categories of close and substantial connection for .COM.AU, which are as follows:

• a product that the registrant manufactures or sells; or
• a service that the registrant provides; or
• an event that the registrant organises or sponsors; or
• an activity that the registrant facilitates, teaches or trains; or
• a venue that the registrant operates; or
• a profession that the registrant’s employees practise.

It is also possible to register a domain name in the .COM.AU for the purpose of domain monetisation, provided that the following conditions are met:
a) the content on the website for which the domain name is intended must be related specifically and essentially to subject matter denoted by the domain name; and
b) the domain name must not be, or incorporate the following:

• an entity name (i. e. the name of an Australian registered company or incorporated association as listed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), or the name of an Australian government body. It does not include a registered business name.);
• personal name (the given name(s) and/or last name of a person)
• or brand name (the name of an identifiable and distinctive product or service, whether commercial or non-commercial.)

in existence at the time the domain name was registered.

Examples of domain monetisation include:

• resolving the domain name to a website or landing page containing pay per click advertising links (also known as “parked pages”);
• resolving the domain name to a website or landing page containing content such as general information, news articles, product reviews, blog posts and images, with the primary intent of generating revenue from third party affiliate or commission programs or pay per click advertising;
• resolving the domain name to a website that contains directory listings;
• redirecting the domain name to another domain name under a third party affiliate or commission program;
• using the domain name to provide featured advertising services; and
• using the domain name for traffic optimisation purposes.

ELIGIBILITY AND ALLOCATION RULES FOR .NET.AU

The .NET.AU is for commercial purposes.

To satisfy the eligibility requirements for a domain name in the .NET.AU, registrants must be:
a) an Australian registered company; or
b) trading under a registered business name in any Australian State or Territory; or
c) an Australian partnership or sole trader; or
d) a foreign company licensed to trade in Australia; or
e) an owner of an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or
f) an applicant for an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or
g) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
h) an Australian commercial statutory body.

To satisfy the Australian presence requirement, Web Solutions offer Local Presence/Trustee Service. For more information, contact our Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu or via phone on +44 (0) 20 4571 1971.

.NET.AU domain names must be:
a) an exact match, acronym or abbreviation of the registrant’s name or trademark; or
b) be otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant, according to the categories of “close and substantial connection” which are as follows:

• a product that the registrant manufactures or sells; or
• a service that the registrant provides; or
• an event that the registrant organises or sponsors; or
• an activity that the registrant facilitates, teaches or trains; or
• a venue that the registrant operates; or
• a profession that the registrant’s employees practise

It is also possible to register an Australian domain name in the .NET.AU for the purpose of domain monetisation, provided that the following conditions are met:
a) the content of the website to which the domain name resolves must be related specifically and essentially to subject matter denoted by the domain name; and
b) the domain name must not be, or incorporate:

• an entity name (the name of an Australian registered company or incorporated association as listed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), or the name of an Australian government body. It does not include a registered business name.),
• personal name (the given name(s) and/or last name of a person),
• or brand name (the name of an identifiable and distinctive product or service, whether commercial or non-commercial)

in existence at the time the domain name was registered.

Examples of domain monetisation include:

• resolving the domain name to a website or landing page containing pay per click advertising links (also known as “parked pages”);
• resolving the domain name to a website or landing page containing content such as general information, news articles, product reviews, blog posts and images, with the primary intent of generating revenue from third party affiliate or commission programs or pay per click advertising;
• resolving the domain name to a website that contains directory listings;
• redirecting the domain name to another domain name under a third party affiliate or commission program;
• using the domain name to provide featured advertising services; and
• using the domain name for traffic optimisation purposes.

ELIGIBILITY AND ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR .ORG.AU

The .ORG.AU domain is for non-commercial organisations.

To satisfy the eligibility requirements for domain names in the .ORG.AU 2LD, registrants must be non-commercial organisations as follows:
a) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
b) a political party registered with the Australian Electoral Commission; or
c) a trade union or other organisation registered under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009; or
d) a sporting or special interest club operating in Australia; or
e) a charity operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant’s constitution or other documents of incorporation; or
f) a non-profit organisation operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant’s constitution or other documents of incorporation.

To satisfy the Australian presence requirement, Web Solutions offer Local Presence/Trustee Service. For more information, contact our Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu or via phone on +44 (0) 20 4571 1971.

.ORG.AU domain names must be:
a) an exact match, acronym or abbreviation of the registrant’s name; or
b) otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant, according to the categories of “close and substantial connection” which are as follows:

• a service that the registrant provides; or
• a program that the registrant administers; or
• an event that the registrant organises or sponsors; or
• an activity that the registrant facilitates, teaches or trains; or
• a venue that the registrant operates; or
• a profession that the registrant’s members practise.

ELIGIBILITY AND ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR .ASN.AU

The .ASN.AU domain is for non-commercial organisations.

To satisfy the eligibility requirements for a domain name in the .ASN.AU, registrants must be non-commercial organisations as follows:
a) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
b) a political party registered with the Australian Electoral Commission; or
c) a trade union or other organisation registered under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009; or
d) a sporting or special interest club operating in Australia; or
e) a charity operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant’s constitution or other documents of incorporation; or
f) a non-profit organisation operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant’s constitution or other documents of incorporation.

To satisfy the Australian presence requirement, Web Solutions offer Local Presence/Trustee Service. For more information, contact our Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu or via phone on +44 (0) 20 4571 1971.

.ASN.AU domain names must be:

a) an exact match, acronym or abbreviation of the registrant’s name; or

b) otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant, according to the categories of “close and substantial connection”.

ELIGIBILITY AND ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR .ID.AU

The .ID.AU domain is for individuals.

To satisfy the eligibility requirements for a domain name in the .ID.AU, registrants must be:
a) an Australian citizen; or
b) an Australian resident.

.ID.AU domain names must be:
a) an exact match, acronym or abbreviation of the registrant’s personal name (a name that includes, or is derived from, one or more words of the registrant’s personal name or a name by which the registrant is commonly known (i.e. a nickname)); or
b) otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant;

The requested domain name does not have to be the same as the registrant’s product, service, hobby etc. The domain name must only refer to the registrant’s product, service, hobby etc. (for example, “Anne the Florist Pty Ltd” could license “bestflowers..COM.AU”, “flowersonline.NET.AU”, “redroses.COM.AU”, “cheapflowers.NET.AU” and so on).
It is not acceptable for registrants to use the close and substantial connection rule to engage in domain name speculation or warehousing.

It is also possible to register a domain name in the .ID.AU if it refers to a personal interest or hobby of the registrant, but the domain name must not be, or incorporate:

• an entity name (the name of an Australian registered company or incorporated association as listed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), or the name of an Australian government body. It does not include a registered business name.),
• personal name (the given name(s) and/or last name of a person)
• or brand name (the name of an identifiable and distinctive product or service, whether commercial or non-commercial)

in existence at the time the domain name was registered.

.AU “Closed” Second-Level Domains (2LDs)
These domains are known as “closed” because they are not available to the general public, and only open to entities within a defined sector.

• .EDU.AU (for educational institutions registered at federal or state level)
• GOV.AU (for federal, state and local government bodies)
• CSIRO.AU (for the sole use of the Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO)

.AU Community Geographic Domain Names (CGDNs)
Community geographic domain names or CGDNs are reserved for use by community groups, and only Australian geographic (place) names can be registered. (The information below has been simplified and only the most important info has been left but still I’m not sure if we would need that much).

• .ACT.AU (for community use of geographic names within the Australian Capital Territory)
• .NSW.AU (for community use of geographic names within New South Wales)
• .NT.AU (for community use of geographic names within the Northern Territory)
• .QLD.AU (for community use of geographic names within Queensland)
• .SA.AU (for community use of geographic names within South Australia)
• .TAS.AU (for community use of geographic names within Tasmania)
• .VIC.AU (for community use of geographic names within Victoria)
• .WA.AU (for community use of geographic names within Western Australia)

To meet the eligibility requirements to license an Australian community geographic domain name, the registrant must be:
i) a legally registered, not-for-profit entity
and
ii) representative of the local community for the purpose of holding the domain name licence.

Transfer of Australian Domain Names
A domain registrant may:
a) offer their Australian domain name licence for transfer (or “sale”) to another eligible entity, by any means; and
b) transfer their Australian domain name licence to another eligible entity, for any reason provided that:

• a new domain registrant is not going to register a domain name for the sole purpose of resale or transfer to another entity;
• a new domain registrant is an eligible entity;
• the current domain registrant has confirmed the request for transfer.

In case a domain registrant is found to have breached the policy rules, Australian Domain Authority reserves the right to cancel the domain name licence and delete the domain name.

As a result of the transfer, a new two-year domain name licence will be issued to the proposed new registrant.

Registrant Contact Information Policy
Registrants are obliged to notify Web Solutions of any changes to their information in order to avoid revocation of the registrant’s domain name licence.

.AU Dispute Resolution Policy

Disputes and complaints referring to Australian domain names can be handled via the au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) or other means, such as litigation. For more information, contact Web Solutions’ Support Team at support@web-solutions.eu.

Registrant Representation
By applying to register, maintain or renew an .AU domain name, applicants accepts the following conditions:
a) statements made in the .AU domain name application are complete and accurate, including those referring to the eligibility for a domain name in the open 2LD;
b) to the best of the applicant’s knowledge, the registration of the .AU domain name will not infringe upon or in any way violate the rights of any third party;
c) the .AU domain name is not being registered for an unlawful purpose; and
d) the applicant will not knowingly use the .AU domain name in violation of any applicable laws or regulations.

It is applicant’s responsibility to determine whether their domain name registration infringes or violates someone else’s rights.

Cancellations, Transfers, and Changes.
The standard .AU domain name licence period is 2 years (beginning on the day of registration).
The Australian Domain Authority can cancel, transfer or alter an .AU domain name registration under the following circumstances:
a. the applicant or his authorised agent makes an appropriate written request via electronic instructions to take such action;
b. such action is required due to the receipt of an order from a court or arbitrary tribunal, in each case of competent jurisdiction; and/or
c. such action is required do the receipt of a decision of an Administrative Panel requiring such action in any administrative proceeding to which the applicant was a party.
Web Solutions may also cancel, transfer or make changes to an .AU domain name registration in accordance with the terms of your Registrant Agreement or other legal requirements.

Prohibition on misspellings
Australian Domain Authority’s prohibition on misspellings aims at the preservation of the integrity of the .AU domains by discouraging “typosquatting” (the practice whereby a person deliberately registers a misspelling of a popular domain name in order to re-direct trade or traffic).

The prohibition on misspellings applies under the following circumstances:
a) the domain name is a misspelled name of an entity, personal or brand name that does not belong to the domain registrant; and
b) the registrant has deliberately registered the misspelled name for the purpose of trading on the reputation of the other entity, person or brand.

A domain name will be regarded by the Australian Domain Authority as a misspelling if it falls into one of the following categories:
a) the singular version of a plural name, or the plural version of a singular name (e.g. woolworth.COM.AU, safeways.COM.AU);
b) a name with missing letters (e.g. yhoo.COM.AU);
c) a name with additional letters (e.g. quantas.COM.AU);
d) a name with transposed letters (e.g. wetspac.COM.AU, goolge.COM.AU,);
e) a name with letters replaced by numbers, or numbers replaced by letters (e.g. 9msn.COM.AU);
f) a hyphenated version of a name (e.g. e-bay.COM.AU, micro-soft.COM.AU);
g) a name with the prefix “www” (e.g. wwwseek.COM.AU); or
h) any other name that Australian Domain Authority determines is a deliberate misspelling, having regard to the surrounding circumstances.