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Beginner’s Guide to DOMAIN NAMES



THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF GUIDES ABOUT ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO INTERNET

USERS. EDUCATING NEW USERS ABOUT INTERNET ISSUES IS PART OF ICANN’S MISSION

TO ENSURE A STABLE, SECURE, GLOBALLY INTEROPERABLE INTERNET. ICANN PREPARED

THIS GUIDE AT THE REQUEST OF THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE VOICE OF

THE INDIVIDUAL INTERNET USER AT ICANN. WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU FIND IT HELPFUL.



1

TAblE Of C ONTENTS

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Domain Names............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ........3

1

Whatisadomainnameandhowdoesitwork?............ ............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ........32 HowdoIregisteradomainname?...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3 HowdoIselectadomainnametoregister?................................................................................................................................................. 4

4 WhatisaregistrarandhowdoIselectone?.................................................................................................................................................. 5

5 HowdoIndoutithedomainnameIwantisavailable?............. ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ..........6

6 Whatistheregistrationprocesslike?.................................................................................................................................................................. 6

7 Whyistheresuchawidediferenceinthecostodomainnames?...............................................................................................7

8 IIbuyadomainname,doesthatgivemeawebsite?CanIimmediatelystartreceivingemailtothatdomain?...................................................................................................................... 7

9 ThedomainnameIwantistaken,butwhenIgotoitthere’snocontent.

Iit’snotinusewhycan’tIgetit?.......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

10 HowcanIprotectmypersonalinormation?................................................................................................................................................ 7

11 CanIregisteradomainnameinlanguagesotherthanEnglish,

orusingcharactersotherthantheLatincharactersetusedintheEnglishlanguage?......................................................8

12 Whataremyrightsandobligationsasadomainnameregistrant?................................................................................................8

13 HowdoIrenewadomainnamethatIhavealreadyregistered?.....................................................................................................9

14 WhathappensiIorgettorenewmydomainname?............................................................................................................................ 9

15 HowdoItranseradomainnamethatIhavealreadyregistered?............ ............. .............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ........J

16 CanIbuyandselladomainname?..................................................................................................................................................................... L

17 WheredoIgoorhelpwithdomainnameproblems?........................................................................................................................... L

18 HowdoIhandledomainnamedisputes?...................................................................................................................................................... L

19 WhatistheUDRP(UniormDomainNameDisputeResolutionPolicy)?.....................................................................................M

20 HowcanIhelpprotectmyselromspam,phishingandotherInternetraud?.....................................................................M

21 WhatdoIneedtorememberaboutmydomainnameregistration?............ ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. .N

Additional Information...................................................................................................................................................................................................... O

Glossary.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... O



2

INTrODuCTION

Until recently, ew people outside the technical community knew what a domain name was, much

less how to obtain or use one. With the dramatic expansion o the Internet as the medium o choice

or instant, global communications, many more people today are aware that domain names help

users direct email trafc, locate websites and establish an online identity.

A domain name—such as “icann.org”—is essentially the address o a person or an organization on

the Internet. It is where other people can nd you on line, and can also become your online identity.

For example, businesses typically register domain names with their company name and sometimes

also register their product names. Individuals oten register amily names or other names that have

personal meaning. Although they are a big part o the Internet, understanding what these names

are, how they work, and how to obtain and maintain them can be mystiying at rst.

This Guide provides basic inormation about what a domain name is, how

an Internet user can obtain and maintain one, and related inormation

o interest. It draws on publicly available inormation rom the ICANN

and InterNIC websites, as well as materials prepared by consumer

protection authorities in several countries (see Additional Inorma-

tion). This Guide ocuses primarily on domain names registered

under generic top-level domains (such as .COM, .NET, and .ORG)

rather than names registered under country code top-level do-

mains (such as .DE, .CN, .JP, and .UK).

Two important points should be emphasized at the start. First, the

advice in this Guide is intended to assist Internet users, particularly new

users. We plan to update it rom time to time to reect technological and policy

changes and other developments. You can help us keep this publication as up-to-date and

useul as possible by sending any suggestions, comments or updates you might have to publica-

[email protected]. We will be sure to take your eedback into account in any o the Guide’s revisions.

Second, this Guide provides a summary o key aspects related to obtaining and using a domain

name. Because domain name policies and procedures evolve, it is always important to check

www.icann.org or www.internic.net or current and authoritative inormation. While we have taken

care to ensure the accuracy o the inormation in this Guide, users must exercise their own judgment

in making decisions about registering and using domain names, and seek proessional advice as

appropriate. All responsibility or use o this Guide or any purpose rests with each reader.

We hope you nd this Guide useul. We look orward to hearing about your experience using it,

and any suggestions or subsequent versions.

http://www.icann.org/

http://www.internic.net/





3

DOMAIN NAMES

1What is a domain name and how does it work?

EverycomputeronthepublicInternethasauniquenumericaddress—similartothe

uniquenesoatelephonenumber—whichisastringonumbersthatisdicultormost

peopletoremember.Thisstringiscalledthe“IPaddress.”IPstandsor“InternetProtocol.”

TomakeiteasiertondagivenlocationontheInternet,theDomainNameSystem,orDNS,was

invented.TheDNStranslatesIPaddressesintouniquealphanumericaddressescalleddomainnamesthatareeasiertoremember.I,orexample,youwouldliketovisittheICANNwebsite,wouldyou

ratherremembertheIPaddress192.0.34.163,ortype“www.icann.org”?Byassociatingaamiliarstring

oletters—thedomainname—withanIPaddress,theDNSmakesitmucheasierorInternetusersto

rememberwebsitesandemailaddresses.Intheexampleabove,the“icann.org”partotheaddressis

calledthedomainname.The“www.”partidentiestoyourbrowserthatyouarelookingortheWorld

WideWebinteraceorthatdomainname.

Domainnamescanalsobeusedtosendemail.Whetheryouaresendingbusinessorpersonalcom-

munications,youwanttobecertainthatyourmessageisdirectedtotheintendedaddressee.Toborrow

ananalogyromthephonesystem,whenyoudialanumber,itringsataparticularlocationbecause

thereisacentralnumberingplanthatensuresthateachtelephonenumberisunique.

TheDNSworksinasimilarway.BoththedomainnameandtheIPaddressbehinditareunique.The

DNSenablesyouremailtoreachtheintendedrecipient([email protected],orexample)andnot

someoneelsewithasimilardomainname.Italsoenablesyoutotype“www.icann.org,”withouthaving

toenteralengthyIPaddress,andgettotherightwebsite.Withoutthisuniqueness,boththeDNSand

thetelephonesystemswouldbelesspredictableandreliable.

Adomainnamecanremainunchangedeveniawebsiteismovedtoadiferenthostcomputeror

serverbecausetheDNScanbetoldtopointanexistingdomainnametoanewIPaddress.Thisisjust

likeahouseholdorabusinessmovingitslocation—theamilyorbusinessnamestaysthesame,even

ithestreetaddresschanges.

2

How do I register a domain name?

Toregisteradomainname,youmustcompletetheollowingsteps:

Choose the top-level domain (also called the extension) and your second-level

domain (also called the label) (seeQuestion3)

Select a registrar or reseller with which to register (seeQuestion5)

Check the availability of your choice (seeQuestion4)

Decide on the length of registration (readurtherinthissection)

Complete the registration procedures, including payment (seeQuestion6)

Therststepisregisteringadomainnameistoselectthetop-leveldomain(TLD)andthesecond-level

nameyouwouldliketoregisterinthatdomain.

Domainnameshavetwoparts:thecharactersthatollowthelastdotinthedomainnameandthe

charactersthatcomeaterit.Thepartollowingthelastdotiscalledthetop-leveldomain(TLD),orthe

extension.Theparttotheletothedotiscalledthesecond-leveldomain,orthelabel.Itisthispart

oadomainnamethatusersaremostlikelytoassociatewithyourwebsiteoremailaddress.Together,

the“icann”andthe“.org”partso“icann.org”arethedomainname.

Thenextstepsaretoselectyourregistrar(seeQuestion4)anddecidethenumberoyearsorwhich

youwouldliketoregister.Mostregistrarsoferregistrationperiodsorom1to10years,otenwith

discountsorlongerperiods.Amulti-yearregistrationmeansmoreoaninitialnancialcommitment

thanasingleyear,butitreduceshowotenyouhavetorenewyourregistrationbeoreitexpires.Many

There is no authoritativ

of gTLD domain reselle

these entities are not accre

by ICANN and may have

ness relationships with mu

registrars. A reseller coul

a web hosting company

Provider with whom you

already have a relationship

important to note that there

accredited registrar of reco

every registered domain n

even if you performed the

tration transaction via a res

http://icann.org/

mailto:[email protected]




http://icann.org/



4

registrarsalsooferdiscountsoneachyearoamultiple-yearregistration.Somepeoplemaketheir

initialregistrationoroneyear,and,itheyndtheyareindeedusingthedomainname,thenrenew

itoralongerperiod.

Next,youshouldseewhetherthenameyouwantisavailable(discussedinQuestion5).Inthecase

oagTLD,ithedomainnameisstillavailable,youcanregisteritdirectlywitharegistrarorthrough

aresellerthathasarelationshipwitharegistrar(seeQuestion6).ThelistocurrentICANN-accredited

registrarscanbeoundathttp://www.internic.net/regist.html .

Ithedomainnameyouwantisnotavailable,youcouldmodiythesecond-levelpartothedomain

namebytryingadiferentwaytodescribethesameidea(orexample,try“icanndns.org”).Thesearch

toolsonregistrarwebsitesotenhaveeaturesthatsuggestvariationsonanamethatmightbeavailable

whentheprimarynameselectedisnot(moreinormationonthisisinQuestion5).Alternatively,iyou

aretryingtoregister“icann.org,”youcouldchangethetop-leveldomainandtryoneotherthan“.org.”

TherearenownearlytwodozengenericTLDs,althoughsomehaveeligibilityrequirements.Someo

theunrestrictedTLDsare.COM,.INFO,.ORGand.NET.ForacompletelistogTLDsandanyrestrictions,

see http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/accredited-list.html .

Ithedomainnamethatyouareseekingisalreadyregistered,youmaybeabletoacquiretheright

toregisteritromthecurrentregistrant(inotherwords,romthepersonorcompanythatregistered

itmostrecentlyandownstherightstousethedomain).Someregistrarsandothercompaniesofer

servicesrelatedtotheresellingodomainnames,whichcouldinvolveabiddingorauctionprocess.

However,theprocessmaybetime-consumingandcomplex.Youcanndouttheregistrantothe

domainnameyouwantbyusingtheWhoisdatabase.OnewaytosearchWhoisacrossallgenericTLDs

isavailableathttp://www.internic.net/whois.html .

Thenalstepistocompletetheregistrationprocedureswiththeregistrarorresellerthatyouhaveselected.

3How do I select a domain name to register?

Inselectingadomainname,youshouldconsider:

Do I want my domain name to say something about myself,

my organization or my business?

Do I want a distinctive domain name that sets itself apart from others?

Do I want a descriptive domain name that imparts important information?

Do I want a second-level domain or top-level domain that is easy to remember?

Do I want to register in a restricted gTLD (such as .COOP, explained further in the

following paragraphs)? And if so, do I meet its eligibility requirements?

FortheTLDpartoadomainname,therearenearlytwodozengenericTLDstochooserom.Whilethis

GuidecoversonlygTLDs,therearealsomorethan250country-codetop-leveldomains(ccTLDs),which

aretwo-letterextensionsthatcorrespondtocountriesorterritoriesaroundtheworld.Theextensions

.US,.DEand.JP,orexample,correspondtotheUnitedStates,GermanyandJapan,respectively.Someo

thesedomainsalsohaverestrictionsonwhocanregisterinthem.Youcanndalistotheseathttp://

www.iana.org/domains/root/db/index.html .

ThegTLDsinwhichanyonecanregisterinclude.COM,.INFO,.NET,and.ORG.ThreeothergTLDs(.BIZ,

.NAMEand.PRO)havecertaineligibilityrequirements(orexample,.BIZisintendedorbusinesses).

ThereareadditionalgTLDsinwhichregistrationsarerestrictedtopersonsorentitiesthatbelongtoa

denedcommunity.ThesegTLDsinclude.AERO,.ASIA,.CAT,.COOP,.EDU,.JOBS,.MUSEUM,.MOBI,.TELand

.TRAVEL.SomeothesegTLDstellInternetusersaboutthequalicationsoitsregistrants(orexample,

toregisterin.COOP,anentitymustbeaveriedcooperative).OthergTLDstellusersaboutthekindo

contenttheywillndundertheextension(thatis,.MOBIregistrantshavepledgedtoprovidecontentin

The list of current

ICANN-accredited

registrars can be found

at http://www.Intern-

ic.Org/regist.Html .

http://www.internic.net/whois.html


http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/index.html



http://www.internic.org/regist.html









5

aormsuitableormobiledevices).ItmaybemoreexpensivetoregisterinoneotherestrictedgTLDs,

inpartbecausetherecouldbevericationcostsassociatedwiththeregistrationprocess.Ontheother

hand,registrationinarestrictedgTLDmaybeuseultoyou,asitcouldhelpdemonstratethatyouhave

acertainqualicationthathasbeenveriedbyanauthoritativesource.

SomegTLDsarenewerthanothers,andthusmaybelessamiliartoInternetusers.Asaresult,newer

gTLDsmightprovidemoreavailabilityoradomainyouwishtoregister.Withtimeandgreaterusage,

thisislikelytochange.

ICANNisalsopreparingtointroducenewgTLDs,sothatInternetuserswillhavemoreoptionstocon-

siderwhenregisteringdomainnames.ThiswillalsoenableInternationalizedDomainNames(IDNs)to

beavailableatthetoplevel,sothatthedomainextensioncancontainnon-Latincharactersrommany

languagesaroundtheworld(orexample,ArabicorChinese).MoreinormationaboutICANN’sworkon

introducingnewgTLDsisavailableathttp://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtld-program.htm.

ForbothgTLDsandccTLDs,theentitythatmaintainstheauthoritativerecordoallregistrationsor

theTLDiscalledtheregistry.

Forthesecond-levelpartoadomainname(thecharactersbeorethelastdotinthedomainname),

youmighthavemanychoices,dependingonwhatothersregistrantshavealreadyregistered.Asnoted

earlier,youmightconsiderwhetheryourprimarygoalsaretohaveyourdomainnameestablishan

onlineidentityorbrand,bedistinctive,bedescriptiveorbeeasytoremember.Manyregistrantsseekasecond-leveldomainnamethatisdescriptiveandeasyorotherstorecallandtype.Itmaybeeasier

tondyourrstchoicestillavailableinanewgTLDratherthaninanestablishedone,suchas.COM.

OryoumaydecideonadiferentdomainnametoregisterinanoldergTLD.

4What is a registrar and how do I select one?

AregistraroragTLDdomainisanICANN-accreditedcompanythatprocessesyourregistra-

tionorthedesireddomainname,iitisavailable.Theregistrardoesthisthrough

theregistry,whichistheentitythatmaintainstheauthoritativedatabase

orthedomainnamethatyouhaveselected.

Domainnamestodaycanberegisteredthroughmanydi-

erentcompanies,whichcompetewithoneanotheronthebasisoprice,value-addedservicesandcustomerservice,

amongotheractors.TheICANN-operatedInterNICwebsite

www.internic.net providesgeneralinormationaboutInter-

netdomainnameregistrationservices.

AlthoughICANNrequireseachregistrartoprovideaWhois

searchservice,manyInternetusersndusingtheInterNIC

website’sWhoissearchtool(http://www.internic.net/whois.html )

tobemoreconvenient.Inadditiontousingthiswebsitetosearch

throughtheWhoisdatabaseortheavailabilityodomainnames,youcannd

registrarcontactdetailsinthe Accredited Registrar Directory .Youcansearchthe

directoryoregistrarsalphabetically( Alphabetical Listing by Company/Organization Name),byloca-tionoregistrar(Listing by Location of Registrar ),orbythelanguage(s)thataresupported(Listing by

Language Supported ).ICANNalsoprovidesatablelistingallregistrars,theirlocationsandthevarious

TLDsthattheymaysupportathttp://www.icann.org/en/registrars/accredited-list.html .Itisalsopossible

toregisteradomainthroughareseller,whichhasabusinessarrangementwitharegistrar.ICANNdoes

notmaintainalistingodomainresellers,asithasnocontractualrelationshipwiththem.

ICANN’sStabilityandSecurityAdvisoryCommittee(SSAC), incooperationwithConsumerReports

WebWatch,hascreatedatoptenlistoquestionstothinkaboutwhenchoosingaregistrar.Youcan

ndthislistonlineathttp://www.consumerwebwatch.org/pdfs/domainname.pdf .


http://www.internic.net/regist.html


http://www.internic.net/alpha.html

http://www.internic.net/origin.html

http://www.internic.net/language.html


http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/pdfs/domainname.pdf





http://www.internic.net/origin.html

http://www.internic.net/alpha.html





6

5How do I fnd out i the domain name I want is available?

Mostdomainnamesareavailableonarst-come,rst-servedbasis.AsoOctober2010,

orexample,therewereroughly90milliondomainnamesregisteredinthe.COMTLD.I

youhaveaparticularnameyouwouldliketoregister,youshoulddosoassoonaspossible.Youcan

checktheavailabilityothenameyouhavechosenonthewebsiteotheregistraryouwishtouse.You

dothisbysearchingyourdesireddomainnametoseeiitisavailable;manyregistrars’searchsystems

willalsoallowyoutosearchacrossmanyTLDs—bothgenericandcountrycode—toseewhetherthe

domainnameyouwanttoregisterisavailableinanyorallTLDs.Someregistrarshaveservicesthatal-

lowyoutotrytoacquirethedomainnameyouwantromthecurrentregistrant;itisalsonotunusual

tohavethesearchsystemproposenamesthataresimilartothenameyouhavechosenithename

youhavesearchedisnotavailable.

Iyouareinterestedinregisteringadomainnameinacountrycodetop-leveldomain(ccTLD),suchas

.MAorMoroccoor.PEorPeru,youcancheckthedatabaseotop-leveldomainsathttp://www.iana.

org/domains/root/db/ ortheappropriateregistrationauthority.

6

What is the registration process like?

Theregistrarthatyouselectwillaskyoutoprovidecontactandtechnicalinormation,some

owhichisrequiredbyICANN.Theregistrarwillkeeprecordsothecontactinormation

andsubmitthetechnicalinormationtotheentity,knownastheregistry,thatmaintainsthecentral

directoryorthatTLD.Eachtop-leveldomainhasonlyoneauthoritativeregistry,whichprovidesother

computersontheInternetwiththeinormationnecessarytosendyouemailortondyourwebsite.

ThePublicInterestRegistry,orexample,operatesthe.ORGregistry.

Aspartotheregistrationprocess,youwillberequiredtoenterintoacontractwiththeregistrarthat

youortheresellerhasselected.Thatcontractsetsorththetermsunderwhichyourregistrationisac-

ceptedandwillbemaintained.Onceyouhavesuccessullycompletedtheregistrationprocess,you

becometheregistrantoyournewdomainname.

Weadviseyoutoavoidanydomainnameregistrationservicethatpurportstoguaranteeavailabilityoanyparticulardomainnames,orpreerentialtreatmentinregisteringanynameinanygTLD.Wealso

suggestthatyouusecautionwhendoingbusinesswithanyunknownpersonorentitythatsendsyou

unsolicitedaxesoremailsinvitingyoutoregisterorrenewadomainname,regardlessotheofer.See

What’sDotandWhat’sNot:DomainNameRegistrationScams,athttp://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/

consumer/alerts/alt084.shtm.AsnotedinQuestion10,onceyouregisteradomainname,yourax

numbercouldbepubliclyavailableasaresultotheWhoisservicetheregistrarisrequiredtoprovide.

SeealsoQuestion20,titledHowcanIhelpprotectmyselromspam,phishingandotherInternetraud?,

whichdescribesseveralstepsthatyoucantaketohelpprotectyourselromotherInternetscams.

See What’s Dot and

What’s Not: Domain

Name Registration

Scams, at http://

www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/

pubs/consumer/alerts/

alt084.shtm.

http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/



http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt084.shtm








7

7Why is there such a wide dierence in the cost o domain names?

Somesourcesoferdomainnamesorwhatseemtobeverylowprices,whileothersofer

namesorwhatseemtobeveryhighprices.

ICANN-accreditedregistrarsareallowedtosettheirownpricesordomainnameregistrationservices.

Somepricediferencesareduetothelevelocustomersupportoferedbyeachregistrar.Forexample,

aregistrarthatofersa24x7helpdeskmaychargemorethanaregistrarthatofersonlyanemailsup-

portaddress.Registrarsmayalsooferdomainnameregistrationspackagedwithotherservices,which

couldresultinahigherprice.Choosingthelowest-priceofermaymeanyoudonotgetalltheeatures

youwant,whilechoosingahigher-pricedoferingmaymeanyouarepayingoreaturesthatarenot

importanttoyou.Anextremelyhighpricecanindicatethatthedomainnameisbeingoferedbyasales

channelthatocusesonnamesithasdeterminedtobepremiumorhigh-value.Youshouldconsider

priceandwhatisincludedinthepricewhenyouregisteradomainname.

8I I buy a domain name, does that give me a website? Can I immediately startreceiving email to that domain?

Registeringadomainnamemeansonlythatyouhaveobtainedcertainrightstousethe

nameortheregistrationterm.Websitehostingoremailservicewillnotbeavailableunlessyouhave

specicallyarrangedorthoseservicesinrelationtothedomainname.Asananalogy,thepurchaseo

apieceolanddoesnotautomaticallyresultinahousebeingbuiltonit.

Creatingawebsiteinvolvesanumberosteps,suchasobtaininghostingservicesandpublishing

content.Creatingemailservicealsoinvolvescertainset-upsteps.Manyregistrarsoferpackagesthat

canincludetheseservicesalongwiththedomainnameregistration.However,theseservicescanalso

besetupseparately,byyouorbyotherserviceprovidersyouengage.

9The domain name I want is taken, but when I go to it, there’s no content. I it’s not in use, why can’t I get it?

Anentitywhoregistersadomainnameisnotrequiredtouseitoranypurpose(orexample,

creatingaworkingwebsite)withinanyparticulartimeperiod.Theregistrantcanchoosewhether,how

andwhentousearegistereddomainname.Iyouenteraparticulardomainnameinyourbrowser

anditturnsupablankpage,itcouldmeanthattheregistrantisholdingthenameinanticipationoutureuse,orisholdingitdeensively(tokeepanyoneelseromobtainingit)orisnotmakingactive

useoitorotherreasons.Aregistrantcanalsochoosetouseadomainnameoremailpurposesonly,

withoutdevelopingawebsite.

Iyouthinkthatthecurrentregistrantisnotusingthedomainname,youcanattempttocontactthe

registranttosee iitmightwishtosellortranserthenametoyou.However,theregistranthasno

obligationtodoso.

10How can I protect my personal inormation?

FormostgTLDs,inormationabouttheregistrantoeachdomainnameispubliclyavail-

ableineachregistry’sWhoisdatabase,whichisusedtoacilitatetheresolutionotechnical

problemsandtoenorceconsumerprotection,trademarkandotherlaws.Twonotableexceptionsarethe.COMand.NETregistryWhoisservices,whichlisttheregistrarresponsibleormaintainingthe

domainregistrationrecord.Inormationaboutwhoisresponsibleorthesedomainscanthenbeound

byaccessingthatregistrar’sWhoisdatabase.

Aspartotheregistrationprocess,youmustprovideyourregistrarwithaccurateandreliablecontact

detailsandpromptlycorrectandupdatethesedetailsasnecessary.Thisinormationincludesyourull

name,avalidpostaladdress,emailaddress,voicetelephonenumberandaxnumber(iavailable).As

notedinQuestion12,thewillulprovisionoinaccurateorunreliableinormation,orawillulailure



8

toupdateinormationprovidedtoaregistrar,canbethebasisorcancellingyourregistrationandthe

lossoanyrighttousethedomainname.

Givengrowingconcernsaboutidentitythetandothercriminalactivity,manyindividualsarelegitimately

concernedabouthavingtheirpersonaldatapubliclyavailableontheInternet.Oneoptionorregistrants

istouseavalidpostalandemailaddressromtheirbusinessorplaceoemployment.Anotheroptionis

touseprivacyprotectionorproxyservices,sometimesoranadditionalee.Someregistrarsmakethese

servicesavailablethroughathird-partyproxyservicethatallowsyoutoprovidetherequiredcontact

inormationtoyourregistrar,andtheproxyservicebecomestheregistrantorecord.Youagreethattheproxyservicecandiscloseyourpersonaldatatorespondtorequestsromlawenorcementorconicts

relatedtoinringementsonlegalrightsoothersorwhenpresentedwithevidenceoactionableharm.

Anotheroptionistoregisterthroughanintermediary,suchasanInternetServiceProvider(ISP)orweb-

hostingcompany,whichthenbecomestheregistrantorecord.Withthisarrangement,youshouldbe

awareowhichrightsyouhaveandwhichrightstheintermediaryhasinregardtothedomainname.

11Can I register a domain name in languages other than English, or usingcharacters other than the Latin character set used in the English language?

Atpresent,domainnamesingTLDscanberegisteredusingthe26lettersothebasicLatin

script(AtoZ),andcanincludethenumbers0–9.Theycanalsoincludeahyphen“-”,althoughnotas

therstorlastcharacterothedomainname.

ThissetocharactersisotenreerredtoasASCII,whichstandsorAmericanStandardCodeorInor-

mationInterchange.Domainnamescanbeatotalo63characterslong,notincludingtheextension;

thatis,orexample,63charactersollowedby.COM.

InternationalizedDomainNames,orIDNs,aredomainnamescontainingcharactersromnon-Latin

scripts,suchasthoseusedbytheArabicorChineselanguages.

IyouareinterestedinIDNs,oneplacetostartlearningmoreisinthePolicyIssueBrieonIDNs,ound

athttp://www.icann.org/en/policy/briefs/ .

Todayitispossibletoregisterthesecondleveloadomainname,suchasthe“icann”parto“icann.org,”

indiferentlanguagescripts.Youshouldcheckwithyourchosenregistrartoseewhetheritsupports

thatkindoregistration.Inot,anotherregistrarshouldbeabletohelpyou.AsmentionedinQuestion4,

WhatisaregistrarandhowdoIselectone?,itispossibletosearchoraregistrarbythelanguage(s)it

supports(seeListing by Language Supported ).

Withsomeregistrars,suchsupportislimitedtoprovidingregistrationassistanceinanotherlanguage,

whilewithothersitmeansthatyoucanalsoregisteranon-Latinscriptdomainname.

ICANNhasbegunmakingIDNgTLDsandccTLDsavailableatthetoplevel(thatis,aterthelastdot

inadomainname).AsoNovember2010,33countriesandterritoriesrepresenting22diferentlan-

guageshaveappliedorIDNcountrycodetop-leveldomainsandthatnumberisconstantlygrowing.

AcompletelistcanbeoundonICANN’swebsiteat:http://icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/string-

evaluation-completion-en.htm.

12What are my rights and obligations as a domain name registrant?

Asthelicensedholderoadomainnameoritsregistrationperiod,youhavetherightto

usethatnameduringthatperiod,consistentwithcertaintermsandconditions,aswellas

applicablelawsandregulations.

As a registrant, among other things, you are required to:

•Provideyourregistrarwithaccurateandreliablecontactdetailsandpromptlycorrectandupdatethem

asnecessary,includingyourullnameandpostaladdress,aswellasthename,postaladdress,email

Although it may be possible

to register a domain in certain

non-Latin scripts, it may not

be possible to use the domain

name for email because the

technical standard for IDN email

is not yet nalized.

http://www.icann.org/en/policy/briefs/


http://icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/string-evaluation-completion-en.htm






http://www.icann.org/en/policy/briefs/



9

address,voicetelephonenumberand,whereavailable,axnumberorthetechnicalandadministra-

tivecontactsyoulist.Thewillulprovisionoinaccurateorunreliableinormation,orawillulailure

toupdateinormationprovidedtoaregistraroraailuretorespondorover15calendardaystoyour

registrar’sinquiriesconcerningtheaccuracyothisinormation,constitutesamaterialbreachoyour

contractwithyourregistrarandcanbethebasisorcancellingyourregistration.

•Representthat,toyourbestknowledgeandbelie,neithertheregistrationothedomainnamenor

themannerinwhichitisdirectlyorindirectlyusedinringesthelegalrightsoanythirdparty.

•Duringdisputesconcerningorarisingromuseoyourdomainnameyoumustsubmit,without

prejudicetootherpotentiallyapplicablerules,tothelawsandauthorityothecourtswhereyoulive

andwhereyourregistrarislocated.

•Agreethatregistrationoyourdomainnameissubjecttosuspension,cancellationortranserpursuant

toanyICANNadoptedspecicationorpolicytocorrectmistakesorresolvedisputes.

Among other things, your registrar is required to:

•Inormyouotheintendedpurposesorwhichanypersonaldatathatitcollectsromyouwillbeused.

•Takereasonableprecautionstoprotectyourpersonaldataromloss,misuse,unauthorizedaccessor

disclosure,alterationordestruction.Youshouldunderstand,however,thatallregistrarsarerequired

tomaketheWhoisinormationoreachgenerictop-leveldomainnameregistrationpubliclyavail-

able.YoucanreviewthisWhoisinormationbycheckingaWhoisservice,suchastheoneavailable

ontheInterNICwebsiteathttp://reports.internic.net/cgi/whois?whois_nic=icann.org&type=domain.

•Takereasonablestepstocorrectinaccurateregistrationdatathatitlearnsabout.

13How do I renew a domain name that I have already registered?

Youmustcontactyourregistrarbeoretheexpirationdateoyourdomainiyouintend

torenewtheregistration,unlessyouhavesigneduporanyautomaticrenewalservices

oferedbyyourregistrar.Whenyourstregisteradomain,youaregivenachoiceoselectingaone-year,

orlonger,registrationperiod.Youshouldkeeptrackotheexpirationdate,andiyouintendtorenew

yourdomainname,dosobeorethatdate.Yourregistrarcanalsosendyourenewalnoticesaslong

asyourcontactdataremainsaccurate.Thismakesiteasiertorenewontime.Youshouldbecertainto

checkthatarenewalnoticeisactuallyromyourregistrarorecord,andnotromareselleroranother

registrarseekingtoattractyourbusinessawayromyourcurrentregistrar.

Generictop-leveldomainnamesundercontractwithICANNcanberegisteredoramaximumo10

yearsatatimeand,consistentwiththeserules,youcanincreasetheperiodoregistrationatanytime.

Iyouexpecttouseoyourdomainnameoralongtime,youshouldconsiderregisteringorrenewing

itormorethanoneyear.

Somedomainregistrantsdecidetotranseradomaintoanotherregistrarwhenitistimetorenewa

registration.Asthedomainnameregistrarmarketplaceishighlycompetitive,anewregistrarmayofer

bettertermsorrenewaliyoudecidetotranseryourregistration.

Finally, ICANN’sSecurityand StabilityAdvisoryCommittee (SSAC)hasproducedan advisory,titled

RenewalConsiderationsorDomainNameRegistrants,whichisavailableathttp://www.icann.org/en/

committees/security/renewal-advisory-29jun06.pdf .

14What happens i I orget to renew my domain name?

Itusedtobethatiyouorgottorenewyourdomainnamebeoreyourregistrationex-

pired,youwereoutoluckisomeoneelseimmediatelyregisteredit.Inthepastewyears,

however,therewerecomplaintsaboutregistrantslosingtherightstotheirdomainnamesastheresult

http://reports.internic.net/cgi/whois?whois_nic=icann.org&type=domain


http://www.icann.org/en/committees/security/renewal-advisory-29jun06.pdf








10

oerror,inadvertenceorraud.Toaddresstheseconcerns,some,butnotall,registrarshaveinstituteda

redemptiongraceperiodorexpireddomainnames,sometimesreerredtoastheRGP.

UndertheRGP,deletionoaname—whetherintentionalornot—resultsina30-dayDeletedName

RedemptionGracePeriod.Thedomainnameisplacedonregistry-hold.Onceinregistry-hold,your

domainnamewillnotunction,andyoucannotsendorreceiveemailromthedomainthathasbeen

putonhold,whichshouldalertyoutotheactthatyourregistrationhaslapsed.Aslongasyouare

withinthe30-dayperiod,youcanretrieveyourregistrationthroughyourregistrariitoferstheRGP

service.Yourregistrarcanthenredeemthedomainnameromtheregistrybypayingtherenewaleeandaservicecharge,orwhichitwillchargeyou.Thetotaleechargedbyaregistraroferingthisservice

canbemanytimesthestandardrenewalee,soweadviseyoutoremembertorenewyourdomain

namebeoreitsexpirationdate.Iyourregistrarofersthisservice,youragreementshouldcontainan

explanationotheeeschargedandtheserviceitsel.

Otherregistrarshaveadoptedotherwaystoalertyouiyouailtorenewyourdomainname,suchas

sendingemailandpostalmailnoticationstoremindyoutorenewyourdomain.Reertoyouragree-

mentwithyourregistrartolearnwhetherithassuchapolicyand,iso,howitworks.

Westronglyrecommendthatyoucareullyreviewthetermsoaregistrar’sservicebeoreyouusethat

service.Youalsoshouldrememberthatyourregistrarmaychangethewayitsserviceworksovertime,

andthelongerthetermoyourregistration,themorelikelyitisthatchangesinthetermsoservice

willafectyourregistration.Yourregistrarisobligedtoinormyouochanges,butitisonlyabletodo

soiitcanreliablycontactyou,soitisimportantthatyoukeepyourpersonaldetailsup-to-datewith

yourregistrarandreviewtheoptionsthatareavailableorbeingnotiedbyyourregistrarochanges

toitsservicethatafectyou.

Iyourregistrarofersservicesdesignedtoauto-renewyourregistration(notalldo),theseservices

otendependontheregistrarhavingawaytoautomaticallychargeyouortherenewal.I,orexample,

thatmeanspayingwithacreditcard,andthecardhasexpiredsinceyoulastregisteredyourdomain

name,yourregistrarwillbeunabletoprocesstheregistration.Atthesametime,iyouremailaddress

orpostaladdresschangesandyoudonotkeepthesedetailsup-to-datewithyourregistrar,youmay

notreceiveareminderromyourregistrartellingyouthatyourdomainnameisreachingtheendo

itsregistrationperiod.

Youshouldalsomakesureyouareamiliarwiththereminderservicesthattheregistrarofersiyou

intendtorelyonyourregistrartoremindyouotheimpendingneedtore-registeryourdomainname,

asnotallregistrarsoferreminderservices.

Ingeneral,werecommendthatyoupersonallykeeptrackoyourregistrationdetails,inparticularwhen

yourdomainnameexpires.Youshouldgooutoyourwaytomakesurethatanydomainnamethat

youwishtokeepisalwaysre-registeredbeoreitsregistrationexpires.

15How do I transer a domain name that I have already registered?

YoucanreelytranseradomainnameregisteredinagTLDtoanotherregistraraslong

asmorethan60dayshavepassedsinceitwasregisteredorpreviouslytranserred,and

nootherexclusionsstatedintheInter-RegistrarTranserPolicy(IRTP)apply.YoucanviewtheIRTPat:http://icann.org/en/transfers/ .Peopleconsidertransersoravarietyoreasons,includingpotentialcosts

savings,value-addedserviceandcustomerservice.Youshouldnot,however,trytotranseraname

shortlybeorearegistrationexpires,orthetransermightnotsucceed.Thetranseroadomainname

cantakevecalendardays,andithetranserails,youcantryagain,andthatsecondattemptcould

alsotakeuptovedays.Becauseopotentialdelaysinthetranserprocess,werecommendthatyou

transeryourdomainnamewellbeoreitsregistrationisscheduledtoexpire.

Some registrars oer email or

postal reminders that your do-

main name registration period

is about to expire. Others do

not. Or they may not be ableto remind you if your email or

postal address has changed

since you last registered your do-

main name. Mark your calendar

clearly when your registration is

about to expire and contact your

registrar with plenty of time to

renew your registration.

http://icann.org/en/transfers/

http://icann.org/en/transfers/



11

ICANN’sapprovaloatranserpolicyisintendedtoincreaseyouroptionswhenregisteringdomain

names,and toencourageregistrarstocompeteor yourbusiness.Theprocessisdesignedsothat

youcanconrmthatatranserisrequestedinaashionthatnotiesboththegainingandthelosing

registrarsoyourintention,andreducesthepossibilityoraudulenttransers.

Eachregistrarisallowedtodevelopitsowntranserproceduresanddeadlinesaslongastheyareclear,

concise,andmeetcertainICANNcontractualrequirements.Youshouldthereorechecktherelevant

requirementswithyourcurrentandproposedregistrars.Dependingontheirprocedures,youwillprob-

ablyneedtoinitiatetherequestwiththenewregistrar.Onceithasconrmedtherequest,itwillsendatranserrequesttotheTLDregistryinvolved.Theregistrywillthencommunicatewithyourcurrent

registrar,whomayseektoconrmthetranserwithyouandthensendanacceptanceorrejection

noticebacktotheregistry,whichwillnotiythenewregistrar.

Iyourcurrentregistrardoesnothing,thetranserwillproceed.Iitdeniesthetranser,itmustgivea

validreasonordoingso.Thenewregistrarthenadvisesyouwhenatranseriscomplete.Whilethis

procedurecanseemcomplicated,inpracticeitworksrelativelysmoothly.

NotethattotranseranyregistereddomainnameinanygTLD,theregistryrequiresthatyouconrm

anauthorizationcode(alsocalledanauthcode).Theauthcodeisuniquetoeachdomainnameand

isassignedbytheregistrarwhenyouregisteryourdomainname.Checkwithyourcurrentregistrar

todetermineyourauthcodeiyoudonotknowitbecauseyouwillneedtoprovideittoyournew

registrarto initiatea transer.Someregistrarswillgiveyouaccesstotheauthcodeviathedomain

managementsectionotheirwebsite.

Youshouldalsoreviewwhetherthedomainnameyouwishtotranserisinastatecalledregistrarlock,

whichcanhelppreventinadvertentorraudulentdomaintransersorregistrationrecordchangesrom

takingplacewithoutyourexpressknowledge.

Yourregistrarmayautomaticallyenableregistrarlockoravarietyoreasons.Ingeneral,however,you

shouldndthatthereisawaytounlockthedomainnameintheonlineinteraceormanagingyour

registrationatyourregistrar’swebsite.



12

16Can I buy and sell a domain name?

Aregistrant,orpersonwhoregistersadomainnameownstherightstousethatregistration

duringtheperiodotimeheorshechosewhenregisteringitorrenewingtheregistration.

Itispossibletochangetheregistrationrecordoradomaintoindicatethatanotherpersonororganiza-

tionhasbecometheregistrantorecordorthatdomain.Theregistrarmayormaynotchargebyor

thisprocess,althoughdependingonwhetheranauctionoratermarketrmisinvolved,theremaybe

otherees.Thenewregistrantmustestablishanaccountwiththeregistrarorecord.Todeterraud,

mostregistrarsrequiresomedocumentationromthecurrentregistrantthataregistrationchangeistheirdesire.

Beaware,however,thatwhenyouregisteradomainname,youagree:

That the registration does not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party.

That you are not registering the domain name for an unlawful purpose.

That you will not knowingly use the domain name in violation of any applicable

laws or regulations.

Somecountries’ lawsprohibit registrantsromregisteringspecicdomainnamesthattheyintend

toselltoacompanyorindividualthatmayhaveintellectualpropertyrightstothosenames.Under

ICANN’sUniormDomainNameDisputeResolutionPolicy,orUDRP,onepartycanchallengeanother

party’sdomainnameregistrationonsimilargrounds.ViolationotheUDRPcanresultinoreitureo

yourdomainnameand,insomecases,alsohaveconsequencesunderdomesticlaw.

Youshouldcareullyreviewtheapplicablelawsandrulesiyouareconsideringregisteringadomain

nametoreselltheregistration,orisomeonecontactsyouoferingtosellyouaregistrationinaname

thatseemsquitesimilartonamesassociatedwithyou,ortheidentity,goods,services,orwebsiteo

yourorganizationorbusiness.

17Where do I go or help with domain name problems?

Iyouhaveaproblemwithyourregistrar,youshouldrsttrytoresolveitdirectly.Iyou

havebeendealingwitharesellerora registrar,youshouldbeginbyworkingwiththe

reseller.Itheresellerisunresponsiveorunavailable,thenyoushoulddealdirectlywiththeregistraro

recordoryourdomain.Iyoucannotresolveyourcomplaintwithyourregistrar,youshouldcontact

theagenciesinvolvedinaddressingcustomercomplaintsorconsumerprotectionauthoritiesinyourarea,orwhereyourregistrardoesbusiness.SeetheAdditionalInormationsectionothisGuideor

reerencestomaterialsonconsumerprotection.

WhileICANNdoesnotresolveindividualcustomercomplaintsthatalloutsideoitscontractswith

registrars,wedoaccreditallregistrarsoferingregistrationservicesingTLDs.Forthisreason,ICANN

monitorscomplaintstodiscernithereisatrendwithrespecttoaparticularregistrar.Youcansubmita

complaintaboutaregistrartoICANNbyusingtheormavailableattheInterNICwebsiteathttp://reports.

internic.net/cgi/registrars/problem-report.cgi .Acopyothecomplaintisautomaticallyorwardedto

yourregistrarorreview.Forurtherinormation,pleasereviewtheHow to Get Help When You Have a

Problem with Your Registrar pageontheICANNwebsiteathttp://www.icann.org/en/announcements/

announcement-06mar07-en.htm.ICANNalsoemploysstafdedicatedtohelpingensurethatregistries

andregistrarscomplywiththetermsotheiragreementswithICANN,includingthoseintendedtoprotectregistrants.

18How do I handle domain name disputes?

Iyourdisputeiswitharegistrar,seeQuestion17.Iyourdisputeiswithathirdparty,then

theremedydependsonthenatureothecomplaint.Thousandsocasesinvolvingtrade-

markdisputeshavebeenresolvedbytheUniormDomainNameDisputeResolutionPolicy(UDRP).

Question19providesmoreinormationabouttheURDP.

http://reports.internic.net/cgi/registrars/problem-report.cgi



http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-06mar07.htm



http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-06mar07-en.htm











13

19What is the UDRP (Uniorm Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy)?

AllICANN-accreditedregistrarshaveagreedtoollowaUniormDisputeResolutionPolicy

toresolvedisputesovertheregistrationanduseodomainnames.Duringregistration,each

registrantagreestoabidebythispolicy.Whilelitigationbetweenthepartiesremainsanoption,theuse

othisproceduretoaddressallegedlyabusiveregistrationsuchascybersquattingcanresolveadispute

withoutthecostanddelayssometimesencounteredincourt.

ToinitiateUDRPproceduresinasituationinwhichyoubelieveanotherpartyhasengagedinanabusive

registration,youcanleacomplaintwithoneothe dispute resolution service providersreerredto

onthe ICANN UDRP pageathttp://www.icann.org/en/dndr/udrp/policy.htm .Shouldyoubecomethe

respondentordeendantinsuchaproceeding,youshouldreviewtheselinkstolearnmoreinormation

abouttheprocedurescomplainant’sprovider,andhowyoucandeendyourposition.Youmayalsowish

toconsultwithaqualiedattorney.

20How can I help protect mysel rom spam, phishing and other Internet raud?

Herearesomestepsthatyoucantaketohelpprotectyourselromsomeotheriskso

usingtheInternet.

Watchoutorunsolicitedoferstoregisterdomainnamesasrenewalsornewregistrations.Youshould

notassumethatarenewalnoticeisromyourregistrar.Itcouldberomanotherregistrarseekingyour

business.Iyoureceivesuchanotice,youshouldcheckallthedetailscareully.Forexample,doesithave

thepropernameoyourwebsiteaddressordomainname?Istheextensionidentical,oristhesender

tryingtogetyoutoregisterthesamesecond-levelnameinotherTLD(orccTLD)extensions?Insome

cases,resellersorregistrarswillsendmisleadingrenewalnoticesthat,ipaid,willinitiateatransero

thedomainnameregistrationtothem.

Keeparecordothedetailsoyourdomainnameregistration(s),includingeachregistrarorecordand

eachdateoexpiration.

ChecktheWhoisdatabaseperiodicallytoensurethatitreectsaccurateinormation,includingyour

contactdatadetails.Yourregistrarmayoferyoutheabilitytoplacealockonyourdomainnamereg-

istration,sometimesoranadditionalee.Alockpreventschangestoyourregistrationrecordwithout

yourexpressauthorization.

Avoidemailingpersonalornancialinormation.Iyougetanunsolicitedemail

romacompanyorgovernmentagencyaskingoryourpersonalinorma-

tion,contactthecompanyoragencycitedintheemailusingatelephone

numberyouknowtobegenuine,orstartanewInternetsessionand

typeintheWebaddressthatyouknowiscorrect.

Inaddition,youcanreportspam,phishingandotherInternetraud

activitiestotheconsumerprotectionauthoritieswhereyoureside.

OnepublicationthatcontainshelpulinormationistheAustralian

CompetitionandConsumerCommission’snoticeon“Domainname

renewal/registrations”—publishedathttp://www.accc.gov.au/content/

index.phtml/itemId/54057 .

Consumergroupsworldwideotenprovidecomprehensiveadviceonhowtopro-

tectyourselandyourcomputer.ConsumerReportsWebWatchprovidesonesuchresource

athttp://www.consumerwebwatch.org/consumer-center.cfm.

Finally,21countrieshavecometogethertoprovideanonlineresourcewhereyoucanle

complaintsaboutonlineraudandotherproblems.CalledeConsumer,thesiteisavailablein

severallanguagesathttp://www.econsumer.gov/ .

http://www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm

http://www.icann.org/udrp/udrp.htm

http://www.icann.org/en/dndr/udrp/policy.htm


http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/54057


http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/consumer-center.cfm

http://www.econsumer.gov/



http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/consumer-center.cfm




http://www.icann.org/udrp/udrp.htm

http://www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm



14

21What do I need to remember about my domain name registration?

Hereisachecklistreminderoalltheinormationprovidedinthequestionsabove.

Use valid addresses and contact information for the domain name registration.

Keep the information updated in the domain record should you move or change your

email address.

Consider using a lock on your domain registration if your registrar oers it. This can helpprevent inadvertent or fraudulent domain transfers or registration record changes from

occurring without your express knowledge.

Check Whois information on a regular basis to verify the information presented about

your domain.

You will – in compliance with ICANN’s rules for registrars – be contacted annually by

the registrar of record for your domain (even if you registered your name with a reseller

aliated with that registrar) to verify that the contact information for your domain

registration record is accurate.

Keep track of your registration renewal dates to ensure domain name renewals occur

before expiration.

Carefully review any domain name registration renewal oers to ensure that they are

indeed from your registrar.



15

ADDIT IONAl INfOrMATION Theollowingorganizationsandwebsitesareamongseveralthatcontainuseulinormation

concerningdomainnamesandthesaeuseotheInternetmoregenerally:

Australia’sCompetitionandConsumerCommission:


DepartmentoBroadband,CommunicationsandtheDigitalEconomy:

http://www.dbcde.gov.au/

eConsumer:


ICANNAt-Large(individualInternetuser)community:

http://atlarge.icann.org

ICANN:

www.icann.org

InterNIC:

www.internic.net

UnitedStatesFederalTradeCommission:

www.ftc.gov

CommentsonandsuggestedupdatestothisGuideshouldbe

sentto [email protected].

GlOSSAry

DN DomainName

DNS DomainNameSystem

IANA InternetAssignedNumbersAuthority

ICANN InternetCorporationorAssignedNamesandNumbers

IDNs InternationalizedDomainNames

IETF InternetEngineeringTaskForce

IP InternetProtocol

ISP InternetServiceProvider

RGP RedemptionGracePeriod

TLD Top-leveldomain

ccTLD Countrycodetop-leveldomain

gTLD Generictop-leveldomain

UDRP UniormDomainNameDisputeResolutionPolicy

URL UniormResourceLocator




http://atlarge.icann.org/



http://www.ftc.gov/



http://www.ftc.gov/



http://atlarge.icann.org/






About ICANN ToreachanotherpersonontheInternetyouhavetotypeanaddressintoyourcomputer-anameoranumber.Thataddress

hastobeuniquesocomputersknowwheretondeachother.ICANNcoordinatestheseuniqueidentiersacrosstheworld.

Withoutthatcoordinationwewouldn’thaveoneglobalInternet.ICANNwasormedin1998.Itisanot-or-protpublic-benet

corporationwithparticipantsromallovertheworlddedicatedtokeepingtheInternetsecure,stableandinteroperable.It

promotescompetitionanddevelopspolicyontheInternet’suniqueidentiers.ICANNdoesn’tcontrolcontentontheIn-

ternet.Itcannotstopspamanditdoesn’tdealwithaccesstotheInternet.ButthroughitscoordinationroleotheInternet’s

namingsystem,itdoeshaveanimportantimpactontheexpansionandevolutionotheInternet.Formoreinormation

pleasevisit:www.icann.org.

Los Angeles 4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330 Marina del Rey, CA 90292 USA T +1 310 823 9358 F +1 310 823 8649

Silicon Valley 325 Lytton Avenue, Suite 300 Palo Alto, CA 94301 USA T +1 650 684 0200 F +1 650 328 2659

Brussels 6 Rond Point Schuman, Bt. 5 B-1040 Brussels BELGIUM T +32 2 234 7870 F +32 2 234 7848

Washington, DC 1101 New York Avenue NW, Suite 930 Washington, DC 20006 USA T +1 202 570 7240 F +1 202 789 0104

Sydney Level 2, 48 Hunter Street Sydney NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA T +61 2 8236 7900 F +61 2 8236 7913

domain names beginners guide 06dec10 en

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