Nominet, the registry that handles the .uk domains and its family of sub-domains, today proposed its new policy on expiring .uk domains. This new development follows on from previous policy discussions on domain drop lists.
Its new decision sets-out to allow a more transparent and informed process for registrars and the general public to know when an expired domain would be made available for re-registration. It is also considering various methods to release domains which are highly desired and sought after.
Nominet has zeroed in on two aspects, and is inviting suggestions and feedback from stake-holders for the same:
- The first one deals with the time of release for registration of domains. it asks if they should be made available for registration throughout the day at a specific point in time, based on the time stamp of the original registration, or be released at a particular time, say 2 pm every day.
- The second discusses to change the way it releases expired domains for re-registration, since a small fraction of domains are intensely contested for by many parties. It puts forth two options:
- An auction model with two variations
- An economically controlled access to expiring domains
This consultation stems from Nominet’s 2019 .UK Policy Consultation, where it asked stake-holders for input on three important issues, one of them being on expiring domains.
“Our 2019 consultation showed considerable support for a more transparent process. It also raised wider questions on the release of expired domains for which there is intense competition and interest in registering. We felt strongly that changes should only be implemented after full consideration of the whole system. Having assessed a variety of options we are now inviting stakeholder feedback on our proposals,” said Eleanor Bradley, MD Registry and Public Benefit.
Suggestions can be given by 14 August 2020, here. There will also be a virtual round table conference for stake-holders to discuss these issues on 11th August.
