Introducing Episode 3 Of Our Domaining TV Show [Video]
October 5, No CommentsMany domain investors are discovering ccTLD’s and are using them as a diversification strategy against the staple diet of com/net/org.
With that in mind, I recently sat down with George Pongas formerly from Dark Blue Sea (some may know them also as Fabulous) and had a chat about all things .au.
iTunes users – click here to subscribe to the video podcast and keep up to date with the latest episodes.
For everyone else (using a browser), you can check it out on our TV show website.
Happy Birthday Australia – .com.au Market Turns One!
June 2, 1 Comment
Its been a year since auDA changed the rules to allow people to buy and sell Australian domains names.
So, what’s happened since then? My friends at Netfleet clocked up 30,000 domains, 1,500 offers and 105 transactions. Not bad when 99.9% of the population doesn’t understand the basic concept that you can buy/sell these things.
Just to put the icing on the cake; this week mortgage.net.au apparently sold for $13,500! I nearly fell off my chair when I read this – FOR A .NET.AU ? What the? Others include jeweller.com.au for $14,767 and freestuff.com.au for $18,700.
So, at least we are off to a start. It certainly wasn’t the big bang that people said it would be. Why am I not surprised? Despite being an Aussie, I personally haven’t been a fan of the .com.au namespace, but I am warming up to it….
Of course things would be better if the Australian government changed the backward, dysfunctional, judge, jury and executioner, “regulator” who is continuously in the media for all the wrong reasons, making Australia a complete joke on the world stage. Here are a few quotes from recent articles:
“Cheyne Jonstone, of Cove Business Technology, has also called on Senator Conroy to sort out the mess….Senator Stephen Conroy needs to act now and act quickly. The government appointed this body to implement policy and regulate the .au domain name space, but their actions of late demonstrate that they are failing to do that adequately, or more importantly, the actions of their CEO, Chris Disspain.”
“Larry Bloch, CEO and co-founder of Netregistry says Chris Disspain of auDA has acted as judge, jury and executioner by cancelling Bottle Domains’ accreditation so suddenly, here he talks to CRN about how this action is now proving to be grossly negligent.”
“auDA chief Chris Disspain gave iTnews a categoric “no” when asked if the regulator would consider settling the case before it goes to trial on 24th June….. He also said the regulator had a strong enough cash position – some $4.3 million in reserves – to back up a further unfavourable ruling from the Victorian Supreme Court.”
Should auDA exist in its current form? Should there be protests at ICANN’s 35th meeting in Sydney this month, calling for the Australian government to step in, use their reserve powers in relation to domain names (under the Telecommunications Act 1997) and remove auDA? Perhaps transfer it to ACMA or another body, with more experience, that’s truly representative of the industry.
Post and let me know what you think.
.com.au – What Do The auDA Changes Mean?
April 19, No CommentsAbout auDA
For those that don’t know, auDA is a government endorsed entity that was formed in 2000, so administer the .au domain space.
To date, auDA has resisted attempts to open up the .com.au namespace so that anyone can register a domain name. In fact, their policies are just plain prehistoric. Around December 2007, auDA “suspended new registrar accreditation applications”. The auDA board minutes tell us that this was “due to a backlog”, however if you read on it also says “noted some challenges that have arisen recently, with more overseas-based applicants and existing registrars seeking multiple accreditations.” In other words – bunker down kids – those evil domainers are comin!
Policy
Last year, the auDA Names Policy Panel made a recommendation to the auDA board that the transfers policy “be relaxed”. In simple terms, the new policy says:
- You can’t register a domain name”for the sole purpose of resale or transfer to a third party“.
- You can’t transfer your domain name for the first 6 months.
- You can sell a domain name after 6 months.
- If you transfer it to someone else, then you “will be asked to disclose the sale method and price, on a voluntary and confidential basis”.
- auDA may “collect aggregated statistical data to improve access to market information for buyers and sellers.”
So, how is auDA going to enforce these rules? No, really. What’s in it for auDA to collect market data – apart from promoting domain name prices in a heavily regulated market?
How Do I Register?
Before you jump in and say “EUREKA – I’m going to get me some .com.au domains” – you also still need to qualify under the eligibility and allocation rules. This basically means you need to be Australian and/or have a company structure / ABN.
In any case, the media has gotten wind of this and is hyping it up to be an “open market”. While its step in the right direction, the restrictions are still a joke.
Perhaps the Australian Internet industry needs an industry body that represents those that want a free and open, commercial market? Should auDA even exist? What do you think?
