Правила доменов .UK
The .co.uk domain is managed by Nominet UK and is a fully open domain. It is intended for use by commercial enterprises and businesses, and is the largest Second Level Domain in the UK.
The me.uk second level domain was introduced on January 14 2002. It is the first new second level domain to be introduced since we started operating the .uk Registry in 1996. The me.uk Second Level Domain is intended for personal use. Domain Name registrations made under .uk are expected to be made for natural persons, such as Mr John Doe registering johndoe.me.uk. Registrations are made on a first-come, first served basis in accordance with the Rules.
The org.uk Second Level Domain is managed by Nominet UK and is a fully open domain. It is for organisations which do not 'fit' into any of the other Second Level Domains of the .uk Top Level Domain. These may include: charities, trades unions, political parties, community groups, educational councils, professional institutions, etc.
The .ltd.uk and .plc.uk second level domains are operated by us, and are intended for companies. Users are restricted to one name per registrant, and the name that a registrant can have is worked out via a standard set of rules. We believe that this set of rules mirrors, as closely as possible in the domain name system, the system used by Companies House, so you should always be able to have a domain name which closely matches your company name and which has not already been taken by someone else. Because of these requirements, .ltd.uk and .plc.uk are 'restricted' second level domains, ie. to register under these domains you must pass, and continue to pass, the tests set out in the rules. The specific rules for .ltd.uk and .plc.uk are at Clause 10 of the rules , although the general rules also apply. These notes are for guidance only and do not replace or alter the rules. There are two main tests in the .ltd.uk and .plc.uk second level domains. -
The registrant must be (for .ltd.uk) a 'Limited Company' incorporated under the Companies Act 1985, or (for .plc.uk) a 'Public Limited Company' incorporated under the Companies Act 1985; and -
The domain name registered by the applicant must be related to their company name in accordance with the algorithm set out in the rules. Most companies that are entitled to use the word 'Limited', 'Public Limited Company', 'Ltd.' or 'Plc.' in their name are created in this way. Applications are checked by hand, so will take longer than .co.uk or .me.uk applications. Specific Cases -
There are some companies that are created under other statutes (for example Industrial and Provident Societies) which may be entitled to use the word 'Limited' but are not entitled to .ltd.uk domain names. -
Companies which use the exemption under section 30 of the Companies Act 1985 do not use the word 'Limited' in their name but do qualify for a .ltd.uk domain name. -
Welsh companies who are entitled to use 'cyfngedig', 'cyf.', 'cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus' or 'ccc.' are entitled to .ltd.uk and .plc.uk domain names. Changing Name or Status The rules for these second level domains are designed to mimic Companies House. Under Companies House rules, once a company changes its name, it is possible for another to use the name that is no longer in use. The rules therefore state that where a registrant no longer qualifies for the domain name, it can be cancelled. For example: -
if a Limited company becomes a Public Limited Company, they no longer qualify for a .ltd.uk domain name, and it will be cancelled (but they may apply for a .plc.uk domain name); -
if a company changes its name eg. from 'Company (UK) Ltd' to 'ProductName Ltd.' It will no longer qualify for the companyukltd.uk name, which will be cancelled, but it can apply for the productname.ltd.uk name as an alternative; -
if a company never qualified for a .ltd.uk or .plc.uk name but for some reason one was granted anyway, that name can be cancelled; and -
if a company has been removed from the register at Companies House, the domain name can be deleted without further notice.
The net.uk Second Level Domain is a closed domain intended for NIC (Network Information Centre), NOC (Network Operations Centre), and other administrative use, and users are required to be Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Because it is a closed domain registrants must pass, and continue to pass the tests set out in the rules (both generally and the specific clause for this Second Level Domain). In addition to these tests, the use of the domain name is restricted to personal use for the administrative functions. It should not be used for any external functions, such as email for customers. Such use can lead to cancellation of the domain name. The tests are summarised as follows: - the applicant is listed as a local internet protocol (IP) address registry with a regional IP address registry; or
- has an Autonomous System containing hosts in the United Kingdom that is listed with a regional IP address registry and that is continuously or at all reasonable times reachable from major Internet exchange points.
NOTE: Applications are reviewed by a member of staff and so will take longer to issue than the fully automatic co.uk or org.uk domains.
The sch.uk second level domain is used for schools, where the definition of a school is given by the appropriate government agency. Because many schools share similar if not identical names, geographical areas are used as third level domains to differentiate between the schools, so a registration would look something like
schoolname.area.sch.uk
Application procedures for .sch.uk Domain Names in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are all slightly different as are the rules on what can be used a school name and an area name. Full details are in the Schools section of the web site.
Second Level Domain Policy for the .uk Top Level Domain ("SLD Policy")A. Introduction1. This SLD Policy summarises the policy of Nominet UK (Nominet) as the manager and trustee of the .uk Top Level Domain regarding the creation of new Second Level Domains (SLDs) within the .uk namespace. 2. The SLD Policy should be read in conjunction with the SLD Procedure, which summarises the procedure for the selection of operators of registry services for new SLDs within the .uk namespace. 3. The SLD Policy and the SLD Procedure will take effect from 1 March 2004 and apply to any new SLD created after that date, whether the SLD is open to all registrants in the Domain Name System (DNS) or is closed, i.e. reserved for members of a defined, limited community. 4. Nominet may make modifications to the SLD Policy and SLD Procedure at any time following a process of open public consultation. Such changes will be published in advance (where practicable, 30 days in advance) on our web site: http://www.nominet.org.uk/ and will become effective upon the date specified therein. 5. In this SLD Policy the following words and phrases will have the following meanings: DNS - The Domain Name System: a distributed database which allows for the universal resolution of domain names into their underlying internet protocol numbers. Internet protocol numbers identify the machines on which e-mail or web services are hosted; Panel - A panel of 5 independent persons, consisting of a chairperson and 4 other Panellists (as described in section B of the SLD Procedure), which will assess each application in accordance with the SLD Policy and the SLD Procedure; SLD- A second level domain under the .uk namespace. For a further explanation of the domain name structure, please see Nominet's Rules for the .uk Domain . For "applicant" or "application" in the SLD Policy, please read "applicants" or "applications" where appropriate in the context. B. General principles of the SLD PolicyThe elements set out in this paragraph ‘B’ numbered 1 to 4 inclusive (and in the case of closed SLDs B5 also) are mandatory and of equal importance. 1. An SLD should have the following purposes: - to act as a mnemonic for users of the DNS. For this reason the SLD should be as short as practicable (ideally, 2 or 3 letters long);
- to help identify the community of (potential) registrants for whom the SLD is intended; and
- to facilitate the location of Internet resources in the UK.
2. The general view of both the UK Internet community and Nominet is that the approach to creating new namespaces within the DNS should be measured and responsible in respecting primarily the stability of existing Internet namespaces. Nominet's policy is that any new SLD should fulfil the following requirements: - it should add sensibly to the existing DNS hierarchy;
- it should not create or add to confusion amongst Internet users in locating the Internet resources they seek. It may reduce or remove confusion amongst Internet users by better enabling the location of such Internet resources;
- it should be likely to introduce new registrants, rather than to create a proliferation of defensive or duplicative registrations; and
- it should be likely to meet previously unmet needs of potential registrants. In respect of a specified class of existing registrants, it should better meet their needs than the existing suite of SLDs.
3. No SLD should be created if its uses and functions are wholly or substantially contained within the charter of any single existing SLD. 4. SLDs should serve a significant community of potential registrants. For this reason: - a closed SLD should not normally be created where a open SLD would better serve the interests of the Internet community; and
- a new SLD should not normally be created where a new SLD with a wider charter would better serve the interests of the Internet community.
5. For closed SLDs, the applicant should demonstrate that: - the relevant community can be clearly defined and has needs and interests in common which are distinguishable from those of the broader Internet community; and
- that there is support within the relevant community for the proposed SLD.
6. The SLD Procedure will be run according to the general principles for the SLD Policy as listed in section B and the whole of the SLD Policy will form the selection criteria for the SLD Procedure. C. General principles for the assessment of applicants1. It is the view of both the UK Internet community and Nominet that applications should appropriately respect the stability of the Internet (in accordance with paragraphs B1 to B5 above) and also should be assessed on a transparent, objective and non-discriminatory basis. Specifically the following principles will apply: - applications will be chosen on a merit basis by independent assessment in accordance with the SLD Procedure;
- applications will be subject to open competition;
- competitive applications will be subject to public consultation;
- applications will be assessed in the light of quality, efficiency, reliability and the maintenance of the stability of the Internet;
- Nominet itself will be subject to the SLD Policy and to the SLD Procedure and, should it choose to make an application, it will apply on the same basis, and be subject to the same criteria as, other applicants; and
- applications will attract a fee calculated on a full cost-recovery basis.
2. In assessing applications, the Panel will have discretion as to what weight to give the different criteria set out in this Policy, and will also have regard to consultation responses. All applications must demonstrate to the Panel's satisfaction that the proposed SLD meets the criteria set out at B1-B5. The Panel must also be satisfied that the applicant has demonstrated that it is capable of running the SLD in a fair and efficient manner, has procured firm commitments for all necessary resources, and has demonstrated sensible and realistic operational, technical, financial, business, marketing and legal plans. The Panel will take reasonable steps to verify any claims or matters on which the Panel bases its decision, and applications should therefore be presented in a manner that enables the Panel to verify claims made in it. The criteria set out below are non-exhaustive and are primarily intended to assist applicants and Panellists alike in preparing or assessing applications. The Panel will have discretion as to what relative weight to give the different criteria in each case. The Panel will give due regard to the qualifications and relevant experience of the applicants (and proposed staff). D. Operational and technical requirements1. Applicants must set out comprehensive operational plans to describe the processes and services offered by applicants themselves and/or where appropriate third parties to ensure the quality, efficiency, reliability and accessibility of the operation and management of the proposed SLD. Such operational plans should include (but need not be limited to) the following aspects: - every aspect of registration and renewal, including outline rules for the SLD, the length of registration periods, methods of registration whether electronic or manual, the registration policy whether first come first served or otherwise, the extent of any pre-vetting of applications and how the registration policy is to be applied in an objective and fair manner;
- every aspect of the transfer and cancellation of domain names within the proposed SLD;
- invoicing and debt recovery;
- a detailed description of the proposed structure for how registrations will be made, for example whether through registration agents or otherwise. If a system of registration agents (or equivalent) is proposed, the application should describe in outline the contractual arrangements, how registration agents join or are accepted and details of how registrants who wish to do so may move domain names from one registration agent (see paragraph F1) to another;
- a detailed description of the policy and methods for allocating domain names in a fair and timely manner during any start-up period;
- disaster recovery procedures to respond to any form of failure, whether or not limited to failure of the proposed SLD;
- the possible existence of alternative registry operations in the event of business failure of the applicant. This is not a requirement necessarily to identify an alternative registry operator, but is a requirement at least to be in a position to transfer operation of all processes involved in the applicant's operation of the proposed SLD, and to communicate with and support its customers and/or all relevant stakeholders during any period of transition;
- regular testing (preferably by an external party) of (a) the applicant's current processes, (b) disaster recovery procedures and (c) possible alternative registry operations in the event of business failure of the applicant;
- responding to future potential changes in Internet protocol or other relevant developments;
- processes for discouraging excessive duplicative or defensive registrations in the event of future increased proliferation of other SLDs or Top Level Domains; and
- other relevant or diversified services, which may include (in the case of closed SLDs) services tailored to any relevant specific Internet community under paragraph F4 below.
2. The applicant must demonstrate strong and sound technical ability, and the application must set out satisfactory provision for each of the following: - the continued, correct and unimpaired operation of the SLD by the applicant (if successful);
- minimisation of unscheduled outages of registry or registration systems due to technical failures or malicious activity of others;
- ensuring consistent compliance with technical requirements in the operation of the SLD;
- an analysis of the effect of the new SLD on the operation and performance of the DNS in general and the root-server and UK name server systems in particular;
- measures to promote rapid correction of any technical difficulties that occur (whether or not due to the SLD's operation), such as availability of accurate, consistent, and helpful Whois information; and
- provisions for orderly and reliable allocation of domain names during the initial period of the SLD's operation.
E. Financial and other qualities of applicants1. The applicant, as an SLD operator, must act in the interests of the UK Internet community as a trustee of the delegated SLD, and must demonstrate its ability to do so, and the mechanisms by which this will be achieved. Existing experience of the operation of Internet registry or other Internet services may help to demonstrate such ability. Appropriate mechanisms may include (but need not be limited to): - stakeholder participation in the development of policy; and
- adequate communication with stakeholders.
2. The applicant must demonstrate the measures it proposes to take to minimise the risk to registrants from its own business or financial failure, both in terms of minimising the chances of such an occurrence, and minimising its effect by mechanisms including, but not limited to, data escrow. 3. The applicant must demonstrate its financial security and stability, in a way consistent with the nature of the tasks undertaken for operating the proposed SLD, as detailed in the business model described at section F below (the "Business Model"). 4. In demonstrating its financial security and stability, the applicant should provide adequate information about each of the following: - the applicant's sources of existing or guaranteed funding;
- an adequate level and range of insurances;
- the anticipated costs and capital requirements of each element of the Business Model;
- the applicant's proposed arrangements for monies to be held in escrow to meet the cost of maintaining and transferring the operation of the proposed SLD in the event of the business failure of the applicant and before appointment of a replacement operator. This applies whether such monies are paid on a lump-sum basis or on a profit-percentage basis or through insurance; and
- details of external audits to be performed on the applicant during the period of its operation of the proposed SLD.
5. In relation specifically to the factors listed at paragraph E4 above and generally to the content of the Business Model at section F below, the applicant is alerted to the contractual provisions listed at Paragraph L5 of the SLD Procedure. 6. The application must identify proposed senior staff of the applicant (by name) and provide a curriculum vitae (‘CV’) for each. The CV must provide all relevant details about the proposed staff member’s skills, past experience and also specify which proposed role the staff member will (or does) fill in the applicant organisation, and what that role entails. F. Business Model - value of name and choice among users1. The application must demonstrate in the Business Model that potential registrants will have an adequate choice of registration agents who may offer registrations within the proposed SLD on competitive terms. If the Business Model does not include a wide choice of registration agents freely operating in the market, the application must provide a satisfactory explanation as to why this will not hinder the registration agent market. 2. The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate that the benefits offered to existing and potential registrants in terms of increased choice between SLDs outweigh the likely costs imposed on existing and potential registrants in other SLDs who may consider themselves obliged to make defensive registrations to protect their rights. 3. In relation to both closed and open SLDs, the application must include evidence of genuine demand for the proposed SLD from potential registrants and users (rather than the Internet industry) together with market projections and analysis. 4. The applicant must demonstrate how it seeks to develop policy with regard to the interests of each relevant stakeholder group, whether it is the specific community relevant to a closed SLD or the Internet community in general. G. Legal1. The application must demonstrate provision for the adequate protection of both registrant and third party rights, both in terms of a suitable start-up mechanism, and the resolution of domain name disputes. 2. The application must demonstrate how the registry will ensure compliance with all applicable legislation, and in particular with UK data protection legislation. 3. The application must make adequate provision for Whois service that strikes an appropriate balance between providing information to the public regarding domain name registrations in a convenient manner and offering mechanisms to preserve personal privacy. 4. The applicant must demonstrate that there are no legal impediments to the transfer of responsibility for operating the SLD either to Nominet or to a third party as appropriate in the event of business failure. 5. It is a generally accepted principle within the world-wide Internet community that a country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) registry should be based in the country which the ccTLD denotes. Nominet adheres to this principle, which is expressed in a number of documents, including RFC1591, a document widely respected by many ccTLD operators. For this reason, the applicant, if successful, must agree to operate under UK law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the UK courts. If other than English law, the applicant must specify which legal system within the UK it wishes to operate under. The applicant, if its general operations are not based in the UK, must demonstrate an ability to operate the relevant SLD with a sufficiently informed understanding of the circumstances and interests of the likely UK-based registrant constituency for the SLD. The applicant may, for instance, demonstrate such an ability through the establishment of a UK branch.
Rules of Registration and Use of Domain Names
IMPORTANT: The purpose of this document is to describe the Nominet (UK) ("We", "Our" or "Us") rules for the registration and use of domain names within the .uk domain and its sub-domains (the "Rules"). The Rules as amended from time to time form part of our terms and conditions and are part of your contract of registration with us. The terms and conditions are here. Except where otherwise stated in the Rules, the definitions used in the terms and conditions apply to the Rules. Domain Name Definitions 1.1 <internet.co.uk> is a domain name ("Domain Name"). A Domain Name is made up of several levels of domains. In the Domain Name <internet.co.uk> the <.uk> is called the top or first level domain, the <.co> is the second level domain and <internet> is the third level domain. In the Domain Name <fourth.internet.co.uk> the domain <fourth> is called a fourth level domain and <.internet> is a third level domain, <.co> is a second level domain and <.uk> is a top level domain. In these Rules the terms top level domain ("TLD"), second level domain ("SLD") and third level domain ("Third Level Domain") and fourth level domain ("Fourth Level Domain") will be used accordingly (see Fig 1). Figure 1. 1.2 The SLD is a sub-domain of the TLD. The Third Level Domain is a sub-domain of the SLD. The Fourth Level Domain is a sub-domain of the Third Level Domain. (see Fig 1). 1.3 .uk Domain Names can only be registered within a particular SLD. For example the Domain Name internet.co.uk is registered within the .co SLD. 1.4 When an application for registration of a Domain Name is submitted to us by you, or on your behalf, you are an applicant. If your application is successful your Domain Name will be registered by us and you will be the registrant. Registration of Domain Names - SLDs administered by us 2.1 The Rules have been made by us in our capacity as designated manager for the .uk TLD with the authority of the UK Internet Community. 2.2 We administer the SLDs within the .uk TLD (except for the SLDs listed in Appendix B below) and determine which SLDs are available for registration of a Domain Name within the .uk TLD. A list of the SLDs which are administered by us are listed in Appendices A & C below. 2.3 Each application by you for a Domain Name must be an application to register one Third Level Domain within one particular SLD listed in Appendix A. 2.4 Certain organisations have registered Domain Names with us and these organisations may offer to register a Fourth Level Domain for you as a sub-domain of their Domain Name. We do not accept responsibility for any registration of Fourth Level Domains by you with other organisations, nor do we control the naming of these Fourth Level Domains by these Rules or otherwise. 2.5 Each SLD listed in Appendix A has its own specific rules ("SLD Rules"). All of the SLD Rules form part of the Rules. Where there is a conflict between the Rules and the SLD Rules, the SLD Rules take precedence. 2.6 If your application to register a Domain Name within an SLD listed in Appendix A is successful, this in no way entitles you to any right to or registration of any other Domain Name. For example an application to register the Domain Name internet.co.uk will not entitle you to a registration for the Domain Name internet.xyz.co.uk or the Domain Name internet.org.uk. -
Other SLDs 3.1 The SLDs listed in Appendix B, as amended from time to time, have been delegated to and are administered by other entities as trustees. 3.2 We do not administer the SLDs in Appendix B and therefore do not accept applications for registration of a Domain Name within these SLDs. If you would like to submit an application to register a Domain Name within these SLDs, please click on the appropriate link in Appendix B to access information on and the identity of the administrators of these SLDs. 3.3 Appendix C lists other SLDs administered by us which are reserved for specific purposes. -
General Rules 4.1 We reserve the right to check your application for compliance with the Rules either before or after your Domain Name is registered or renewed with us. 4.2 We will accept applications which comply with the Rules and register Domain Names on a first come first served basis. This means that, except where set out in the SLD Rules, we will not vet your application to: - restrict who may apply for and register Domain Names; or
- restrict which Domain Names may be held by you; or
- restrict the number of Domain Names which may be held by you.
4.3 If your application is for a Domain Name which is identical to a Domain Name which has already been registered with us, your application will be rejected. Note that domain names are not case sensitive, so that internet.co.uk is the same as InTeRnEt.co.uk, and accordingly cannot be separately registered. Thus these Rules are drafted on the assumption that all letters are lower case. 4.4 We do not impose restrictions on your status as applicant for the registration of a Domain Name in the following SLDs ("Open SLDs"): - 4.4.1 .co.uk; or
- 4.4.2 .org.uk.
In the SLD Charter of the SLD Rules for the Open SLDs we do set out certain intentions regarding the class of applicant or use of registrations of the Domain Name which we assume you will comply with when applying for a registration of a Domain Name within an Open SLD. However, we do not forbid applications, and will take no action in respect of registrations that do not comply with the SLD Charters. We may request certain information from you regarding your legal identity when you make an application for or seek to amend the registration of a Domain Name in the Open SLDs. 4.5 For any application by you for a Domain Name within the remaining available SLDs listed in Appendix A ("Closed SLDs") we do specify certain criteria in the "Requirements on Applicants" section of the SLD Rules which you must comply with before your application for a Domain Name in a Closed SLD can be accepted by us. 4.6 As set out in our terms and conditions, we may cancel or suspend the registration of a Domain Name if you breach any of the Rules. 4.7 Some Domain Names and SLDs have been allocated to registrants or to other organisations for historical reasons. No change in these rules will affect the validity of a Domain Name registration which was registered before the date of that change unless, in Nominet's sole discretion, technical reasons require that such a change shall effect the validity of an existing Domain Name registration. -
Restrictions on Domain Names 5.1 If the Third Level Domain in your application does not meet the requirements in this section then your application cannot be accepted by us. 5.2 The Third Level Domain may only contain the following thirty-seven characters ("Characters") or a combination thereof: 5.2.1 the twenty-six unaccented Roman letters (i.e. a-z inclusive); 5.2.2 the ten western digits (i.e. 0-9 inclusive); and 5.2.3 hyphens. 5.3 The first or last Characters of a Third Level Domain may not be a hyphen. 5.4 Nominet does not offer Internationalised Domain Names and so domain names that start with the characters "xn--" (i.e. "xn" followed by two dashes) may not be registered. 5.5 A Third Level Domain may not be one Character long. For example, an application to register 1.co.uk or a.co.uk would be rejected. 5.6 For the SLDs co.uk, me.uk, org.uk, and net.uk, a Third Level Domain may not consist of only two letters. For example, an application to register ie.co.uk, -a.co.uk or e-.co.uk would be rejected. For the avoidance of doubt Third Level Domains containing a letter and a number or two numbers are permitted thus 2a.co.uk, a2.co.uk, or 22.co.uk are acceptable. 5.7 Until further notice, the Domain Name (e.g. internet.co.uk) may not be more than sixty-four Characters long in total, including the SLD and TLD. We intend to allow longer domain names, where the third level domain has a maximum of 63 Characters. This change will be brought in when possible and the amended limit shall take effect when announced on Nominet's website. 5.8 For the SLDs co.uk, me.uk, org.uk, and net.uk, a Third Level Domain may not be identical to any existing SLD (as listed in Appendices A, B and C to the Rules), or any SLD under .uk the creation of which has formally been announced by Nominet. For example, an application to register org.co.uk or nhs.co.uk would be rejected. 5.9 For the SLDs co.uk, me.uk, org.uk, and net.uk a Third Level Domain may not be identical to an existing TLD or any TLD the formal approval of which has been announced by ICANN (or any replacement body which controls the creation of new TLDs). For example, an application to register uk.co.uk. eu.org.uk or com.co.uk would be rejected. -
Appendices APPENDIX A Our SLDs (second level domains) | Domain | SLD purpose | | co.uk | Commercial entities and purposes | | ltd.uk | Private limited companies | | me.uk | Personal names | | net.uk | Internet Service Providers' infrastructure | | org.uk | Not-for-profit entities | | plc.uk | Public limited companies | 6.2 APPENDIX B SLDs administered by third-party registrars as trustees. | Domain | SLD expected use | | ac.uk | Higher and further education and research institution | | gov.uk | National, regional, and local government bodies and agencies | | mod.uk and mil.uk | Military and related purposes | | nhs.uk | National Health Service | | police.uk | Police forces | 6.3 APPENDIX C SLDs which are operated by Nominet but for restricted use. | Domain | SLD expected use | | nic.uk | Network use only | | sch.uk | Schools | -
Specific Rules for registration in the .co.uk SLD 7.1 Introduction These are the specific rules for the .co.uk SLD, administered directly by us. They form part of and, in the case of conflict, take precedence over the Rules. 7.2. SLD Charter Domain Names registered in the .co.uk SLD are intended to be used for commercial purposes, and the Third Level Domains are intended to reflect and be related to these purposes. -
Specific Rules for registration in the .org.uk SLD 8.1 Introduction These are the specific rules for the .org.uk SLD, administered directly by us. They form part of and, in the case of conflict, take precedence over the Rules. 8.2. SLD Charter Registrants in .org.uk are intended to be not-for-profit or public service enterprises, and a Third Level Domain within this SLD is intended to be related to these enterprises and their activities. These may include, as non-exhaustive examples, charities, trades unions, political parties, community groups, educational councils, and professional institutions. -
Specific rules for the .me.uk SLD 9.1 Introduction These are the specific rules for the .me.uk SLD, administered directly by us. They form part of and, in the case of conflict, take precedence over the Rules. 9.2 Charter The .me.uk SLD is intended to provide a personal namespace within the .uk Top Level Domain. Unless Rules 9.4 or 9.5 apply, registrants of .me.uk domain names must be, and remain at all times, natural persons (a “qualifying person”), and shall not be recorded on the register as being the agent, trustee, proxy or representative for any person or entity (whether having an individual legal personality or not) which is not a qualifying person. 9.3 No actions unless in accordance with the Charter Unless Rules 9.4 or 9.5 apply, no registration, transfer, renewal or change may be requested to a .me.uk domain name which would be in breach of Rule 9.2, and any such request may be rejected. If, despite the previous sentence, such an action is requested and does occur, Nominet may reverse that action at any time in addition to any other rights Nominet may have by contract or otherwise. 9.4 Charter 9.4.1 Where, as the result of the DRS or judicial proceedings (of relevant jurisdiction) a .me.uk domain name is to be transferred to a person who would not qualify under Rule 9.2 (the “transferee”), the transfer to, and continued registration by, the transferee shall be permitted provided that no use is made of that .me.uk domain name for any purpose, for so long as the transferee holds the domain name. 9.4.2 To prevent a breach of Rule 9.4.1, Nominet may put the domain name into a special status e.g. by blocking the entry of any nameservers onto the record for that domain. 9.4.3 The transferee under clause 9.4.1 will be able to transfer the domain name to a qualifying person, in which case the specific restrictions imposed under this Rule 9.4 will cease to apply. 9.5 Transitional Arrangements As a transitional measure, any .me.uk domain name registered before 25 October 2004 will not be subject to Rules 9.2 and 9.3 until it is next transferred or cancelled. -
Specific rules for the .ltd.uk and .plc.uk SLDs 10.1. Introduction These are the specific rules for the .ltd.uk and .plc.uk SLDs, administered directly by us. They form part of and, in the case of conflict, take precedence over the Rules. 10.2.Requirements on Applicants 10.2.1. No Third Level Domain shall be registered in either the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk SLD unless all the requirements of this section are met. 10.2.2. All registrants in .ltd.uk and .plc.uk must be incorporated companies (not partnerships of any type or unincorporated companies) listed on the index of company and corporate names ('the Names Register') maintained under section 714 of the Companies Act 1985 (or later equivalents); and 10.2.2.1. (for .ltd.uk domains) must be entitled to use 'Limited', 'cyfyngedig', 'ltd.' or'cyf'. in their corporate name; or 10.2.2.2. (for .plc.uk domains) must be entitled to use 'Public Limited Company', 'Cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus', 'Plc.' or 'ccc'. in their corporate name. 10.2.3.1. is a company of the appropriate type for the SLD; and 10.2.3.2. is not already the registrant of a Domain Name in that SLD. 10.2.4 No Domain Name shall be registered in either .ltd.uk or .plc.uk SLD unless the Third Level Domain can be derived from the official company name of the applicant using the algorithm in Clause 10.3 below. If the algorithm of Clause 10.3 below does not generate a name permitted by the Rules, your application to register a Domain Name within the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk SLDs will be refused. 10.2.5 Applications for Domain Names in the .ltd.uk and .plc.uk SLDs must state the full name of the company as registered and the company registration number, and the applicant must be prepared to provide proof of the company's incorporation. 10.2.6 If we become aware that the registrant company has changed its name, been dissolved, or otherwise removed from the list of active names on the Names Register, we may transfer, cancel, suspend or amend the Domain Name in accordance with our terms and conditions and by sending a notice in writing to the last known registered office of the company, or without notice if the registrant company has been removed from the list of active names on the Names Register. 10.3. Selection of Domain Name 10.3.1. The following algorithm is intended to assist you to convert your company name to a Domain Name capable of registration within either the .ltd.uk or .plc.uk. The steps must be carried out in the order given. All steps must be carried out, but some steps give the option of making no change. This algorithm is not guaranteed to generate a Domain Name capable of registration with us, i.e. the algorithm may only produce a name which is still in an inappropriate format or has already been registered, and in these cases the name will not be registered to your company. 10.3.2. The following terms or abbreviations are removed from the end of the company's name: - limited
- public limited company
- cyfyngedig
- cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus
- ltd
- plc
- cyf
- ccc
10.3.3. Each occurrence of the characters "&" and "+" is replaced by (the separate word) "and" 10.3.4. All punctuation marks are removed, including the following - apostrophe
- quotation marks
- commas, full stops, colons, and semicolons
- exclamation, question, number, and currency marks
- parentheses, (square) brackets, and braces
10.3.5. Remove any marks on or around the letters, for example accents, leaving only the "base letter", i.e. the letter without any marks in or around the letter. 10.3.6. If at this point the name contains only spaces, no Domain Name capable of registration with us may be derived. Otherwise the remaining steps in this Clause 10.3 are to be carried out. 10.3.7. If the company name begins with any of the following words or phrases, they may be removed: For the avoidance of doubt, this is done once only. 10.3.8. If the company name ends with any of the following words or phrases, they may be removed: - company
- cwmni
- and company
- a'r cwmni
and any abbreviation of these (such as "co", "and co", or "cpy") For the avoidance of doubt, this is done once only. 10.3.9. All spaces at the beginning and end of the Third Level Domain are removed and the gaps between words in the Third Level Domain are reduced (if applicable) to single spacing. 10.3.10. All remaining spaces must either be removed or changed to hyphens (one hyphen per continuous string of spaces). The remaining Third Level Domain must be compatible with section 5.2 of the Rules. For the avoidance of doubt the restrictions in sections 5.5 and 5.6 do not apply to .ltd.uk or .plc.uk domains, provided that there is at least one number or letter (but no hyphens) in the name. 11. Specific rules for the .net.uk SLD 11.1 Introduction These are the specific rules for the .net.uk SLD, administered directly by us. They form part of and, in the case of conflict, take precedence over the Rules. 11.2 Requirements on Applicants 11.2.1. This SLD is reserved for the computers of network providers, that is the network information centre (NIC) and network operation centre (NOC) computers, the administrative computers, and the network node computers. 11.2.2. Registrants in the .net.uk SLD are required to be Internet Service Providers. Notwithstanding the Rules, no Domain Name shall be registered in this SLD unless, in our reasonable opinion, the applicant is an Internet Service Provider and the Domain Name registered is the same as or a similar variant of the applicant's name. 11.2.3. Without prejudice to any other test that we may apply, the applicant shall only be deemed to be an Internet Service Provider if: 11.2.3.1 the applicant is either: - a company listed on the Register of Companies at Companies House in Great Britain under the Companies Act 1985 as amended from time to time or on the Register of Companies at the Northern Ireland Companies Registry under the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 as amended from time to time; or
- a partnership as defined by the Partnership Act 1890, Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 or a sole trader; or
- a United Kingdom government department, local government body, or associated government funded organisation; or
- a recognised academic institution geographically located in the United Kingdom; or
- a Charity on the Register of Charities at the Charity Commission in the United Kingdom;
11.2.3.2 AND the applicant either: - is listed as a local internet protocol (IP) address registry with a regional IP address registry; or
- has an Autonomous System containing hosts in the United Kingdom that is listed with a regional IP address registry and that is
- continuously or at all reasonable times reachable from major Internet exchange points.
11.2.4 Any Domain Name registered in .net.uk may only be used in the manner set out in this Clause, and we may suspend or cancel the registration if we believe it is not being so used, in accordance with the termination provisions set out in our terms and conditions. 11.2.5 The Domain Name must not be used in connection with any service provided by the registrant on behalf of any other entity. For example, the Domain Name must not be used as part of another entity's e-mail address or URL.
Terms and Conditions of Domain Name Registration
Change in terminology Since these terms and conditions were written the words "agent", "registration agent" and "tag holder" have been replaced with the single term registrar. This has been done to standardise the teminology used across all of our communications. In the Terms and Conditions of Domain Name Registration below these original words are still used. Warning: By registering a domain name ending in .uk (with some very limited exceptions), you enter into a contract of registration with us (Nominet UK) on the following conditions, which includes conditions limiting our liability and relating to our use of your personal information. This contract is just for the domain name and separate to any arrangement you may have with any other organisation for providing internet services. For an explanation of the meaning of the endings of .uk names, see the rules on our website at www.nominet.org.uk We are a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, generally performing these services on a cost-recovery basis, and we cannot investigate what rights you have to register or use the domain name. So, we think it is reasonable for us to limit our liability in certain respects so that we may continue to offer our services in the interests of the whole internet community. This contract includes the DRS policy, the DRS procedure and the rules . You can get copies of these from our website or from us. Other policies we refer to do not form part of this contract and may change at any time. Definitions 1 The following words marked in bold will have specific meanings in this contract. ‘agent'– Someone who may act on your behalf to deal with us, which will be shown in the WHOIS. Only certain people qualify, and they are known as ‘tag-holders’. See our website for a list. ‘cancel’ – Cancelling this contract and your domain name are the same thing. The contract ends. The domain name will be deleted, will no longer work as part of a website or e-mail, and will be released to be registered again under our rules. ‘consumer' – You are a consumer if you are an individual not registering, using or planning to use the domain name as part of a business, trade or profession. ‘correct’ – This means that the information must be good enough to allow us to contact you quickly at any reasonable time without having to get information from anywhere else, must not be deceptive, and (if possible for that type of information) must clearly identify you. For your name this also means that the information must be detailed enough that we can tell exactly who you are (in legal terms, exactly which legal entity we have this contract with). ‘domain name’ – An internet domain name ending in .uk and under one of the second level domains (such as .co.uk, .me.uk or .org.uk) operated by us. ‘DRS policy’, ‘DRS procedure’ – The policy and procedure of our dispute resolution service. ‘EEA’ – The European Economic Area, which includes most European countries. Countries outside the EEA may not have strict laws to protect personal information. ‘name servers’ – Computers that provide specific translation information in the domain name system. ‘notify’ – Serving notice to you, your agent, authorised representative, contact (see condition 5.5) or us (see condition 36). ‘personal data’ – Any information about an identifiable living person (for example, your name, address or phone number). ‘PRSS’ – A service provided under strict contract to some people based in the EEA which allows them to search WHOIS data differently, but not to use it for marketing purposes. ‘register’ – Our record of domain names and details about you, your agent (if you have one) and other information we need. ‘registry’ – The single organisation which holds all records for domain names with the same ending (we run ‘.uk’) and operates the name servers for that domain. ‘rules’ – Our rules which explain which domain names can be registered and which cannot. ‘special status’ – Various special states your domain name may be in, such as suspended or ‘detagged’. See our website for details. This will normally mean that you will remain listed as the person who has registered the domain name but the domain name itself will not work, and may mean that other actions with the domain name are blocked. ‘WHOIS’ – A system which provides public information about domain names. See our website for details and how to use the WHOIS. 2 Also in this contract, the following words have special meanings but will not be put in bold. ‘conditions’ – includes all parts of the contract, not just those that lawyers call conditions. ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’ – Nominet UK (company number 3203859). See condition 35. ‘you’, ‘your’ - The person who is entering into this contract with us and who the domain name will be registered for. What we will do 3 We are the registry for the .uk domain and we will carry out the general duties that we believe (after wide consultation) a modern, neutral and not-for-profit .uk registry should. This includes (among other things): 3.1 processing your application to register or renew a domain name in the light of our rules, and your right (see condition 20) to renew; 3.2 maintaining overall ownership, control and responsibility for the register; 3.3 if we are listed as your agent or if it would be inappropriate for you to ask your agent to act (see condition 5) making changes to the register at your request or providing information about the .uk domain name system; 3.4 if the domain name is not in a special status, entering details about the domain name into our name servers; and 3.5 publishing procedures for you to renew the domain name and for recording a transfer, surrender or change of agent for the domain name. What you must do 4 You have various responsibilities set out generally in this contract. You must also: 4.1 give and keep us notified of your correct name, postal address and any phone, fax or e-mail information and those of your contacts (if you appoint any, see condition 5.2). This duty includes responding quickly and correctly to any request from us to confirm or correct the information on the register; 4.2 notify us at once about any court proceedings which involve the domain name; and 4.3 notify us of the details of name servers for the domain name which you are allowed to use and which respond promptly and correctly about the domain name at all reasonable times. Agents, representatives and security 5 For the security of your domain name we have the following procedures to try to make sure that our instructions come from you or someone allowed to act on your behalf. 5.1 We do not have to take any action, or make any change to the register, until we are satisfied that we have received a valid request from the right person. 5.2 You will help us with our security checks, provide any identification or documentary evidence we reasonably ask for, and allow us to keep copies of those documents for our files. 5.3 If you have an identifier (for example, a password, a token, personal information or a code) to use with us or our systems, you must keep it secret and safe because we will be allowed to assume that any action done or asked for using that identifier or a product of it was done or asked for by you or by someone authorised to act for you. We will be entitled to enforce procedures for dealing with lost, cancelled or insecure identifiers. 5.4 Your agent acts on your behalf in registering and maintaining the registration of the domain name so that, unless the matter relates to something covered by condition 5.6 below, any communication to or from your agent is taken as being to or from you. You should always contact your agent first with any request or question about your domain name or changes to it, as we will only act if we are satisfied that your agent cannot or will not. Be aware that your agent may be entitled to discounts on our fees so it may be cheaper for you to go through them. 5.5 We may also specify other types of authorised representative or contact whose instructions we will accept in certain cases, what types of instructions they can give us, and whether they can take your place if we need to notify you. If you notify us that you want someone to represent you, you are giving them power to act and us power to act on their instructions and (if this applies) notify them instead of or as well as you. 5.6 We will publish on our website from time to time certain activities which your agent is not allowed to do on your behalf or where we want to deal with you directly (or both). Fees and payment 6 We are a not-for-profit organisation so our fees (see our website) reflect the cost of the work we do. To make sure that every person who registers a domain name pays their fair share of the costs of running the central registry, we: 6.1 may make a charge for any of the services we provide under this contract, as long as (where only we can provide the service) we believe the fee is set at a not-for-profit cost-recovery level only; 6.2 do not have to start any process, including any change to the register, until we (not just your agent) have received (within any time limit) any fee for that action and any other fees that have not been paid for the domain name or things done with it – it is your duty to make sure that we are paid and that there is enough information with the payment to make sure that we know which domain name it relates to; 6.3 may cancel the domain name without further notice if any debt relating to the domain name remains unpaid after the deadline we have set; and 6.4 unless condition 24 or 34 applies, or we have made a significant mistake, will not provide credit notes or refunds. Your promises and indemnity 7 By entering into this contract you promise that: 7.1 you (or your agent) have the permission of any person whose personal data is to be held on the register in line with condition 11; 7.2 any identity and contact information you (either yourself or through your agent) send us must be correct; 7.3 you will send us the information needed under condition 7.2 as soon as possible, through your agent if possible, and you will keep them up to date; 7.4 by registering or using the domain name in any way, you will not infringe the intellectual property rights (for example, trademarks) of anyone else; 7.5 you are entitled to register the domain name; and 7.6 you have not registered the domain name in a way that fails to meet with any legal duty you have. 8 Unless you are a consumer, you will pay us (including the current or past members of our Board of Directors) any and all reasonable costs, claims and expenses (whether direct or indirect) arising out of any claim that you have broken any of the promises in condition 7. 9 Our right to rely on the promises in condition 7 and indemnity in condition 8 will continue to be available after the domain name has been registered and will not be affected by the cancellation or transfer of the domain name. Nature of domain names and the register 10 A domain name is not an item of property and has no ‘owner’. It is an entry on our register database reflected by our nameservers which we provide as part of this contract. As a result: 10.1 we will not be bound by, or record on the register, any mortgage-related obligations; 10.2 we own and keep all copyright and database rights in the register; and 10.3 you should not rely on the registration or continued registration of the domain name until we confirm that any application you make has completed and you confirm that your correct name is recorded in the register for the domain name. Personal data 11 We will make your personal data available in the following ways, but not release it for any other purpose to any other person. We may: 11.1 include it on the register; 11.2 include it on the WHOIS (which is also available outside the EEA) and PRSS. For these purposes we will publish your name and (unless you are a consumer and choose to opt out) your address, but not your phone or fax number or e-mail address; 11.3 if they ask in writing, give your personal data to people with a legitimate reason for asking for it (based on the exemptions in the Data Protection Act 1998 or similar laws that replace or follow it), including government or law enforcement agencies; 11.4 give your personal data to your current or proposed agent (or both); and 11.5 use it as set out in the DRS policy and DRS procedure. 12 You may write to us to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you, or you can look at the WHOIS, or you can ask your agent. Please note that if, at any point, we discover that you are not a consumer, we may automatically cancel your opt-out (see condition 11.2) without notifying you. 13 By registering a domain name you agree to us using your personal data as explained in conditions 11 and 12. The dispute resolution service 14 You agree to be bound by: 14.1 the DRS policy and DRS procedure ; and 14.2 if there is a dispute, the version of the DRS policy and DRS procedure (available on our website) which applies at the time that proceedings under the dispute resolution service start, until the dispute is over. 15 We (including in this case our directors, officers, staff of all types and any expert) will not: 15.1 be liable to you or anyone else for anything done or not done in connection with any proceedings under the dispute resolution service, unless the act or lack of action is shown to have been in bad faith; and 15.2 be asked or forced to reveal information or materials which we gained as a result of the informal mediation stage of the dispute resolution service, unless ordered by a court with relevant jurisdiction. Cancelling or altering the domain name 16 We may cancel or put the domain name into a special status by notifying you if: 16.1 we receive independent proof that you have provided significantly inaccurate, not correct, unreliable or false contact details (including names), failed to keep your contact details up to date, or failed to give us those details at all; 16.2 you have broken any part of condition 7 or 8; 16.3 the domain name is being used in a way that is likely to endanger any part of the domain name system or our systems and internet connections; or 16.4 you have broken any of the conditions (including the rules, DRS policy and DRS procedure) and (in the case of a matter which it is possible to put right and which is not covered by condition 6.3, 16.1 to 16.3 or 17) you do not put it right within 30 days of us notifying you. 17 We may (but do not have to) transfer, cancel, alter or amend the domain name, put it in a special status or prevent its renewal: 17.1 on your instructions (including the absence of instructions to renew - see condition 20), or by someone apparently acting for you (see condition 5); 17.2 if we reasonably believe that the contact details on the register for you are so inaccurate or false that we would not be able to notify you of the change; 17.3 if we reasonably believe that the changes to update the register or to correct any error, ambiguity or inaccuracy relating to the domain name registration (including any error in making the domain name available for registration or an error in a previous cancellation of the domain name) would make it more accurate; 17.4 if you withdraw your permission to having your personal data displayed on the WHOIS or PRSS (not including cases where a consumer is using the opt-out); 17.5 to carry out the decision an expert has made under our dispute resolution service; or 17.6 if we receive a complete and valid court order which we or you (or both) must obey, or if not making the changes the court orders would be a contempt of court by us or you. 18 If you are an individual, this contract will end if you die and the person legally appointed to deal with your assets after you die does not transfer the domain name (either to themselves or someone else) within a year of your death (or the end of their appointment, whichever comes first). 19 If you are not an individual, this contract will end if you complete a liquidation or disbandment process or otherwise no longer exist, even if (where possible) you are later restored by an official or court order or decision. Duration, renewal and transfer 20 Unless ended earlier under this contract, we will enter your domain name on the register for two years. If we receive your renewal request and fee in the standard format by the deadline we set, and in line with the conditions of this contract generally, you will have the right to enter into a new contract with us on the same standard conditions that we are then offering to people registering new domain names. The specific procedure which applies to renewals is set out on our website, or you can ask your agent. 21 We may transfer our rights and responsibilities under this contract to anyone else. 22 If you want to transfer your domain name to someone else, you must, as well as any general requirements in this contract: 22.1 use our current published transfer process; and 22.2 make sure that the person taking over the domain name accepts what remains of this contract in full. 23 If you do not transfer your domain name (as needed by condition 22) there will be no valid transfer of this contract and domain name, and no document or agreement attempting or claiming to transfer the domain name or this contract (or both) will have any effect. 24 If you are a consumer, you may have a right to cancel this contract under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 or similar laws amending or replacing it. The right must be claimed within seven working days of the start of the services (which include security-check work). If this happens, we will cancel this domain name and provide you or your agent (depending on who paid us) a full refund within 30 days. If we pay your agent, you may still have to get a refund from them. Exclusions and limitations of liability 25 Please note the explanation about liability at the beginning of this contract. However, nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or death or personal injury caused by our negligence. 26 By registering the domain name, we are not acknowledging that you have any rights in any words within the domain name, and we are not authorising you to use the domain name as part of a business. 27 We will not be liable to you whether under contract law, the legal rules about duties to other people (known as the law of ‘tort’) including negligence or otherwise, for: 27.1 any loss of profit, revenue or other type of economic loss (whether direct or indirect); 27.2 loss of business or contracts; 27.3 loss of expected savings or goodwill; or 27.4 any losses which a court categorises as ‘consequential’, or ‘indirect’ arising out of or in connection with the contract, including but not limited to: 27.4.1 any mistake or missing information in the register; and 27.4.2 loss of registration or use, or both (for whatever reason and whether temporary or otherwise), of the domain name. 28 The law normally implies terms into contracts, but you and we agree that, as far as the law allows, they do not apply to this contract. 29 Our total liability to you, whether under these conditions or otherwise (including liability for negligence), will be no more than £5,000. 30 If you are a consumer, conditions 27, 28 and 29 do not apply to you. Your statutory rights are not affected - for information contact your local authority Trading Standards . Department or your citizens advice bureau. 31 Conditions 11.1, 18, 19 and 25 to 39 will continue to apply after this contract has ended, even if that happens because we or you end this contract wrongfully. General 32 If a court rules that any of these conditions is not valid or cannot be enforced, the other conditions will continue to be valid and enforceable. 33 This contract does not give you any legal rights against other people who have registered .uk domain names or give other people rights against us for any reason. 34 The internet is constantly changing and developing. As a result of this, we reserve the right to make reasonable changes to the terms of this contract (including the DRS policy, DRS procedure and rules) at any time during the term of the contract. We will only do so when we have good reason. Unless we are acting because of a legal requirement or a court order, the change will only be made after we have consulted publicly. We will publish a notice in advance (ideally, 30 days in advance) on our website and provide a link from the main page. The changes will apply from the date shown in the notice. You should visit our website regularly to find out about any changes. If you do not agree with any change to the conditions, you may notify us that you want to end the contract in at least 30 days’ time. In this case, we will give you a proportionate refund of the registration for the remaining period. 35 Our address is Nominet UK, Sandford Gate, Sandy Lane West, Oxford, OX4 6LB, England (phone +44(0)1865 332211, fax +44(0)1865 332299, e-mail: nominet@nominet.org.uk). Our offices are open from 9am to 5.30pm (UK local time) Monday to Friday, except for public holidays. 36 Except as set out in condition 5.4, or in the DRS policy and DRS procedure, any notice to be given under the contract will: 36.1 be considered to have been served if hand-delivered, or sent by prepaid post, fax or e-mail, to you, your agent or representative (see condition 5.5) at any postal or e-mail address or fax number on the appropriate register entry (if to us, at any of the addresses above); and 36.2 apply from the date it was delivered, or if not delivered the date it was sent or posted. 37 This contract is a legally binding document. You should read it carefully and make sure that it contains everything you want and nothing you are not prepared to agree to. These conditions, together with the rules, DRS policy and DRS procedure, are the entire contract between you and us for the domain name, and replace all previous contracts, understandings and representations about this domain name, whether spoken or written. 38 We deal with a large number of domain names and we rely on you or other people to tell us about any changes to your personal information or status. This means that sometimes we continue to list a domain name or accept instructions even after this contract has ended, or should have been ended. Nothing we do, or do not do, during that period stops the contract from ending, stops us from ending it, or acts to create a new contract. 39 This contract is made under the law of England and any court proceedings must be in the English courts. If you are a consumer in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, we will accept your local law and courts. Enforcement of a court order may be done in any law or court system that is relevant.
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