'.be' domain name holders may now request list of variations of their domain name

The registry responsible for the management of ‘.be’ domain names, DNS Belgium, has announced that it is now possible for holders of a ‘.be’ domain name to request a list of variations of their domain name.

The variants are generated using an algorithm which generates a list of domain names and provides the 50 most pertinent results.

The introduction of this service will allow domain name holders to identify where variants of their domain name have been registered and allow them to assess if the listed domain name registrations are problematic. Should an infringing domain name be found, DNS Belgium has an alternative dispute resolution procedure to deal with disputes relating to ‘.be’ domain names. This is a relatively swift procedure, taking an average of 55 days from filing to decision.

It is a relatively simple process for a registrant of a ‘.be’ domain name to obtain the list of the variants. By simply conducting a WHOIS lookup on their own domain name, registrants will be given the choice of requesting that a list of the domain name variations is sent to the admin contact email address of their domain name registration.

David Taylor and Sean Kelly, Hogan Lovells LLP, Paris