Danish Internet Forum issues new rules on '.dk' registrations

The Danish Internet Forum (DIFO), which administers the '.dk' domain, has adopted a new set of rules on the registration of country-code top-level domain names. Among other things, the rules provide for a waiting list for desired names and the use of Danish characters.

The waiting list is maintained at www.dk-hostmaster.dk. Interested parties who were added to the list by February 1 2002 will be offered previously registered domain names (including personal names) as they become available. When a domain name becomes available, all interested parties on the waiting list will be required to make a deposit of Dkr4,000 (approximately €540). If only one party is interested in the name, the deposit will serve as the first year's registration fee. If several parties are interested, the parties will continue to pay additional lots of Dkr4,000 (up to a total of Dkr12,000) until only one party remains. If there is still more than one interested party remaining after Dkr12,000 has been deposited, ownership of the domain name will be settled by a draw.

Interestingly, domain name registrants who were placed on the waiting list later than February 1 will be required to pay only Dkr60 (approximately €8) when registering a domain name that has become available. Of course, they run the risk of not being able to register their desired domain name (ie, if other parties are interested and have a higher priority on the list).

The new rules also provide that if a party believes that it has special rights (eg, trademark rights) in a domain name, that party can notify DIFO, which will then block the new registration of the name for up to 60 days. During this period the party claiming trademark rights can pursue having those rights protected by a court of law or by DIFO's Complaints Board.

Finally, with regard to Danish characters, the new rules provide that it will soon be possible to register country-code top-level domain names using the characters æ, ø and å. It is anticipated that more than one party will want to register the same Danish character domain name. Therefore, a waiting list and registration procedure similar to that described above is being established.

Peter Lind Nielsen, Bender.dk, Skanderborg