General
auDA Has Dropped The Ball With Regards .AU
Nov
The Australian domain name regulator auDA is famous (or infamous!) for it’s strict rules and policies when it comes to Aussie domain names.
During my history as a domain investor (and briefly as a registrar), these rules and policies have been modified so many times. So much so, that in some instances they are cumbersome and contradictory – you have to read one policy in conjunction with another policy to truly understand the actual situation!
Many registrants have lost domain names over the years because of strict interpretation of these rules by auDA management and staff. Other registrants have been protected by these same rules.
That said, I think that overall auDA do a good job protecting the integrity of our domain space, and I have learnt to abide by these rules and policies.
However…
The newish .AU is their kryptonite
Many stories have been written by me and others about the new extension. And mark my words, there will probably be many more!
I have never been a fan, and was one of four members (three of whom are respected lawyers) who voted against the introduction of the new .au on the auDA Names Panel held back in 2015. More about this in another article down the track – it will be good to look back at what was said by both camps back then! For those that may be interested, here is a copy of the Final Report.
That said, I accepted the majority decision, and got on with it. As a domain investor, I have made money out of the new .au. But I’ve also wasted a lot of money on defensive registrations – as have many other individuals and businesses.
Surely though, isn’t it is only fair that we should expect auDA to follow their own rules / policies when it comes to those .au domains that are “conflicted” (two or more registrants have competing claims)?
These domains haven’t been allocated yet – or the priority applications determined – yet by auDA’s own rules this should have happened already.
So have auDA followed their own rules?
Last year, if you wanted to renew a priority allocation token, you had to do so by the 20th September – or you would lose your rights. However, this time period was extended by auDA due to some confusion. When I queried why, I was given a number of reasons. In good faith, I accepted those.
I was told by senior management at auDA that this year would be different. Systems would be far more organised, and due dates would be observed.
But it has not been the case. I paid for my priority renewals by the due date of 20th September as requested by my registrar on 29th July this year. Extract from one of their auDA approved emails below – bolding is mine:
All Priority Applications are valid for a period of 12 months; expiring on the 20th September each year.
Currently there are multiple parties with competing interest in this domain name.
auDA has provided a tool which confirms which parties currently hold an active Priority Application. The tool can be found hereTo maintain your interest, your Priority Application must be renewed, for a further 12 months, by the 20th of September.
The registry will withdraw your application if the renewal is not paid by this due date.
It is now the 15th November, and priority allocations have still not been determined. As I understand it, there are less than 5000 in this category, so it should not be difficult.
In my mind, this is a fiasco, and should not be happening. Rules are rules – e.g. if I miss renewing a domain name by just one day, I will lose it to the expired auctions.
Come on auDA – please get it fixed! This shouldn’t be happening.
If you wish to comment, then you can do so here on LinkedIn.
Post Script
On Saturday night, I got an email from Bruce Tonkin at auDA telling me that all priority renewals have been processed. You can use this tool to check your current status.
