.au is a new general purpose domain name that is available to anyone with a verifiable connection to Australia. These were launched in March 2022. Until 9:59am AEST 21 September 2022, holders of .au domain names which include an additional namespace (such as .com .org or .net) may apply for priority status to reserve an exact match of their current domain name in the .au domain. No one else may do so.
Do I have to register?
No, you do not. If you do nothing, your existing domain name licence will continue and remain available for use as long as you keep that registration current.
Why should I register?
In addition to the appeal of a shorter, simpler and more memorable name, you will be taking an important step to protect your brand and to prevent cyber criminals from conducting fraudulent cyber activities in your name.
From 8:00am AEST 4 October 2022, existing domain names that have not yet been reserved in the .au domain will become available to the general public on a first come, first served basis. So, if you do not reserve your .au domain name, anyone could register a .au domain name imitating your existing domain name (for example, abc123.com.au could be reserved as abc123.au or even as abc123com.au). They would then be able to use it to impersonate your business and conduct fraudulent cyber activities.
How do I register and what are the requirements?
- Notify your auDA accredited registrar (or find one at auda.org.au/accredited-registrars)
- Pay an application fee (this will vary from one registrar to another)
- Obtain a priority token or authorisation code (on application, you will receive a verification email which will enable you to obtain this)
- Confirm that you hold a current, valid namespace .au domain name that was first registered before 24 March 2022 (this will be verified as part of your application)
- Ensure that your existing domain registration is correct before lodging your application (once your application is live, there will be a time during which it will not be available for updates).
What happens when I lodge my application?
In most cases, an uncontested name (that is, one for which there is no competing priority application) will be issued quite quickly and you will be able to choose a licence term of 1 to 5 years. A contested application is most likely to be resolved with reference to the existing domain licence creation date and will be issued for a licence period of 1 year.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to take investigate whether there are steps available which you could take to better to secure your IP rights, please feel free to contact Frank Law on (02) 9688 6023.
This is not legal advice
