The group representing the interests of the Irish internet business community is seeking changes in the procedures governing the allocation of domain names in the State.
The Irish Internet Association (IIA) has submitted recommendations to the UCD-based .ie Domain Registry (.ieDR), which controls domain names, to change its rules and procedures.
The IIA is concerned that the pace of processing and a restriction of one domain name per holder is impeding Ireland's progress towards electronic commerce.
At the moment any Irish-based trading entity is limited to only one territorial domain name. This is causing difficulties where companies want to promote numerous brands through dedicated sites. For example, Guinness which operates www.guinness.ie cannot register the name www.kaliber.ie to target its specific market. The IIA is concerned Irish companies cannot promote themselves adequately overseas if they cannot market their full portfolio of products.
In its recommendations, the IIA said: "This factor has contributed to the rapid growth of the .com extension and the distortion of the true picture of Irish-based entities on the Internet." No restrictions apply on the number of domains a person can hold under the .com registration. The IIA believes the .ieDR should be placed on a more commercial footing with less restriction on the number of domains per holder.
The .ieDR set up a review group in January to make recommendations on how its one-domain-per-holder policy could be revised. Its report is due for release on July 10th, and it has indicated there will be a relaxation of the policy. Domain names will be made available for a number of categories, including brands, trade marks and corporate names. An individual in business as a sole trader will be allowed to request both private and business domain names, while a business organisation will be able to make requests in every category of available domain names, and for as many names as can be justified by the required tests. Existing procedures will not be relaxed for private individuals.
The .ieDR said the proposed new procedures will involve more thorough tests of authentication and validation based on original documents or certified copies rather than facsimile copies as at present. This implies an even longer wait time than at present in some cases more than two weeks to register or process a change. The IIA called for "greater clarity and automation of procedures and checking mechanisms" to help Irish corporations who wish to register their domain names themselves.
Recently there have been complaints that the one-domain-per-holder policy has been overlooked in some instances.
There are also problems arising with the rule the .ieDR operates on the registration of generic names. One of the rules states that if the proposed name appears likely to be claimed by another applicant it will not be issued. It cites the names IBM.ie, Dublin.ie, and rugby.ie as examples. However, the list of registered names features a significant number of generic domain names, including bookshop.ie, balloons.ie, and heritage.ie. But according to Dr Niall O'Reilly, administrator of the .ieDR, the applicants had registered the relevant business names with the Companies Office, and were therefore entitled to the corresponding domain names.
"Under the proposed new registration policy it will be more difficult for these companies to obtain the corresponding domain name, and easier to understand which names are eligible or not. At the moment we have to make more judgment calls, so the new rules will constrain us much more," Dr O'Reilly said.
Another working group is expected to be formed later this year to look at the possibility of formally separating the registry from UCD, though it is unclear whether UCD's computing services department is willing to divest itself of the role.
