auDA deregisters Miranda Kerr domain

Stan Beer
Monday, 12 September 2011 14:05

Business IT - Security

Would be Australian Internet entrepreneurs who think they can trade off the names of the rich and famous can think again, according to the administrator of the .au domain namespace. (Please note that the title of this article has been changed after correspondence with both the former Miranda Kerr domain name owner and auDA. See note at end of this article.)

 

auDA says that recent reports in the Brisbane Sunday Mail newspaper ('Big rewards for sitting on big names') highlighted that the domain name mirandakerr.com.au had been registered earlier this year by a company that was not connected with the model Miranda Kerr. The company then contacted Miranda Kerr's representatives and offered to transfer the domain name to her.

Unlike the top level global .com domain, the Australian .com.au domain is comparatively much more strictly administered by local authorities.

Under .au policy rules, a registrant must meet certain eligibility criteria to register a domain name. Registering a domain name for the sole purpose of resale or transfer to another entity is not permitted.

Following an investigation into the registration of mirandakerr.com.au, auDA has decided to cancel the current registrant's domain name licence for breach of policy, and the domain name will be deleted.

'The purpose of the rule against resale is to prevent people from 'cybersquatting' the names of well-known people and brands,' said Chris Disspain, CEO of auDA.

'The rule has been in place since auDA assumed control of the .au namespace in 2002, and it has been affirmed in every public policy review that auDA has conducted since then. The Australian Internet community has made it clear, time and time again, that it values the high levels of trust and integrity that distinguish .au from other TLDs like .com.'

auDA's enforcement of .au policy is mostly complaints-based - anyone may lodge a formal complaint with auDA about cybersquatting or other breaches of policy. In addition, auDA conducts regular audits of .au domain name registrations for policy compliance. auDA reserves the right to delete a domain name for breach of policy. A registrant who disputes auDA's decision to delete a domain name may apply to the Registrant Review Panel for independent review of the decision.

Note: The original title of this article "auDA kicks out Miranda Kerr cybersquatter" has been changed because the original owner of the domain objected to being associated with the term cybersquatter. A full account of that person's version of events can be found here. Jo Lim, chief operations and policy officer of auDA, has confirmed to iTWire that auDA has not accused the person of cybersquatting.