IE Domain Registry are proposing a change to remove the ‘claim to the name’ requirement from their Registration & Naming Policy. The ‘claim to the name’ refers to the requirement on registrants to prove a legitimate claim when applying for a new dot ie domain. Businesses won’t need to provide a claim to register their dot ie domain name. This means that anybody with a connection to Ireland can register any dot ie domain name they want.

This would be a big change to how dot ie registrations work. IE Domain Registry currently check every dot ie domain registration to ensure that the applicant has a valid claim to the domain name and a connection to the island of Ireland. This proposed policy change effectively means that any dot ie domain name is available on a first come, first served basis, to anybody with a connection to the island of Ireland.

What’s not changing?

.ie domains will still be:

• Reserved only for people and businesses with a connection to Ireland
• As safe as ever
• Checked to verify that the people registering them are who they say they are
• Checked to ensure that the people registering them have a connection to Ireland

A public consultation on the proposed policy change is currently underway and will close on 30 September 2017. You can have your say through an electronic form here.

IE Domain Registry are available to work with SFA members to make sure that this change is a positive one for all Irish businesses and consumers. An informational flyer is available here and a FAQ is available here. Please contact public-consultation@iedr.ie if you have any questions or if you would like any more information.