It's all about domain names
There is no question in my mind that the Covid-19 pandemic has inspired aftermarket domain name sales here in Australia – as it has done around the world.
A lot of people who were suddenly faced with no job had the impetus needed to convert that “idea” they had been thinking about for ages into reality. And for that they needed a good domain name.
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An astute member of the Australian domain industry recently pointed out to me that auDA has made a lot of money out of non-complying .org.au domain names over the years.
Since 1st Jan 2018 there have been 23,968 .org.au domain names dropped. Of these about 600 (estimated) are still registered.
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Nominet is to the UK, as auDA is to Australia. They are the regulators of their local domain name spaces – i.e. UK and AU. Next week, there is an EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) which has been called by some members fed up with the way Nominet has been run.
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The process of handling Australian Domain Name complaints is changing on the 12th April – less than one month away. auDA’s Compliance Manager Steph Viljoen did a short online presentation last week on an ICANN Forum. If you are a domain investor or registrant, it is definitely well worth watching.
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There is nothing more distressing to a responsible domain investor or legitimate registrant when they get an auDA complaint about one or more of their domain names via email.
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Many domain investors are reporting a surge in the number of complaints they are receiving via their Registrar/s – or directly from auDA.
An auDA complaint generally stems from someone who wants your domain but does not wish to pay a market value for it. Making a complaint is currently very easy – online process; costs nothing; and can be done anonymously.
As the subject headline suggests, prevention is definitely better than cure! As domain investors, we must try and follow the rules – even if we sometimes disagree.
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In July 2019, I brokered the sale of Pay.com.au between two long standing clients (and friends) of mine. To this day, it is still a record price for a 3 Letter domain in Australia.
Fast forward to today, and the site is in “beta” mode with a lot of interest from both institutional investors and SME’s.
If you are a good operator, this is what a premium domain name can do for any business. Gravitas and credibility!
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As someone who has been a domain investor for nearly two decades, 2020 was my absolute best year in terms of domain sales. Due to Covid-19, people and businesses have realised that an online presence is essential. And that starts with a good domain name.
I have also seen many changes in the .au domain name space over the years. None more so than recent times! So here’s what I would like to see going forward. How about you?
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On Saturday just past, anyone observing the expired auctions at Drop.com.au would have been gobsmacked to see some absolutely premium one-word domain names on their list.
One thing is for certain though. As the sole drop-catcher, Drop had a good payday – and there are some very happy domain investors. Santa came early!
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With all the contemplated and anticipated changes that auDA have basically committed to, the big one is of course Direct Registration. That is the ability to register a domain such as Domainer.au.
But there are some prior rights afforded to existing registrants, and these are governed by what is known as the cut-off date. I have it on good authority that this date may be changed.
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If any affected person in Australia feels aggrieved by a decision of auDA, who can they turn to for an independent assessment and adjudication?
As I wrote back in 2017, the big daddy of regulators (ICANN) has their own Omdudsman. Why not auDA? What better way to offer transparency and accountability? Beats self-assessment hands down!
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