The .UK registry, Nominet, announced they have passed the 10 million active domain names milestone this week with Steven John Northam, founder of SN Technologies Ltd, a Hampshire-based investment firm, registering the ten millionth domain – swarvemagazine.co.uk. “.UK is a prestigious address that people admire, respect and trust all over the world, and individuals and organisations of all shapes and sizes have recognised this,” said Lesley Cowley OBE, CEO of Nominet. “The cumulative impact of the domains in the registry on the broader economy is huge, acting as the hub for most e-commerce activity in the UK. .UK is a great place to be and the registration of the 10 millionth domain is a fantastic achievement.” The .UK country code Top Level Domain is the second-largest, following .DE who is rapidly approaching the 15 millionth registration, a milestone that is likely to be reached this year. And .UK is the fourth largest TLD, following .COM, who recently passed the 100 million registrations milestone, .DE and .NET, with around 14.5 million registrations. Following .UK in total numbers of active registrations is .ORG (9.9 million registrations), .INFO (8m), .TK, .NL (4.9m), .RU (Russian Federation – 3.7m) and .EU (European Union – 3.6m). Nominet is marking this occasion by announcing a major investment in the .UK brand – a particularly important step given the backdrop of a changing landscape of domain names. This work is focused on growing the market and driving growth in .uk by delivering and building a compelling .UK brand story for businesses and consumers. A marketing campaign, set to roll out from May this year, will build on the solid foundations of trust, status and reliability that registrants associate with .UK domains. To register your .UK domain name, check out Europe Registry here .

In an attempt to make .PT domain names more accessible, the Foundation for National Scientific Computing, has announced changes to registration policies to take place on 1 March. The changes mean anyone can register a domain for the Portuguese ccTLD and registrants will no longer have to be associated with a brand or company. “This is a goal for which the Foundation has been working long and we finally have the approval of the proposed liberalisation from the General Council. We hope that this liberalisation will result in an increase in the number of people who choose to have a .PT address instead of registering foreign and generic top domains,” said Pedro Veiga, president of the Foundation. There will also be a “Sunrise” period from 1 March for 60 days to allow public companies, companies, brand names, establishment, logos, copyright and professional names, literary or artistic to register their .PT domain and defend their established rights. For the .PT registration, the domain only will have to be delegated in the .PT area and be technically associated with a primary name server, correctly installed and configured. To register your .PT domain name, check out Europe Registry here .

The Domain Pulse evening event at Hamburg’s Fish Auction Hall that brought to a close the first day of the conference meant there were quite a few stragglers at day two’s commencement. But by the afternoon everyone had arrived in time to hear an update on this year’s Registrar Atlas Survey, presented by Thomas Rickert. The Registrar Atlas surveys registrars and resellers in Germany, and in 2012 takes in Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands, and has some surprising preliminary findings relating to DNSSEC adoption and new generic Top Level Domains. The final results for the survey will be presented at the World Hosting Day in Germany in March. One of the worrying findings to date is a surprising reluctance for the registrars and resellers to offer Domain Name System Security Extension (DNSSEC). In Germany, 17 per cent of respondents offered DNSSEC in 2011 and 44 per cent said they expected to offer it within the next 12 months while 28 per cent were not planning to. But in 2012, unexpectedly these numbers had declined. Of those that have responded, the number offering DNSSEC had declined to 12 per cent, 25 per cent said they expected to offer it in the next 12 months while 25 per cent have not planned to. The trend, Rickert explained, is significant. And if the results are confirmed in the final results it would show momentum to adopt DNSSEC has stalled, and is even going backwards. So a question has to be asked is can momentum be created to start moving forward. While the German results are of concern, worryingly 41 per cent of respondents in Austria do not even plan to implement DNSSEC. DNSSEC is critical, giving internet users, both providers of services and end-users, much more secure transactions and interactions online. And it allows users to be certain that data has not been modified in transit. Part of the failure Rickert believes is that the industry, particularly registrars and registries, have not created a demand for DNSSEC. And while many internet users are concerned about the security of their data online, they are unaware of DNSSEC and its role. But DNSSEC is not the only area where registrars are showing a lack of interest in promoting new services. Preliminary results for the Registrar Atlas also show that registrars are going to be reluctant to promote new gTLDs. Of the respondents replying to the survey, just over one in five (22%) of German registrars and resellers planned to offer registration services promoting new gTLDs when they come online, with the first gTLDs probably offering registrations in 2013. Figures for Austria and Switzerland are too small to be significant to date, with no figures available for The Netherlands, but the figures indicate less than one in five registrars and resellers in those countries are preparing to offer registrations in new gTLDs. For new gTLD registries, it appears it could be challenging to get shelf space in registrars and it cannot be expected that registrars will be proactive in seeking out new gTLDs to sell their domain names. However as noted, the Registrar Atlas is far from complete and registrars and resellers, not just in Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands are encouraged to complete the wide-ranging survey that covers much more than DNSSEC and new gTLDs. The survey is conducted by the German internet association eco in conjunction with nic.at (Austria), SWITCH (Switzerland) and SIDN (Netherlands). To complete the survey, registrars and resellers should go to eco-umfrage.de and click on the appropriate link. This article was updated to reflect that the current survey is not only the first survey in which registrars and resellers in The Netherlands has participated in, but also Austria and Switzerland.

Almost one in eight (12.3%) of .EU registrations in the second quarter of 1011 were now for multiyear registrations following the registry’s implementation of this option, EURid announced in their quarterly report. On the fifth birthday for .EU in April 2011, registrants were given the option for registering domain names for up to ten years. To promote multiyear registrations, EURid introduced a promotional offer (that was valid until 31 May) where registrars received a 50 per cent discount on all new .EU registrations of two, five and ten years. “It is one of our duties as the .EU registry to continually add value to the services we offer registrars. Extending the length of time .EU domain names can be registered for is one such service and I am encouraged by how well .EU multiyear registrations were received during the second quarter,” said Marc Van Wesemael, EURid’s General Manager. During the quarter, registrations for .EU domains decreased by 1.2 per cent to 3.35 million, making .EU the fifth largest ccTLD. The number one ccTLD in terms of active registrations is .DE (Germany), currently with 14.577 million registrations followed by .UK (United Kingdom – 9.559m), .NL (Netherlands – 4.641m) and .RU (Russia – 3.410m). The decrease in registrations came about due to every April a large number of registrations are not renewed, coinciding with the anniversary of .EU’s launch. In addition, two countries, Cyprus and Luxembourg, reported reduced volumes as some registrars did not renew large sections of their .EU portfolios. However year-on-year there was a 4.2 per cent increase in registration numbers. EURid’s full report for Q2 2011 is available for download at: link.eurid.eu/reports . To register your .EU domain name, check out Europe Registry here .

Vietnamese internet users in rural areas have taken to the Vietnamese language internationalised domain name, making up a large proportion of the 320,000 Vietnamese language domains that have been registered since 28 April. “Internet users in rural areas were especially fond of using Vietnamese-language domain names since they used Vietnamese almost exclusively on the internet. The meaning of Vietnamese domain names was also clearer and more understandable to Vietnamese users,” said Tran Minh Tan, deputy director of the VNNIC, part of the Ministry of Information and Communications. “The Vietnamese IDNs represent a concerted effort on the part of VNNIC and Dot VN to reach the whole of the Vietnamese population and not just those that reside in major cities. While many online services have focused almost exclusively on urban users in major cities, those users represent but a small fraction of the over 89 million people that make up the population of Vietnam.” said Dot VN President Lee Johnson. “We hope to be a leader in the development of services for the as yet underserved majority of existing and potential internet users. The Vietnamese IDN resonates with the whole of Vietnamese Society in a fundamental way and engages Vietnamese users in their native speech in a way that is far superior to standard Vietnamese domain names. We believe that it is this connection that will allow us to reach countless millions of new Vietnamese users with a depth and scope not yet achieved through the power of their native language. As VNNIC’s partner in the IDN project we will continue to dedicate ourselves to reaching all corners of Vietnam from the cities to the fields with the very best products and services.” Up until early this year, there were strict limitations on the allocation of .VN domain names. But on 10 January the regulations changed. To assist on their uptake, .VN domains are allocated to Vietnamese and foreign organisations and individuals on a first-come, first-served basis according to VNS report. The allocation of free .VN domains commenced on 28 April. To register your .VN domain name, check out Europe Registry here , although more information on .VN domains is available from dotVN here .

As of 22 August, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center commenced providing .domain name dispute resolution services for both QA and قطر. (Qatar) in accordance with the Qatar Domains Registry Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (“Policy”) and Rules for Qatar Domains Registry Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (“ Rules ”), and WIPO Supplemental Rules for Qatar Domains Registry Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (“Supplemental Rules”). Qatar Domains Registry provides for registration of domain names which utilize the two-letter country code in Latin characters, i.e., .QA, as well as the قطر. IDN ccTLD in Arabic script. قطر. results from ICANN’s IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process which was designed to introduce into the Domain Name System Internet extensions (top-level domains) corresponding to a meaningful representation of a country or territory name in non-Latin (or non-ASCII) script. The Policy, Rules and Supplemental Rules are applicable to disputed domain name registrations within both the Latin script (.QA) and Arabic script IDN (قطر.) ccTLD spaces. The Policy, Rules and Supplemental Rules for .QA and قطر. also feature upgrades based on the WIPO-proposed paperless Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) model, the latter in effect at WIPO since December 2009. This includes paperless filings by parties while retaining the safeguard of hardcopy notification by the WIPO Center. In addition to .QA and قطر. (Qatar), the Center also provides domain name dispute resolution services for both .AE and امارات. (United Arab Emirates).

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but the latest .AT Report shows how registrars are a registry’s best friend. And nic.at has 430 official registrars that look after over 95 per cent of the .AT domain names with the remaining 4.6 per cent having their domains managed by the registry directly. Two-thirds (67% or 290) of the 430 registrars that can register a .AT domain name are located in Austria, 22 per cent in Germany although Germans register 37 per cent of .AT domains and 11 per cent in the rest of the world. Interestingly, when looking at domain names registered through registrars, 15 per cent of Austrians use a German registrar. Conversely, German clients account for just 2 per cent of Austrian registrars’ .AT customers. The top ten registrars show an even breakdown between Austrian- and German-based with five based in each country and accounting for two-thirds (65%) of all .AT registrations. However among the top ten, Austrian registrars accounted for 245,571 .AT registrations while German registrars accounted for 195,732 registrations. Overall there were 1,061,729 active .AT domains as of the end of June 1,068,007 active domains as of 24 August. Registrants also have a strong link with their registrars, keeping them busy, with .AT registrants interacting with their registrar around 2,000 times each day. Of these interactions in the first six months of 2011, 187,077 were for data changes, 62,047 were for transfers between registrars and 105,813 were for new registrations. When asked how important .AT domains were for them, a total of close to two-thirds (64%) of all registrars indicated that the .AT TLD had a high or very high priority for them. When asked “How many registries are you accredited with?” the reasons become clear. Almost 80 per cent offer a maximum of ten TLDs, and just ten per cent have secured accreditation with more than 25 registries. For the majority of respondents .AT was one of the main extensions used in their domain registration business. The move into the new world of potentially unlimited generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) moved a step closer in June when ICANN approved its applicant guidebook, with applications being accepted in a three month window from 12 January 2012. Registrars were optimistic about the introduction of new gTLDs in a survey by ECO, the German internet association, and nic.at, with Austrian registrars showing greater optimism than German ones. Overall 42 per cent of registrars saw new gTLDs having a good to very good chance of taking off while just over a third (34% for Austrian registrars, 36% for German registrars) being optimistic about the likely success of geographic gTLDs. There was even greater support for generic gTLDs being successful with 42 per cent of registrars in both countries believing they would succeed. Brand name gTLDs were viewed as being the least successful with around one in five (22% and 18%) thinking they would succeed, however the lack of optimism here might be because registrars would play a very limited, if any, role in their introduction. The latest .at report is available in German and English . To register your .AT domain name, check out Europe Registry here .

ICM Registry, the company behind the .XXX top level domain (TLD), announced today that iFriends.xxx and ClickCash.xxx were launched by WebPower, making these the first high-profile webcam site and affiliate marketing program to launch in the .XXX space. WebPower Inc. operates the iFriends adult webcam network plus the ClickCash affiliate marketing program, one of the oldest and largest adult affiliate programs. iFriends, the first large-scale adult webcam network, has been the template for virtually all other adult webcam sites since 1998, with numerous innovations such as Cam2Cam, HD video, and 3D video streaming technology. Since 1996, ClickCash has generated over one billion dollars in revenue for its webmasters and affiliates. As the creator and innovator of adult affiliate programs, ClickCash has delivered over 600 consecutive uninterrupted weekly payments to affiliates around the globe. “We are proud to be part of the Founders Program and are enthusiastic about the opportunities that working with ICM Registry presents for us and our affiliates,” says Stacy Psaros, WebPower’s spokesperson. “Our company’s culture is one of innovation and forward-thinking business practices. We recognized these same qualities in ICM Registry and the .XXX space. iFriends.xxx is just the first of a number of prominent domains that we look forward to launching.” “WebPower’s vision of the adult marketplace and their way of detecting and developing new opportunities such as .XXX are remarkable,” says Vaughn Liley of ICM Registry. “Their participation in the Founders program is particularly valuable given their long history and prominence in the adult industry. The launch of these sites clearly demonstrates our goal of making .XXX a vibrant and content-rich domain.” ICM Registry is now focused on the launch that starts on September 7 with the opening of the Sunrise period. For more information, please visit www.about.xxx This ICM Registry news release was sourced from: icmregistry.com/press/pressrelease17.php To register your .XXX domain name, check out America Registry here .

Dispute resolution procedures for .XXX domains has been unveiled, promising to make life difficult for cybersquatters, reports Domain Incite. The Rapid Evaluation Service, as it is known, is basically a souped-up version of the familiar UDRP that tilts the overall balance in favour of legitimate trademark holders, the report says. Further, the scheme is designed for companies or individuals who don’t want to be associated with .xxx domain names, and has the remedies to match. To read the detailed Domain Incite report, check out domainincite.com/icm-reveals-tough-xxx-cybersquatting-rules . Meanwhile, to register your .XXX domain name, check out America Registry here .

The latest Dashboard report from the Public Interest Registry shows the TLD continues rapid growth with an increase in active registrations of 10.1 per cent year on year, and four per cent or over 350,000, in the six months, to the end of June. The growth sees .ORG registrations total 9.2 million at the end of June with North America (63%) and the European Union (23%) accounting for the regions with the most registrations. In 2011, Italy and Japan entered the list of the top ten countries from where registrations originated. Other countries in the top ten are Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Netherlands, Spain and China. In total 11 per cent of registrations come from the Asia pacific, two per cent from Latin America and the Caribbean one per cent from Africa. “Yet again, we’re seeing significant growth of the .ORG domain as web users worldwide continue to see the value in using a trusted, secure domain to educate, mobilize and empower their communities,” said Brian Cute, CEO of .ORG, The Public Interest Registry. “By June 2011, the .ORG domain reached 9.2 million domains under management, a monumental figure compared to the 3.9 million in 2005. These numbers are clear indicators that .ORG is well-positioned to take advantage of the Internet growth that we continue to see occur.” As part of its most recent Dashboard report, the Public Interest Registry commissioned research on the health and status of traditional websites versus corporate social media. The study indicated that 81 per cent of web surfers still chose an organisation’s website – over Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn – as the most trustworthy place to find information. Moreover, almost half of all respondents – 47 per cent – would choose .ORG over other domain extensions to post information on a cause they are passionate about. And during a time of crisis, 39 per cent of Americans turn to a .ORG website for information first. As predicted when asked which word people most commonly associate with the .ORG domain, the most common response was “non profits” with 52 per cent of responses. Other responses were: 12 per cent associate .ORG with “trusted” 4 per cent associate .ORG with “exclusive” 21 per cent associate .ORG with all of the above 9 per cent associate it with none of the above. To download the full report, see: pir.org/pdf/dashboard_1H_2011.pdf To register your .ORG domain name, check out America Registry here .