.uk SLDs to be decided by independent panel

By Steve Malone

Posted on 2 Jul 2003 at 12:36

The national registry for .uk domains and manager of the .co.uk domain Nominet, has proposed new procedures for the creation of Second Level Domains within the .uk space. The registry has proposed that in future all such decisions should be taken by an independent panel of experts.

The panel would hear all future applications. Anyone bidding to manage the new SLD would need to be judged on their technical and financial ability to handle the business. However, even if one party made a suggestion for a new SLD, the process would be open to competitive tender and two rounds of public consultation.

The changes are in response to suggestions that Nominet may block SLDs which affect the .uk domain. Recently Scottish company ScotNom charged Nominet with being `anti-competitive' when the Registry turned down its application for a .scot.uk domain.

'We have to comply with competition policy,' commented Lesley Cowley, the MD of Nominet, 'and there has been a perception that we may be being anticompetitive when dealing with second level domains so we are proposing to move the entire process outside of Nominet'.

Because the new panel is completely independent, it is proposed that it should be financed by the domain applicant.

Further details on the consultation document can be found at the Nominet web site. All comments to be received by September 2003.