Nominet to flog short domains
BA wannabes face auction scrap
Posted in Broadband, 3rd November 2010 13:15 GMT
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More than 2,800 very short UK domain names are to be auctioned for the first time, starting next month.
The sale will allow firms known by initials - such as BA - to acquire their most obvious .co.uk address.
Nominet, the non-profit that runs the .uk registry, has dropped its policy of witholding very short domains, which include single letters and numbers. Technical restrictions no longer apply, it said.
Beginning 1 December, trademark holders can apply for relevant addresses. The trademark must have been registered before 2008.
Where there is more than one applicant - "BA" is registered as a trademark to 42 organisations, for example - an auction will be held with profits going to the Nominet Trust, a charity.
Those very short domains not allocated to a trademark holder by 31 January 2011 will then go forward to an open "landrush" auction.
There is a full list of the addresses up for grabs here. ®
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