Domain Name Guide

General Guidelines:

• Minimum 3 characters among the letters "a to z" (case-insensitive), the numbers "0 to 9" and the hyphen "-".
• Maximum of 63 characters.
• Must not begin or end with a hyphen.
• Must not contain a hyphen "-" on the 3^rd and 4^th position simultaneously.
• Do not add www to the begining of your domain name.

Note: Some registries allow for a 2 character minimum, but most do not.

Tips:

• Always use "your" name for the "Registrant" not your webhost, webmaster, or significant other.
  The "Registrant" is the owner of the domain.
• If possible choose a domain name that matches your brand name.
• Protect your brand by registering all the TLD's (top level domains) for that name:
  .com, .org, .info, .net, .biz. Also register .mobi if you want to target the Mobile Device market.

What do those extentions stand for anyway?

Geographical TLD's

Please note that "Privacy Protection" is not available on the following TLD's:

.US (United States)

Who can apply for the registration of .US domains?
Any U.S. citizen or resident, as well as any business or organization, including federal, state, and local government with a bona fide presence in the United States can register a .US domain name.

One of the following eligibility requirements must be met:

1. A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions, or
   
   
2. Any entity or organization that is incorporated within one of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions or territories or (ii) organized or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, or any of its possessions or territories, or
   
   
3. An entity or organization (including federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona fide presence in the United States. See Section B.3.1 of the NeuStar proposal to the Department of Commerce for details concerning what constitutes a “bona fide presence.

.EU (European Union)

Who can apply for the registration of .EU domains?
The following categories of companies, organisations, and individuals will be qualified for the registration of .EU domain names:

• Undertakings having their registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the European Community.


• Organisations established within the European Community without prejudice to the application of national law.


• Natural persons resident within the European Community.

.IN (India)

Who can apply for the registration of .IN domains?
Anyone! Companies, individuals, and organizations in India and abroad are all eligible to register .in domain names.

Unlimited registrations are available in the following zones. Registration is available freely to all parties worldwide, and there are no nexus or other qualifications:

• .in
• co.in
• net.in
• org.in
• firm.in
• gen.in (general)
• ind.in (individuals)

The following zones are reserved for use by qualified organizations in India:

• ac.in (Academic)
• res.in (Indian research institutes)
• edu.in (Indian colleges and universities)
• gov.in (Indian government)
• mil.in (Indian military)

Term: .IN domain names may be registered for a minimum of one (1) year, and a maximum of five (5) years.

.ASIA - http://www.dotasia.org/

Who can apply for the registration of .ASIA domains?
Any person or entity may register an .asia domain name, but at least one "Domain Contact" must be a legal entity within the DotAsia Community. The DotAsia Community is defined based on the geographical boundaries described by the ICANN Asia / Australia / Pacific region.

Term: .ASIA domain names may be registered for a minimum of one (1) year, and a maximum of ten (10) years.