SIDN Sides with Dot NL Registrants

The dot NL registry (SIDN) steps up the procedures allowing for the protection of registrants of domain names under the dot NL extension. It recently sent a reminder to registrars of the penalties set against those who do not respect the quarantine period.

The Dot NL Quarantine System

This quarantine system was set up by SIDN back in September 2008 in order to provide registrants of expired dot NL domain names with a priority for registering the domain names they are about to lose. Despite this system, the Dutch registry noticed that a number of registrars still tried to book domain names that were in a quarantine period for their own customers. SIDN consequently decided to fend off these practices by applying cautionary sanctions against shady registrars. These sanctions have been into force since 2008 but were once again highlighted by SIDN in a message sent to registrars early this month.

Recorded Abuses

Two major abuses are targeted by SIDN’ new sanctions :
– The first type of abuse is that of registrars who attempt more than five times a day to register a domain name which is still in the quarantine period.
– The second type of abuse is that of registrars who attempt to register a domain name in lieu of its legitimate owner.

New Sanctions

Any registrar attempting to register a domain name during its quarantine period more than five times a day will see its request held up by SIDN. The registrar will also see all its consecutive requests blocked and their fulfillment bound to the payment of release fees (see details on the SIDN’s extranet for registrars).

Attempts at registering a domain name during its quarantine period in lieu of its legitimate owner will be even more severely tackled. The sanctions range from a financial penalty to the withdrawal of the registrar’s accreditation to sell dot NL domain names.

The above mentionned sanctions set up by SIDN are part and parcel of the Dutch registry’s amendment of its General Terms and Conditions for Registrars (8.3) and of its General Terms and Conditions for .nl Registrants. The latter have been in force since the 2nd of October 2009.