Introduction of second-level ‘.sg' domain name is to give
the public more choices and avenues to register '.sg' domain
name.
^TOP
What are the benefits of registering
a second-level '.sg' domain name?
The benefits are:
(a) You will have a shorter '.sg' domain name highlighting
your local presence
(b) You have more choices available on top of the existing categories
of ‘com.sg' ‘org.sg', ‘net.sg', ‘edu.sg' ‘gov.sg' and ‘per.sg'
^TOP
What is the purpose of a 6-week Sunrise
Period?
The purpose of the 6-week Sunrise Period is to avoid any
potential rush in applying for second-level ‘.sg’ domain.
^TOP
Are applications received during
the Sunrise Period processed on a first-come-first-served
basis?
No, all applications received during the Sunrise period
will be collected togeth er and processed as a batch. This
is to allow SGNIC to allocate the domain name according to
the allocation piorities as given in Section 4 of the Guidelines
^TOP
APPLICATIONS
I am an existing
registrant with SGNIC, is it mandatory for me to register
second-level '.sg' domain names?
No, it is not mandatory for you to register
second-level '.sg' domain names. It is entirely up to you
to decide whether you want the same name to be registered
at the second-level domain name. If you would like to also
have the same name to be registered at the second-level, we
advise you to send in your application through your registrars
during the Soft Launch period in order to take advantage of
the priority given.
^TOP
What will happen to
my current third-level '.sg' domain name if I register a second-level
domain name?
Your current third-level ‘.sg' (eg example.com.sg)
domain name will not be affected after registering a new second-level
‘.sg' domain name. Any arrangements you have currently for
your third-level name will still remain the same.
^TOP
Do I need
to change my current third-level '.sg' domain name to second-level
domain name?
No, you do not have to do so. This second-level
scheme is not to ask you to change from the current third-level
to second-level. You can continue to retain your current third-level
domain name. If you need to register the same name at the
second-level, you can send in your application through your
registrar and the second-level domain name will be in addition
to the third-level domain name you currently have.
^TOP
When can I register for a second-level
‘.sg' domain name?
You can start applying from 15 September 2004 .
^TOP
Who can register second-level '.sg'
domain name?
All individuals and entities are eligible to apply for second-level
‘.sg’ domain name. Foreign-based registrants have to appoint
a local administrative contact or register a local office.
^TOP
How do I register a second-level
‘.sg' domain name?
You can register second-level ‘.sg' domain name with any
of the seven registrars accredited by SGNIC.
^TOP
Is there any document required for
registering a second-level '.sg' domain name?
No documentary proof is required to register a second-level
'.sg' domain name. However, during the Sunrise Period, applicants
will be required to submit a declaration
form, indicating their status (i.e. trademark holders,
government bodies, existing registrant, etc). This form has
to be submitted to SGNIC via the registrars
^TOP
Are there any special registration
requirements during the Sunrise Period?
There are no registration requirements. Individuals and
entities are eligible to apply for second-level ‘.sg’ domain
name during the sunrise period. Foreign-based applicants,
however, have to appoint a local administrative contact or
register a local office.
^TOP
Are there any restrictions on the
types of domain names that I can register?
The restrictions on the types of domain names to be registered
are the same as the third-level domain names specifically:
(a) Names, which contain certain words such as “Temasek”, “Singapore”,
“Singapura” and its variation, “Singapore Government” or “President”
or any other words that can mislead people to think there is
link to the Government;
(b) Names, which contains “SGNIC”, “NIC” and its variations;
(c) Names, which are obscene, scandalous, indecent or contrary
to law, or morality (e.g. “sex” or any connotations with sex
or any sex-related activities);
(d) Names, which are geographical names or names of countries
(e.g. Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, etc.);
(e) Abbreviated names (either on their own or in combination
with other characters) of existing generic top-level domain
name (gTLDs) (i.e. .com, .org, .net, edu, .gov, .per, .aero,
.coop, .biz, .info, .museum, .name and .pro) and any other gTLDs
created or to be created by ICANN in the future;
(f) Names, such as “www”, “http”, “https” or “http-www”;
(g) Names, which are similar or identical to domain names registered
under other domain name space and which SGNIC deems undesirable;
and
(h) Names, which consist of all numerals.
^TOP
I have an existing third-level domain
name ‘abc.com.sg' with Registrar A, must I register second-level
name ‘abc.sg' with the same Registrar?
No, you may select any of SGNIC’s registrars as the registrar
for the second-level domain name. However, you should ensure
that the registrant organization name is exactly the same
as the one for the third-level domain name so that SGNIC can
classify you as an ‘existing registrant’.
^TOP
What happen if there is more than
one application for the same second-level ‘.sg' domain name
during the Sunrise Period?
During the Sunrise Period, if there is more than one application
for the same second-level domain name, allocation priority
will be as follows:
(a) Holders of registered trade marks; and where there are multiple
applicants, to the highest bidder.
(b) Ministries/Government Departments/Statutory Bodies.
(c) Existing third-level domain name registrants who applied
for the same domain name, and where there are multiple applicants,
to the highest bidder.
(d) New applicants, and where there are multiple applicants,
to the highest bidder.
^TOP
How do you actually
implement the priority registration of registered trade mark
owners, unregistered well-known mark owners and existing registrant
inthat order?
This can be best explained by the following
examples:
(1) The name ‘ABC’ is a trade mark already registered in Singapore.
Its proprietor submits an application to register ‘ABC.sg’.
There are also submissions from others applying to register
‘ABC.sg’. SGNIC will allocate the name ‘ABC.sg’ to the trade
mark proprietor.
(2) The name ‘ABC’ has been registered by a government organisation
under ‘ABC.gov.sg’. This organisation submits an application
to register ‘ABC.sg’. There are also submissions from others
(except the trademark proprietor) applying to register ‘ABC.sg’.
SGNIC will allocate the name ‘ABC.sg’ to the government organisation.
(3) The name ‘ABC’ has been registered by an existing registrant
under ‘ABC.com.sg’. This registrant submits an application
to register ‘ABC.sg’. There are also submissions from others
(except Trade mark proprietor and government organisations).
SGNIC will allocate the name ‘ABC.sg’ to the registrant.
(4) The name ‘ABC’ is a trade mark already registered in Singapore.
Its proprietor submits an application to register ‘ABC.sg’.
There are also submissions from government organisation (i.e.
‘ABC.gov.sg’) and an existing 3rd level registrant (e.g. ‘ABC.com.sg’)
applying to register ‘ABC.sg’. SGNIC will allocate the name
‘ABC.sg’ to the trademark proprietor.
(5) The name ‘ABC.sg’ is being applied for by a government
organization, an existing registrant (e.g. ‘ABC.com.sg’) and
a new applicant. SGNIC will allocate the name to the government
organisation.
(6) The name ‘ABC.sg’ is being applied for by a new applicant.
If there are no submissions from others to apply for the name
‘ABC.sg’, SGNIC will allocate the name to the new applicant.
^TOP
How would you define "existing registrants”?
"Existing registrants" refer to '.sg' domain
name holders a) Who have registered third-level ‘.sg' domain
name with SGNIC before or by 5:00 pm on 6 September 2004;
and
b) The name applied under the second-level must be exactly
the same as the one under the third-level. E.g. registrant
of ‘abc.com.sg’ is considered an existing registrant if he
applied for ‘abc.sg’. If he applies for ‘edf.sg’, he is not
considered as an existing registrant; and
c) The organization name and/or first name, last name must
be an exact match of the one provided by the third-level domain
name.
^TOP
What will be the ‘creation
date' of a domain name? Is it based on the date when I apply
for the domain or the date of approval?
It will be based on the date of approval, which
barring objections to the allocation results, will be 14 days
after the announcement of allocation results. It will not
be based on the date of application/submission during the
sunrise period.
^TOP
When will
I know if my application is successful?
All applications (from Trademark owners, government agencies,
existing registrants and new registrants) will be processed
between 1 November to 19 December 2004. Registration results
for the sunrise period will be posted on SGNIC's website on
20 December 2004 . An objection period of 14 calendar days
is provided for the public to raise objections to any allocation
decision. If there is no objection filed against your allocated
domain name, it will be allocated to you on 3 January 2005.
Your registrar will also inform you of the result of your
application.
^TOP
What happens
if there is an objection raised against my application?
Your application will be placed on hold until a decision
has been made.
^TOP
Why does registered
trademark or well-known mark owners enjoy priority over other
applicants?
Owners of registered trademarks or well-known marks in Singapore
are legally authorised to use their marks for various purposes.
Their status and priority in the use of domain names similar
to their marks is also recognised under the Singapore Domain
Name Dispute Resolution Policy. Thus they are given priority
over other applicants.
^TOP
How would you define
whether the applied domain name is of an exact match with
the applicant's trademark?
SGNIC will use the following criteria to define whether the
applications for domain name are of an exact match with the
applicants' trademarks:
• The applied domain name is an exact match with
the textual, word or numeric elements of the applicant's trademarks
• Special characters eg ~ ` @ # $ % ^ & *
( ) _ + = < > { } [ ] | \ /, spaces and punctuation
(eg : ; ? ` , . ? ) will have to be removed or replaced with
hyphens.
• Hyphen is the only character allowed to be included
in domain names
Examples:
• If you own a trademark BLACK & WHITE', we
would accept your application for ‘BLACKWHITE.SG' and / or
BLACK-WHITE.SG'.
• If your trademark is ‘GOOD COMPANY', you may
apply for ‘GOODCOMPANY.SG' and / or ‘GOOD-COMPANY.SG'.
• If there is a ‘-‘ in your trademark, eg ‘TREE-TOP',
you may apply for ‘TREE-TOP.SG'.
SGNIC reserves the rights to make final decision on whether
or not to accept any application, however, discretion can
be extended for special cases.
^TOP
Why are ‘gov.sg' domain
name holders given the priority of registering second-level
‘.sg' domain name?
Government bodies and departments are charged with the functions
of providing services to the public which include individuals,
non-profit organisations and the business community. There
is a need to ensure that the information provided by these
government agencies is accessible through the widest possible
means, ie at both third and second-levels. There is also a
need to prevent abuse of government website names by others
who register such names at the second-level to pass off as
government websites to confuse or mislead the public.
^TOP
Why are existing
third-level '.sg' domain name registrants given the priority
of registering second-level ‘.sg' domain name?
Existing registrants of third-level names have been using
the names which may be familiar to their customers or foreign
associates. To avoid possible confusion that can arise from
others registering the same names at the second-level and
to minimise the potential dispute cases between the parties
registering the same name at the two levels, there is a need
to let the existing third-level name registrant decide first
if they would also like to register the same name at the second-level.
^TOP
BIDDING
Under what
circumstances do I need to bid for second-level domain names?
Where more than one application for the same
allocation priority category is received for the same domain
name during the Sunrise Period, applicants will be invited
to bid for the domain name. The one who bid the highest price
will have the right to the name at the second-level.
^TOP
How do you
actually implement the bidding among applicants in the same
priority group applying for the same domain name at the second-level
of ‘.sg'?
This can be best explained by the following examples:
(1) The name ‘XYZ' is a trade mark already registered in
Singapore under certain class of goods. The name ‘XYZ' is
also registered by another proprietor in Singapore under a
different class. Both proprietors submit application to register
the name ‘XYZ.sg'. The two trade mark proprietor will bid
among themselves to secure the right to register ‘XYZ.sg'.
(2) The name ‘XYZ' is currently being registered by more
than one registrant of different categories such as ‘XYZ.com.sg',
‘XYZ.org.sg' and ‘XYZ.net.sg'. The three registrants will
bid among themselves to secure the right to register ‘XYZ.sg'.
(3) The name ‘XYZ' is being applied for by two new applicants
as ‘XYZ.sg'. The two applicants will bid among themselves
to secure the right to register ‘XYZ.sg'.
^TOP
How do I know
if I need to bid for a name?
SGNIC will inform you via mail if you need to bid for a name.
^TOP
Why does SGNIC
adopt the bidding method to allocating domain names and not
by other methods such as using the registration date or by
draw?
The registrations of third-level ‘.sg' names under different
categories (e.g. ‘.com/.net/.org.sg' names) are subject to
different eligibility requirements. Names under some categories
are relatively easy to register compared to others. It is
therefore not fair to base on registration date of names as
a basis of priority. Bidding method is considered fairer as
it allows bidders to determine the importance of the domain
names to them and to decide how much the names are worth paying.
Drawing lots is based on ‘luck' and may not be an optimum
approach as it does not allow the market a chance to first
determine the value of the domain name.
^TOP
PAYMENT
If I am successful
in bidding for a name, can I use the bid price as payment
to SGNIC later when I submit my application through a registrar?
No, the bid price is only a one-time payment for the purpose
of determining which registrant values the name most. It is
not meant to off-set the payment to SGNIC in the usual annual
maintenance payment.
^TOP
Do I pay SGNIC
for registering a second-level ‘.sg' domain name?
No, SGNIC will not be charging the registrants
directly for the registration. You will have to pay your registrar
for the registration.
^TOP
How much do
I have to pay for a second-level domain name?
Charges for registering second-level ‘.sg’ domain names will
depend on the package you take up with the individual registrars.
^TOP
Do I have
to pay upfront to the registrar during the sunrise period
even though the domain is not successfully allocated to me?
You will have to check with individual registrar on the payment
terms. Some registrars may require you to pay upfront and
refund the cost should your application be unsuccessful. Other
registrars may only collect payment from you after your application
is successful.
^TOP
OBJECTION
What is the
procedure if I want to lodge a complaint against the decision
of SGNIC in allowing a registration?
You can lodge an objection/a complaint against SGNIC's decision
by filling up an Objection Form and sending it to SGNIC. The
Objection Form must be submitted within 14 calendar days from
the announcement of SGNIC's allocation results. Your objection
will be considered by a Panel which will decide within 30
calendar days of your submission under normal circumstances.
The decision of the Panel will be final.
^TOP
What is SGNIC's procedure
to resolve a dispute arising from a complaint lodged by an
applicant?
All disputes in relation to second-level domain names (except
disputes arising from the allocation results announced during
the Sunrise Period) will be dealt with in accordance with
the Singapore Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, Rules
and Supplemental Rules referred to in the Registrant Agreement
regardless of when the second-level domain name was registered.
^TOP
I am an existing
third level domain name holder. If I don't register the same
name under the 2nd level and if I discover someone else has
registered the same name under the 2nd level to confuse or
mislead my customers, can I still take action against the
party and takem back my name?
Yes, under the Singapore Domain Dispute Resolution Policy,
you may lodge a complaint with the Singapore Mediation Centre
to request for the name to be transferred to you. You can
do so if the other party has no right to use the name and
has tried to sell or rent or transfer the name to you for
a fee; or to disrupt your business; or to confuse or mislead
users in order to attract them to its website.
^TOP
