Firms To Bid For New Short UK Domains

The UK Internet registry Nominet has announced plans to release 2,831 new short .uk domain names, giving companies the chance to bid for single character domains, such as 1.co.uk, and two letter domains, such as aa.co.uk.

According to Nominet, these short domains have previously been held back for technical reasons. However, following a policy review and a public consultation, the domains are now being made available.

Between 1 December 2010 and 17 January 2011, companies will be able to apply for domains that match their trademark, as long as they can provide evidence of using the trademark in the UK prior to 1 January 2008. If there is more than one verified application, domains will be auctioned to the highest bidder, with proceeds going to the Nominet Trust.

Hot competition

The system is likely to result in some domains being in high demand. For example, there are 42 rights holders who have registered the trademark ‘BA’ with the Intellectual Property Office.

“There can be many trademarks, but only one domain name.  So we’re expecting these new domains will be hotly contested by individuals, companies and major brands,” said Nick Wenban-Smith, senior legal counsel at Nominet. “Having the .uk short domain URL can enhance brand value and increase customer access to businesses and individuals via search engines and beyond.”

Any domains that are not allocated will be offered to unregistered rights holders, and those remaining after that will proceed to a “landrush” period in which anyone can participate. A full list of the new domains is available here.

Just over a year ago, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened up the domain name system to non-Latin characters, allowing countries to apply for Internet addresses which are made up of characters in their own language. The organisation is also working on the introduction of new top level domain names, such as .shop and .music.

However, some trademark owners complain that ICANN is opening up new opportunities for “cybersquatters” to buy trademark-infringing domains.