.name
 | |
| Introduced | 2001 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Generic top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Verisign |
| Sponsor | None |
| Intended use | Personal sites of individuals |
| Actual use | Mostly used as intended. |
| Registration restrictions | No prior restriction on registration, but registrations can be challenged if not by or on behalf of individual with name similar to that of domain, or fictional character in which registrant has rights |
| Structure | Originally registrations had to be at third level, in form john.smith.name, but later direct second-level registrations were allowed |
| Documents | ICANN registry agreement |
| Dispute policies | UDRP, Disputes |
| Registry website | Verisign.com - .name Domain Name |
The domain name "name" is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. It is intended for use by individuals for representation of their personal names, nicknames, screen names, pseudonyms, or other types of identification labels.
The top-level domain was initially delegated to Global Name Registry in 2001, and become fully operational in January 2002. Verisign began operating it in February 2009.
Domains may be registered on the second level (john.name) and the third level (john.doe.name). It is also possible to register an e-mail address of the form john@doe.name. Such an e-mail address may have to be a forwarding account and require another e-mail address as the recipient address, or may be treated as a conventional email address (such as john@doe.com), depending on the registrar.
When a domain is registered on the third level (john.doe.name), the second level (doe.name in this case) is shared, and may not be registered by any individual. Other second level domains like johndoe.name remain unaffected.
When the name TLD was first launched, only third-level registrations (and forwarded e-mail addresses) were available. In January 2004, second-level registrations became available. The original intended structure of domain names was first.last.name, so that an individual could get a domain corresponding to his or her actual name.
In November 2009, internationalized domain names (IDNs) became available for second and third level name domains names. IDNs are domain names that are represented by user applications in the native character set of the local language.
The name whois service is available at the URL http://whois.nic.name. Domain name registrations are available from accredited ICANN registrars.
In late September 2007, security researchers accused Global Name Registry of harboring hackers by charging money per Whois lookup.[1] The policy of selling detailed registration info about name domains for US$2 each was criticized as hindering community efforts to locate and clean up malware-spreading machines, zombies, and botnet control servers located in the name. The registry, however, does offer free unlimited lookups for legitimate users through the free Extensive Whois access program.[2]
See also
References