What You Need To Know About Changes To .CN

Posted March 5th, 2010

As “heavy” Internet users, we are familiar with upheavals in the domain world. Registrars loose accreditation, registrations lapse and domain names are lost. High profile domains change hands almost daily. If there is anything the domain business is used to its change, and the ability to adapt to shifting guidelines and technologies is vital to successfully operate and conduct business online. It is because of this constant change that the Internet has created an emerging world community.

However, like all communities, it is far from perfect. In December of 2009, CNNIC, the operator of .CN drastically altered their domain registration requirements closing registrations to anyone outside of China. The new restrictions, which went active on December 14, 2009, were put in place to “restrict online pornography”.

CNNIC’s registration requirements changed dramatically overnight. It became nearly impossible to register or transfer a domain name outside of China unless you operated a business in China or had a “man on the ground” to register the name for you and maintain local presence. It wasn’t a noticeable change unless you were trying to register a .CN domain or transfer one. The domain world doesn’t get a lot of mainstream press but .CN’s new registration restrictions were so tough that TIME Magazine picked up on it. On December 18, 2009, Time.com ran an article titled “China’s Domain-Name Limits: Web Censorship (HERE).

The Chinese government and the Internet have had a dubious relationship of late, having been in the news frequently for censoring Internet activity, allegedly using Google’s services for nefarious purposes, and monitoring individual users. To anyone who has been keeping an eye on Internet developments within China, these registration restrictions come as little surprise.

There are nearly 13 million domain names registered under .CN, making this a delicate circumstance. China is a very large market that few businesses want to be excluded from. To continue to operate in China, it is vital to pay close attention to the fluctuating Internet laws and regulations the country is subject to implementing without much notice. This is not likely to be the last change to CNNICs rules of registration or operation and there is very little that can be done to combat it.

We spoke with Kim Davies, Manager of Root Zone Services at ICANN about the organizations view of the latest .CN restrictions:

NameSmash: What is ICANN’s position on .CN’s current registration restrictions?

ICANN: Country code top-level domains like .CN are delegated to competent local trustees in the country to operate on behalf of the local Internet community. It is these operator’s responsibilities to set appropriate policy for the domain, considering relevant local laws, regulations and the needs of the local Internet community. ICANN does not get involved in the internal policy setting for country-code top-level domains. In a sense, each ccTLD manager is like a local ICANN concerned with managing policy within the ccTLD.

NameSmash: Is this something that has happened before?

ICANN: Certainly country-code top-level domain operators change their policies regularly. Each country is different. As they are distinct from ICANN consensus policies that govern gTLDs it is not something we are directly involved in.

NameSmash: In the case a ccTLD takes sudden measures to restrict access what sort of power if any does ICANN have to stop it?

ICANN: In practice, ICANN’s responsibility for ccTLDs is for the delegation and re-delegation of the sponsoring organization for each country-code top-level domain. If it was deemed appropriate to re-delegate a ccTLD from one party to another then ICANN could do that, but that would need to be a bottom-up process where the local Internet community developed a proposal and submitted it to ICANN for consideration.

NameSmash: Do you feel this will set a precedent for other ccTLDs to suddenly restrict outside access in this way?

ICANN: We have not observed any trends relating to particular changes to ccTLD policies.

NameSmash: China also has a reputation for restricting general Internet access.  What do you feel the effects of a “closed society” on-line will have on the international community?

ICANN: ICANN’s responsibility is for ensuring a global interoperable Internet through the use of unique naming and numbering systems. We are not concerned directly with Internet access provision and other issues, so it would not be appropriate to comment.

ICANN’s position makes sense. Each ccTLD governs itself and the ccTLD community has fought hard over the years to maintain that control. From the position of someone who is not entrenched in the domain business, it might be difficult to understand why one governing body doesn’t step in and enforce uniformity in registration policy. However, for the same reason we don’t have a singular world government we cannot have a single enforcement agent to cover the Internet.

In the last few weeks, changes have been made to loosen the restrictions. If you are a business or organization, you may register although there are a list of restrictions and paperwork that must be provided. According to a representative from Neustar, a registry that handles .CN registrations, individuals can no longer register .CN names if you are registering the name from outside of China.

Understanding the nuances of the requirements for each ccTLD can tricky. The rules are different from country to county and when they change it can take a bit to catch up. This slows down the process of registering a domain name and if you need that name quickly, it can be disastrous. Big changes are not frequent but they are also not unheard of. Patience is paramount when registering domain names in countries that have rapidly changing rules and restrictions. The best way to prepare for running into a wall while trying to register a domain in an uncertain climate is to keep an ear to the ground, allow as much lead time as possible and remain ready to change your game plan if necessary.

If you would like more information on registering .CN domain names including the current guidelines for registration please visit the following links:

http://www.encirca.com/domain-news/2010/cn-registry-re-opening-with-new-restrictions/

http://www.neustarregistry.biz/products/cn

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Posted in CCTLD's, Enforcement, ICANN, Interviews, Know Your Domains, Registrars, Registries, Tech News, World Events by Kelly Hardy