Hi colleagues,
I just got a mail that my domain name has been classified as a premium domain by NIRA and I need to pay 350 thousand naira for the same domain that would have gone for less than 5k for a .com

Is this the way forward in the Web World?

Please do enlighten me

This is not about the Web World but about NIRA. In other parts of the World, you would not have been able to register the domain in the first place because names like that would be placed out of limits by the registry system.

Be that as it may, rules are rules. If the name is worth that much to you, then proceed with the purchase. If not, dash them.

It depends on the domain name in question, and the category it falls under. If you had registered the domain name before NIRA took over, you shouldn't have to pay more than 200k for it. Actually if it's a company name, NIRA is offering a concessionary price of 50k for it.

Please visit this link put up by one of the registrars to see a copy of the official statement by NIRA on the status of premium domains (including their categorization and prices):

http://portal.netorbmedia.com/knowledgebase.php?action=displayarticle&id=25

Is this the dark ages or what?!?!?!?!
You had the good sense and fortune to register a nice domain before some madness called NIRA sprung up and now wants to extort money from you??
This is how commerce and innovation is stiffled in Nigeria. You can get any domain you want for $10 or less in the developed countries.
Why should they care what type of domain name you have as long as you pay for it? Amazing!

So you have the good fortune to buy land and a house in Lekki P1 and then someone comes and tells you you have to pay more for it after the fact because it is worth more now?

Can you hear me loading the bullets into my revolver?

Maybe i am missing something here,


I wish you all the best in your struggle with this, keep us updated.


D

@abhosts - your info is completely false.
If you happen to stumble upon any domain that has not been registered or has even expired you can register it for $10 or less.
So if Mr. B Gates forgets to mail the check for MIcrosoft.com when it expires someone else will be the owner next day believe me and it is fully legit.

There is no separate fee for a premium vs any other domain name

D

Dokki is right on his last post!!!

Dokki:

@abhosts - your info is completely false.
If you happen to stumble upon any domain that has not been registered or has even expired you can register it for $10 or less.
So if Mr. B Gates forgets to mail the check for MIcrosoft.com when it expires someone else will be the owner next day believe me and it is fully legit.

There is no separate fee for a premium vs any other domain name

D

Very untrue!! Please go and read up ICANN rules regarding domain registrations. Microsoft is registered patent and cannot be registered by someone else. Even if you succeed in registering it, it would be yanked of you the moment Microsoft is aware. A client of mine once had his .com domain taken from him simply because the spelling was similar to that of a very popular brand name.

From the ICANN site http://www.icann.org/en/faq/#gltdrules

Someone else has registered my company's name as a domain name. What is the process for resolving my complaint?

All ICANN-accredited registrars follow a uniform dispute resolution policy. Under that policy, disputes over entitlement to a domain-name registration are ordinarily resolved by court litigation between the parties claiming rights to the registration. Once the court rules on who is entitled to the registration, the registrar will implement that ruling. In disputes arising from registrations allegedly made abusively (such as "cyber-squatting" and ?cyber-piracy", the uniform policy provides an expedited administrative procedure to allow the dispute to be resolved without the cost and delays often encountered in court litigation. In these cases, you can invoke the administrative procedure by filing a complaint with one of the dispute-resolution service providers.


I want a domain that has recently expired, but the registrar won't release it. How can I get the name?

Section 3.7.5 of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement requires registrars to delete domain registrations after a second notice and a grace period, unless there are "extenuating circumstances." Some examples of such "extenuating circumstances" might include ownership disputes, payment disputes, or lame server delegations. Only the registrar would know exactly why it hasn't yet deleted a particular name. No specific dates or deadlines are prescribed in the current provisions.

ICANN has not yet adopted a uniform policy concerning the handling of expired domain names. If you're interested in helping to craft such a policy, you can learn more about ICANN's bottom-up, consensus-based process for making new policies at ICANN's website.


Basically what all of the above says is that it a a grey area simply for the reasons that ICANN cannot enforce the issue with all the regional bodies. What goes on in Russia is different from the USA from China.
I don't believe that a domain name is trademarkable,

There are plenty of examples where the owners of a trademarked name has taken the owner of the domain name to court and lost. Good examples of this are the Whitehouse, Nissan, Bruce Springsteen, Kevin Spacey.

The only real deterent to this is the threat of long drawn out law suits which will be costly however this does not prevent people from doing it.

All in the name of free enterprise.

D

@Dokki. Ok thats means that money, fame, and , is a factor?

rather abhosts

We do it for 5k

What nonsense, are they mad? 350k? Even a dedicated server does not go as high as that.

what is all this crap .ng domain name is FREE! who dey decieve una now
http://www.register.net.ng/
http://www.register.net.ng/downloads/Guide.pdf

Sorry Kheme but your information is outdated.

Visit http://nira.org.ng

If however you do manage to register .ng domains for free yourself, let us know.

Thanks.

@ Poster,

A .com name is good and easily accessible than a .com.ng, as people might forget the ng and dont find your domain,
If you want to reach out to Nigerians and the world in general,i would advise for a .com name,which cost lest than 20$ and free hosting.

350k for a dot com name is pure 419 cos me i buy domains for $0.79 cents .
Styles

dont be a foolish fool do yr research properly and then shop around for alternatives if necessary, but remeber in the multitude of wise counsel there is safety

@ Dokki,

So if Mr. B Gates forgets to mail the check for MIcrosoft.com when it expires someone else will be the owner next day believe me and it is fully legit.

I think you are right. In fact some years ago, Microsoft forgot to renew one of their sites, Passport.com . A good samaritan renewed it and handed it back to Microsoft. Read the story here: http://www.out-law.com/page-4049

seyiphoto:

dont be a foolish fool do yr research properly and then shop around for alternatives if necessary, but remember in the multitude of wise counsel there is safety

@ Seyi, you sound like a Pastor, lol

Anyway many think its very hard sourcing for information but with google,its like a library on my finger tips.
so tell me, Are you an avid sport fan? i need people to visit my upcoming forum and contribute to sporting events and news.
Styles

styles2009:

@ Poster,

A .com name is good and easily accessible than a .com.ng, as people might forget the ng and dont find your domain,
If you want to reach out to Nigerians and the world in general,i would advise for a .com name,which cost lest than 20$ and free hosting.

350k for a dot com name is pure 419 cos me i buy domains for $0.79 cents .
Styles

I would have to agree with styles2009 on this one. Its like second nature for almost all internet users to think that every domain end in a .com So get urself a .com if u u can get it! Its also great for ur SEO. .com domain usually rank better than a .com.ng

inf8nity:

I would have to agree with styles2009 on this one. Its like second nature for almost all internet users to think that every domain end in a .com So get urself a .com if u u can get it! Its also great for your SEO. .com domain usually rank better than a .com.ng

Are you in Nigeria? am doing a little research of internet user and mode of connection. Do you think many Nigerians would like using internet for discussions like forums?
Styles

@ poster:
wetin u find go .com.ng
Any big deal in it?

What on earth will make me do that, if i wanna make my domain sound Nigerian,
i will rather put ng at the end of the name just before .com

Leave .com.ng for Nigerian govt organisations pls

styles2009:

Are you in Nigeria? am doing a little research of internet user and mode of connection. Do you think many Nigerians would like using internet for discussions like forums?
Styles

@styles i'm not in nigeria but could help out in anyway i can how do i get in touch with u?

I am trying to comprehend

BizBooks:

@ Dokki,

I think you are right. In fact some years ago, Microsoft forgot to renew one of their sites, Passport.com . A good samaritan renewed it and handed it back to Microsoft. Read the story here: http://www.out-law.com/page-4049

and what they didn't mention was that Microsoft could easily have had that domain yanked from under the fellow.

Cybersquatting is frowned upon by the ICANN. The cybersquatter always loses in the long run.

....

350k for a .com.ng domain? This is outrageous!

It is madness of the highest level.
Why the classification of Domain, when the resolution process is same?

When my 3 domain names expired, I was asked to pay up(something in the range of 150K) via an email from one the appointed agents of NIRA. I just went to register the names without the .ng costing me less than $60. thereafter did the pointing to the Ip addresses and name servers.

Charging high for domain name registration will not help the country IT growth.
Everything in Nigeria is all about money. I did not paid RANDY RASH (can not remember it name now) to do the initial registration for me. This guy just voluteer his time to do . ng registration for us.

350 kini for ng?

Bros, no gawk yourself. Better register a .com for $10 or so.

inf8nity:

@styles i'm not in nigeria but could help out in anyway i can how do i get in touch with u?

send me a mail: adanimagbagbe@yahoo.com

Styles

Just look for a different domain. Honestly.