.UK launch 'right to reserve'

[tifosi]

Its not clear if the .uk will drop at the same time as the .co.uk, it could be that the .co.uk drops and at some point later that day or 7 days later the .uk drops.

All that is clear is, the .co.uk MUST drop first, otherwise the .co.uk owner could still renew.

The .uk won't drop. It was never registered. It will just be available to register via the epp create command. Up until that point the epp response will fail with a 'domain reserved', or something similar response. After the drop the epp will allow registration. Will make for a few interesting milliseconds no doubt!

 

[Edwin]

Another way to look at this is:

1) All .uk domains are available to register on Launch Day except for those blocked by an existing extension.

2) Assuming the .uk wasn't registered by the owner of the "blocking domain" and that blocking domain drops, then there's nothing blocking the .uk any more so it's free to register.

The comments in this thread about this changing the drop catching process are spot on. I expect it will lead to many more people attempting to contact the previous registrant of the "blocking registration" before the domain drops (perhaps with a view to persuading them to part with the as-yet-unregistered .uk for a cash payment)

So there are no circumstances in which you want to still be catching .org.uk domains right now (unless they're so amazingly good you think they're worth something for themselves) since .org.uk do not retain their entitlement to a .uk domain.

You want to be catching .co.uk domains up until Launch Day if they're good (most if not all will also come with the right to register the UK)

Beyond Launch day, you want to be monitoring both .co.uk and .uk - who knows which you should put more energy into at this point. .org.uk which was already pretty much out of the picture disappears totally from the value equation at this point.

 

[Edwin]

There is an additional wrinkle...

If a .org.uk you fancy the look of is due to drop before Launch Day and there's no current .co.uk (unlikely but not impossible) then you want to register the .co.uk right now because it will gain the right to the .uk if the .org.uk gets deleted as expected. (you don't need the .org.uk, you only need it to drop)

 

[denchomsky]

Why are they £9 bloody 99, thats what I want to know!

 

[fuzzer]

well there you go - I've learnt a few things...

thanks for all the feedback - and for clearing up the .org.uk issue.

I'm gonna throw one more question out there -

why have Nominet decided to do it this way rather than just simply giving the .uk rights to anyone with the .co.uk regardless of if its before/after the launch date?

It would make things simpler - I'd imagine most new .co.uk regs after the launch date would want the .uk too and viceversa - so they wouldn't be losing money on one being regged without the other.
What I can see happening is names being caught by 2 different individuals - therefore devaluing both to an extent.
So - is there a good reason why Nominet chose this way?

 

[tifosi]

why have Nominet decided to do it this way rather than just simply giving the .uk rights to anyone with the .co.uk regardless of if its before/after the launch date?

We're all a little punch drunk from that topic tbh so don't expect a coherent answer! In the end it's been generally agreed that the solution proposed is the best one for a difficult situation.

There's plenty of threads on here regarding the 15month convoluted process that has lead to this point...

 

[Edwin]

So - is there a good reason why Nominet chose this way?

Nominet don't want to force businesses to register both names (although many/most will) because otherwise it's an automatic added cost. That also leaves businesses free to use one domain name and sell the other i.e. they're not obliged to keep both together as a pair. More flexibility, in other words.

 

[Skinner]

I'm not sure how long people will see both as a pair.

We don't see .me.uk and .co.uk as a pair, or .org and .co a pair, and soon we won't see .co.uk and .uk as a pair, it will simply be .uk is the .com and .co|org|me|plc|ltd|net.uk are the new .co.uk kinda thing.

As soon as different owners for each come in (assuming some are some and drops work as I think they will) then we start see them treated as 2 entities.