Russia changes rules for .ru registration
The .ru ccTLD has a long-held reputation as a haven for spam and cyber crime, but recent changes made to the domain’s registration requirements could clean it up.
It used to be very easy for criminals to register .ru names with fake identities. But as of April 1, all registrants have to provide a copy of a passport or business registration papers in order to buy a domain. China implemented a similar system several months ago to clean up its .cn extension.
Will Russia’s actions improve .ru’s reputation? Probably, but by making registration such an inconvenience, many legitimate users will find another TLD to register. And as Rodney Joffe, chief technologist at Neustar put it, “It’s pushing the malicious activity elsewhere. If it’s so much of a hassle, [criminals will] say, ‘Screw it. I’m going to register another top-level domain.’”
ICANN Launches Russia's Cyrillic TLD
Yesterday, the first Russian Internet domains with Cyrillic characters were launched. There has been talks about this move for quite some time. The preparation received both praise and concern. Now, ICANN has officially assigned the .рф (.rf, for “Russian Federation”) top-level domain to Russia.
What this means is that users in Russia will be able to register domains that end in .рф. It also opens the door for entrepreneurs and domainers to capitalize on the new Russian market. Presumably, there will be thousands of new high-priced domain names available in Russian. Other European countries that use cyrillic characters are expected to join in on the fun, and other languages will soon follow.
Latin had long dominated the domain market, while countries with non-Latin characters were largely excluded. Last week, Arabic characters were introduced into the domain pool, with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates leading the charge. Supporters of the change believe the Internet will be more accessible to Russians and other non-Latin language countries. Opponents believe it will create separation barriers between the nations.
Forbes nails cybersquatter for $300,000
The Russian division of business periodical Forbes has won a dispute over the name Forbes.ru. In addition to the name, a Moscow arbitration court has awarded the company $300,000 USD in damages. This is the largest compensation ever awarded to an American company in a Russian court case.
Because Forbes did not initially own Forbes.ru, it was forced to launch its magazine on ForbesRussia.ru last November. Grigory Punanov, chief editor, stated:
We fought for a long time for the legal right to use the domain name Forbes.ru… I hope the ruling will enter legal force and that our site will soon be available at that address.
Forbes will now be faced with the challenge of informing visitors and subscribers of its new web address. This could easily eat up all of its $300,000 settlement.
Source | The Moscow Times
Tag: .ru, domain dispute, forbes, russia
Russians concerned about introduction of Cyrillic IDNs
The introduction of Cyrillic IDNs in Russia has been hailed as a success by the government, but many Russian citizens are worried about the possible implications the domains might have on their freedom. According to a recent New York Times article, they are afraid the new names will cut the former superpower off from the rest of Internet and make it easier for security forces to control information.
Aleksei Larin, a construction engineer in the industrial city of Tula, stated:
This is one more step toward isolation. And since this is a Kremlin project, it is possible that it will lead to the introduction of censorship, which is something that certain officials have long sought
The Cyrillic domains will use the suffix .рф. Many web users who have adapted to Latin-character web addresses argue that the names are unnecessary, while the government believes they will bolster Internet adoption to rural areas.
Personally, I think critics of the new system are just a little paranoid. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Russian government would prefer to limit certain information from being viewed online, but how does making the web available to all Russian people hurt anyone? It is true, however, that most Westerners will be unable to type the new Cyrillic addresses. So if all Russian sites adopt the new system, it is possible they could be “cut off” from the rest of the world. But my guess is those Russian sites already using Latin domains will remain as they are.
Russia.com sells for $1.5 million
Russia.com sold recently for a jaw-dropping $1.5 million USD. Considering the country’s large economy and emerging Internet population, the sale price is quite reasonable.
Currently, the domain is being used by the Russia Channel as a hotel and travel guide for tourists. This is a good use for the name, but I could also see it being utilized by a news website or even the government. Geographic domains are some of the best investments out there.
Other recent sales:
xx.de- €6,600
creaflex.com- €4,500
ncponline.com- $4,000
yabado.com- $3,300
writinginstruments.co.uk- $1,100
Russia to apply for.рф IDN
Russian President Dimitry Medvedev has announced that Russia will apply for the .рф Cyrillic IDN as soon as ICANN begins accepting proposals for the new extensions on November 16.
According to Medvedev, registration for the IDN will be available at the end of the month, though trademark holders and government entities will get first grabs “so that we do not end up later having to buy kremlin.рф or something of the sort from people with no connection to the Kremlin.”
Medvedev has suggested using .рф to set up an email system for citizens and government. In a country as large as Russia, this could make communication much easier. Right now such a system is not feasible because most Russians don’t know English and thus would have trouble typing a Latin-based domain.
Photo | Flickr