Domain Name Management

My burning question is who manages your domains? Do you personally manage your domains and DNS?

If not, why not?

In my years as an IT Contractor, I saw more than a few problems with domains names. Many were negligence on someones part either failing to keep the domain contact information up to date, and consequently missing renewal notifications. Or just ignoring the renewal reminders and letting the domain name expire.

Some were outright maliciousness as a result of a falling out between the domain “owner” (more on this later) and the person controlling the domain.

What do the Registrar and Registrant terms I hear bandied about mean?

The Registrant is the registered party who “owns” the domain. This should always be the individual or company that is paying for the domain. It should not be your website developer or your IT services company.

A Registrar is the company that registers a domain name on your behalf. They are bound by a number of obligations when they sign up to be a registrar. .nz Registrar oblications are detailed here.

Domain Name “Ownership”

There is a common misconception that you “own” a domain name. When you register a domain you are more correctly obtaining a legal right to use the domain name by buying a licence to use the domain for as long as you pay the registration fee.

Every domain has a Registrant. The registrant is the legal entity that has the ultimate control of the domain name. If this is not you or your company then you should IMMEDIATELY take steps to have this updated.

How do I update my Domain’s Registrant Name?

In most cases, you will need to have both the current registrant and the intended registrant complete at “Transfer of Registrant” form.

For .nz domains the change will be handled by the registrar the currently holds the domain and there is usually an associated fee to cover processing costs. The registrar should be using a form similar to the templated example that the New Zeland Domain Name Commission (DNC) has issued. This can be seen here.

I think my domain is being “held for ransom”, what can I do?

For a .nz domain, you should first try and resolve this with the person that is holding the domain. Failing that you will need to then enter into the Disputes Resolution Process as outline by the DNC. Information about this can be found here.

I recommend gathering evidence that you have been paying for the domain and correspondence with the holder of the domain. The DNC will not get involved in civil disputes over money owing for website development services, they will only be concerned with the domain name and who it should rightfully be controlled by.