At its meeting on 30 September 2009, the Council of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU ruled to abolish special types of second-level domain names in domain .RU.
Special types of domain names are:
| Designation | Domain name type | Example | Number of domain names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sectoral domain names | GENERIC | COM.RU, NET.RU, ORG.RU, PP.RU, AC.RU, EDU.RU, INT.RU | 7 |
| Geographic domain names | GEOGRAPHICAL | MSK.RU, SPB.RU и др. | 124 |
| Domain names reserved for government use | GENERIC, CORPORATE | GOV.RU, MIL.RU | 2 |
| Domain names reserved for technical purposes | CORPORATE | TEST.RU | 1 |
| Domain names in the open access | PUBLIC | 03.RU, WEB.RU и др. | 414 |
All these domain names emerged yet in the 90s, at the onset of the Internet development in Russia as a result of an effort aimed at popularization of Web services and their development. They were intended, first of all, for third-level domain names registration. To date they accounted for 1m-plus in the sectoral and geographic domains alone.
The category of PUBLIC domain names was specified in Terms and Conditions of RIPN Network Information Center, but the document has become invalid at present and the administration of these domain names is exercised in compliance with Terms and Conditions of domain names registration under domain .RU. Public domain names were those ones formed on the basis of geographic names (which, however were not included in the list GEOGRAPHIC), as well as domain names formed by common denominations. Until now this type of domain names has lost any meaning. That is why, by the decision of the Council of the Coordination Center of 30 September 2009, the PUBLIC type of domain names was abolished. This move will in no way affect the functioning of these domains, as well as third-level domains that are registered therein.
The situation with sectoral and geographic second-level domains is somewhat more complex. RIPN Network Information Center has exercised and is still exercising support of data on the majority of these domain names (130 domains). However, in the near future RIPN Network Information Center is going to stop exercising the domain names registrar functions and, consequently, support of sectoral and geographic domain names will be transferred to accredited registrars. Moreover, main documents which regulate administration of such domain names have become outdated and no longer correspond to Terms and Conditions of domain names registration in domain .RU. That is why, at its meeting the Council of the Coordination Center ruled to cancel the sectoral type of second-level domain names COM .RU, NET.RU, ORG.RU, PP.RU and geographic second-level domain names.
Second-level domain names reserved for the government use GOV.RU and MIL.RU will not be cancelled. Cancellation of special types of domain names will not be applied to the two “educational” domains AC.RU and EDU.RU, as well as “international” domain INT.RU. Furthermore, TEST.RU will be retained as a domain name reserved for technical purposes.
All this means that in the near future support of information of sectoral second-level domain names COM .RU, NET.RU, ORG.RU, PP.RU and geographic second-level domain names will be transferred to accredited registrars. Administrators of second-level domain names will be able to choose for themselves from 23 accredited registrars. Transfer of support should be completed until 18 July 2010 (in 180 days from the date of sending the respective notifications by the Coordination Center to the domain names administrators (the Coordination Center sent notifications on 18 January 2010). Detailed information on the procedure of transfer of information support of second-level domain names will be posted on the Coordination Center’s web-site at http://cctld.ru/ru/domaintypes.
Procedures for registration and support of third-level domain names will be established by the second-level domain names administrators independently of, and in compliance with Terms and Conditions of domain names registration in domain .RU and the law of the Russian Federation. However, they will come into force only in 1 year after the transfer of second-level domains to accredited registrar. Until then support of third-level domain names will be exercised on old terms.
Where administrator of second-level domain does not transfer domain to an accredited registrar in a specified period, then the Coordination Center or its authorized representative will assume responsibility for exercising support of this domain name. At the same time, delegation of this domain name will be suspended. In ninety days after the domain name delegation suspension, registration of this domain name will be cancelled. For owners of third-level domains such a development of events will mean termination of their domain names functioning. That is why it is important to closely follow the situation around “your” sectoral or geographic domains. On the web-site of the Coordination Center at http://cctld.ru/ru/domaintypes information will be posted, which will help the owners of third-level domains to find out whether the transfer of “their” second-level domains to accredited registrars has been accomplished and obtain information about their administrator.
The Coordination Center will be at pains to monitor and safeguard the interests of owners of third-level domains and will be ready to review direct appeals from those owners who fail to contact administrators of second-level domains. Overall, the uttermost will be done to ensure the interests of owners of third-level domains will not suffer due to cancellation of special types of domain names.
