China Tightened Control on New Domain Extension

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HONG KONG, May 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- China is the nation with largest online population and significant buying power which is expected to provide a large crowd of buyers for new domain name extensions such as .app, .auto or .camera.  However the country is placing strict control in the market place. In light of the issue, Brandma.Co's representatives will be participating in the upcoming ICANN meetings to be held from June 21-25 in Argentina to interact with interested registries and registrars.

The Chinese Government has launched a new round of "stern supervision and control policies to domain name registration administrations (registries) and domain registration service agencies (registrars) at home and abroad to strengthen domestic Internet safety." The 6-month special action, starting April this year, was publicly announced on the website of country's top Internet / Media bureau, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Registrars in China have all been notified and have started to voluntarily remove the domain name extensions that were not approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

It was the Government's first attempt to declare its authority on any top-level domains' (or TLDs') right to do business in China. By far only 8 domestic companies and 14 TLDs were approved, including .TOP, .WANG, .CITIC and a few other Chinese-script TLDs. Popular extensions like .COM, .ORG or country codes like .CO or .ME were being asked to comply with the MIIT license requirement as well.

Mr. Ching Chiao, CEO of Brandma.Co, advises that TLD registration operators should act immediately and develop feasible strategies on how they want to engage with the Chinese market in the new dynamics. "Do you have an MIIT license? This is the most frequently-asked question from the Chinese registrars to a new TLD operator these days," said Mr. Chiao. "The Chinese government has concluded their wait-and-see period and is now taking a proactive approach. They want to know who is at their front door selling before things get too complicated."

Ms. Cathy Peng, Brandma's New gTLD expert, said: "Getting the license requires understanding on how the regulatory system works and how one should respond as it evolves. It's also like a mini ICANN application process, but this time in Mandarin."

A translated document of CAC's announcement can be found at http://en.brandma.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/05/20150522News-Policy-Interpretation-of-Special-Operation-to-Regulate-Domain-Name-Registration-Service-Market.pdf.

For further inquiry, please contact:

Ms. Cathy Peng
+86-10-650084677
[email protected]

SOURCE Brandma.Co