Final results of updating domain names in the KIEV.UA domain

The .UA ccTLD domain administrator informs that the procedure for updating information in the KIEV.UA domain has been completed. The updating of registration information became necessary in the result of introducing new KIEV.UA Domain Policy on March 15, 2007. The new policy is designed to improve the service quality in the domain and to help carry out registration, administration, and technical maintenance in keeping with international standards and requirements of Ukrainian law. The achievement of the above goals required to carry out the updating procedure, since a considerable portion of domain names in the KIEV.UA domain was registered based on outdated standards, which hindered the automation of registration and delegations processes and subsequent maintenance of such domain names. In addition, a portion of domains registered in the KIEV.UA domain was not used by registrants at all for some reason or another (loss of registration information or absence of necessity); however, up until now domain names were registered for an indefinite period, resulting in the appearance of so-called "dead" domain names.

The procedure for updating information about domain names in the KIEV.UA domain was carried out from March 15, 2007 through May 31, 2007 and funded by Hostmaster LLC in full, with no extra charge from registrants or registrars. All registrants that passed through the above procedure were presented with a year of prepaid operation of their respective domain names. In addition, the bonus program was applied, under which 22,489 registrants who updated information about their domains until March 31 received two more months of prepaid domain operation, and 14,634 registrants - one calendar month. The .UA ccTLD administrator kept concerned persons informed by various means - from regular targeted mail distribution and a specially designed page on Hostmaster's web-site containing comprehensive information about the course of the procedure to extensive mass media coverage both on-line and printed (Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine, AiN, ProIt, Liga, and others).

Upon the completion of the updating procedure on a common basis, the domain names that had not been updated were put on HOLD, whereby the delegation was suspended, but it was still possible to reactivate such names by updating information through current registrars. The process of deleting records about domain names that had not been put through the updating procedure or claimed by registrants was launched on August 1, 2007. Overall, information about 51,221 domains was updated, and the delegation of 17,693 domain names was cancelled in the KIEV.UA domain as of August 13, 2007. The level of demand for new registration of "dead" domain names proved to be high. During the first several days, 926 domain names, whose delegation was cancelled, were registered. After the introduction of new policy, the registration of domain names in the KIEV.UA domain is carried out through official registrars in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, the process of releasing domain names generated a considerable public excitement accompanied by an intense mass media interest to cyber-squatting issues. The .UA ccTLD administrator informs interested persons that it neither addresses the issues of the cyber-squatting market, nor promotes this market (creates domain exchanges, auctions, etc.), as well as does not reserve domain names for subsequent sale. In addition, acknowledging equal rights of any legal business and complying with such rights, the .UA ccTLD administrator Hostmaster LLC expresses its readiness to protect in the first place the interests of registrants - the domain end users.