Invalid .au Eligibility Status
The Synergy Wholesale Management System now contains a full list of registered .au domain licenses currently registered using invalid registrant data.
In order to hold a .au domain license, policy states that registrants of a .au domain name license must remain eligible to hold the license – 2019-01 – .au Domain Administration Rules: Licensing Policy, Section 2.14.
Whilst registrants may have been eligible to register their domain license at the time of registration; they risk not being able to renew their domain if their registrant details become invalid.
You can see whether you currently manage any domain licenses with invalid registrant data by logging in to the Synergy Wholesale Management System and navigating to Domain names >> AU Domain Eligibility Status.
We intend on sending correspondence on your behalf to registrants who hold a .au domain license with an inactive ABN/ACN where their domain is due to expire within 90 days. This correspondence will use email templates that we have pre-populated on your behalf, which you will be welcome to edit/include your styling.
This correspondence will contain instructions on what registrants are required to do to become eligible to renew their domains which includes contacting you directly to assist with taking the required action.
If a registrant does not take action, they, unfortunately, may not be able to renew their domain name license due to not being eligible to hold the license.
You will be able to view and edit the email content that will be sent to the registrants on your behalf via the Synergy Wholesale Management System >> Account Functions >> Email Templates. See below for the names of each template:
Invalid .au eligibility – Company
Invalid .au eligibility – Sole Trader
What will the registrant need to do?
If the registrant does not presently qualify to renew their domain under the new licensing rules, they will need to ensure appropriate changes to their domain name license is made to ensure compliance with the new rules should they wish to renew their domain name after the implementation date.
Inactive Sole Traders
Registrants can reactivate their ABN online to ensure they remain eligible to hold and renew this domain name.
Alternatively, registrants will be able to perform a change of registrant on the domain name to have the license re-registered to their current ABN.
Partners can initiate a Change of Registrant request via the Synergy Wholesale management system or API. At this stage, it is not possible to initiate a Change of Registrant via our WHMCS Domain Names module.
Inactive Businesses/Companies ABN/ACN
If registrants wish to maintain the registration for their names, they will need to provide relevant information through a manual Change of Registrant.
Registrants can perform a CoR if they meet section 5.5 of the 2004-01 – Complaints – (Registrant Eligibility) Policy, which states if;
- There is documentary evidence that, prior to its demise, the registrant agreed to transfer the domain name licence to the entity or individual currently using the domain name; and
- The transfer meets the requirements to hold the domain name listed in auDA’s Transfers (Change of Registrant) Policy (2011-03).
If you find yourself needing to perform a manual Change of Registrant, you can do so by following the steps in this FAQ article.