Announcement on Amendment and Implementation of CNNIC Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration

Based on the fact that Chinese domain name has made preparation in the aspects of registration information check, user information protection, administration of registrar and protection of user’s rights and interests, China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has completed the amendment of the Detailed Rules for Implementation of Domain Name Registration (hereinafter referred to as “Implementing Rules”) recently and submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for filing so as to satisfy the public needs of Chinese domain name application and further standardize the domain name registration service and administration. According to the approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the amended Implementing Rules took effect as of 12:00 pm on May 29, 2012. The CNNIC Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration (hereinafter referred to as the original Implementing Rules)　effective from June 5, 2009 expired in the meantime.

The amendment focused on the provisions on domain name registration subject in Article 14 of the original Implementing Rules, addition of dedicated sections to describe the protection of domain name registration information as well as the amendment and improvement on the parts including domain name registration, transfer and renewal. The main amendments are as follows:

1. Regarding the addition of domain name registration subject. The related rules have been amended to "any natural person or organization that is able to bear civil liabilities may apply for the domain name registration under the top-level domain stipulated in the Implementing Rules”, i.e. the subject of domain name registration has been extended to natural person.

2. Regarding the protection of domain name registration information. In order to enhance the security protection of domain name registrant, the amended Implementing Rules provide detailed stipulations on the transfer, saving and destruction of registration data and the handling of registration information and data when the domain name registration service institution exits.

3. Regarding the confirmation period of domain name renewal. The original Implementing Rules provides that “The domain name will be placed in a 30-day confirmation period of renewal automatically after it expires, and the user shall confirm the renewal within such period. In case of any written expression of no renewal, the domain name registration service institution has the right to cancel such domain name after verification. In case of no written expression of renewal within 30 days or no renewal, the domain name registration service institution has the right to cancel such name after verification in 30 days.”

In line with the Measures for the Administration of Internet Domain Names of China and CNNIC Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration, CNNIC will provide sufficient protection for the rights and interest on the domain names officially registered and used by all organization users and natural person users by adhering to the principle of “User First” and welcome the supervision from the public mass. In case any help is needed when the users are registering and using the “.CN” and “.中国" domain names, the users may consult our CNNIC through the following method:

Telephone: 010-58813000(24/7 service)

E-mail: service@cnnic.cn

Fax: 010-58812666

China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC)

May 28, 2012