Over the next six months, a dedicated Terms and Conditions project team will be actively helping Tag Holders to bring Nominet's Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) to the attention of your customers before a domain name application is made. We will be contacting you to explain this process, and helping you to understand why it is necessary.

How has this come about?

The INCOP feasibility study into establishing a Code of Practice suggested that Nominet could improve standards in domain name registration services by raising awareness of the requirements of the Tag Holder Agreement (THA). As a result, the Policy Advisory Board recommended that Nominet promote the significance of certain clauses of the THA, and provide you with guidance on compliance.

Why is Nominet focusing on this clause?

Displaying Nominet's T&Cs is a relatively straightforward aspect of the THA to put into place, and the benefits of doing so are potentially huge. If left incomplete, this aspect of the registration process generates a number of Registrant queries and complaints to both Nominet and other bodies, such as Trading Standards.

Why do I need to display Nominet's Terms and Conditions?

You need to display the T&Cs in order to protect yourselves against any liabilities that may arise through non-disclosure. Clause 2.1 of Tag Holder Agreement outlines specifically the Tag Holders obligations in this regard - see http://www.nominet.org.uk/tag-terms.html

It is also important to do this to safeguard your business against consumer-protection legislation. Domain name applicants have a right to be made aware of the terms of the contract that they are entering into, and the various requirements placed upon them prior to registering a domain name. For example, the registrant must be made aware that they should ensure that the domain name registration and renewal fees are paid, and that up to date contact details are maintained for them.

The Terms and Conditions also stipulate the use to which the registration details will be put. In particular, this information (if it refers to individuals) is 'personal data' and should be used by both Nominet and Tag Holders in accordance with requirements of the Data Protection Act.

I am already displaying the T&Cs, is there anything else I need to do?

We realise that a large proportion of Tag Holders are already complying with this obligation, and if you are one of these we would like to hear from you. We welcome examples of good practice and invite you to email us with details of where our T&Cs can be found on your web site, and how these are drawn to attention of your customers. Examples should be emailed to good-practice@nominet.org.uk

I don't want my web site linked to Nominet's pages

To help you to create a link from your web site to the T&Cs, a stand-alone web page has been created at http://www.nominet.org.uk/nominet-terms.html which does not link back to the main Nominet site. All you need to do is to link this to your web site at a place that can be viewed by applicants prior to the registration and renewal of domain name.

Where do I go to for further information?

All enquiries should be emailed in the first instance to good-practice@nominet.org.uk