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SA involved in domain dispute
31/10/2000 09:48 - (SA)
South Africa could be the first country in the world to make a challenge for the right to own its own domain name in the largest of the high-level domain names - dot.com.
Communications Director General Andile Ngcaba says an application claiming the www.southafrica.com domain would be lodged with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) before 10 November.
South Africa intends to establish a portal that would be used as a strategic marketing tool in promoting trade and tourism, among other things. It will also be a key element of a project aimed at promoting the image of the country internationally.
Ngcaba said it was South Africa's position that countries had the first right to own their own domain names.
South Africa would lodge its application with WIPO by November 10, and expects to have a decision within 45 days, Ngcaba says.
"We also intend to take this matter up in international forum, the first being the upcoming meeting of ICANN in November where we hope to table a proposal that ICANN adopt a position the recognises the rights of countries to have first right over their domain names," he says.
South Africa would also be making a submission to the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Task Group before the closing date on 29 December.
African Ministers of Communication last week voiced their support for South Africa's position and have established an Internet Task Team to look at various Internet policy matters impacting the continent, including the matter of country domain names. The Task Team is expected to table a report in March next year.
With the globalisation and commercialisation of the Internet, domain names have taken on new significance for businesses worldwide.
In the current environment, the most dominant high-level domain name is the "dot.com" address. With the number of domain names expected to double within the next two years, the simplicity of the domain name and its obvious association with a particular product or activity or organisation is critical to ensuring that millions of Internet users an easily find the site they are looking for.
"We are confident that we will win our case," Ngcaba says.
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