The service navnesok.no (namesearch), developed by Norid, The Brønnøysund Register Center and The Norwegian Industrial Property Office, is one of three finalists in the category for marketing campaigns in this year’s CENTR Awards. In addition to this special advisor Annebeth B. Lange is nominated in the category «Contributor of the Year» for her contribution in the field of international domains.
CENTR (Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries) is hosting CENTR Awards for the third time. Projects or individuals who have made a difference in the domain field are rewarded. This year’s winners will be announced during a ceremony in Brussel on 3 October.
Considerable contribution to secure top level domains for new countries
Fundamental changes are happening on the domain marked. A thousand new top level domains have been launched during the last couple of years after ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) in 2012 allowed anyone who wished to and fulfilled the requirements to register top level domains.
Among the new top level domains there are among other things generic concepts (.top, .club), city names and other geographical terms (.berlin and .amsterdam) and trademarks (.statoil, .bbc).
There are strong conflicts of interest connected to this, and there have been discussions between different interest groups over many years to find working compromises, a discussion that is still ongoing. Norid’s special advisor Annebeth B. Lange has during this process worked to secure that country names and other territories remain a national or local resource. She is now nominated as «Contributor of the Year» for her tireless contribution.
Her message the whole time has been that there should be country codes and country names left for new countries, and that it will be confusing for an ordinary web user if a commercial party for instance could register .norway.
Annebeth B. Lange has worked with internet and domain questions for many years, first in the Norwegian Communications Authority (NKOM), and for the last ten years in Norid. During this whole time she has had an extensive international involvement, and during the last few years especially in connection with the processes surrounding new top level domains.
Simplifies picking a name for entrepreneurs
With the service navnesok.no anyone with a good idea can check a domain name, company name, and trademark within the same search. Previously entrepreneurs had to visit three different websites in order to search the same relevant registers. With navnesok.no it has become easier and quicker to check whether a name is available or in conflict with other names already registered. This check is important to secure personal rights, but also to avoid conflicts where others have the right to a name.
The service also recommends an order for the registration process: The domain name first, then the company name and then any trademark rights. With this order it is possible to avoid others taking a newly registered company name as a domain name.
The Brønnøysund Register Center and The Norwegian Industrial Property Office are both very happy with the nomination. – Even after only a few months, navnesok.no is very frequently used and obviously fills a need, says head of department Bernt Boldvik in The Norwegian Industrial Property Office.
Communications director Mette Siri Brønmo has represented The Brønnøysund Register Center in this collaboration. – This service means a simplification for the users, something we think many have missed, she says.
