What those domains really mean

By Jim Weisser During the time I have spent working in the Internet business here in Japan, I have encountered a large number of misconceptions and/or misinformation about registration of names in the '.jp' domain, particularly the '.co.jp' suffix. While it is true that the JPNIC determines the rules regarding registration, this is the case for all ISO-3022 (country) domains. Australia, for example, has more stringent rules than Japan, while rules in the United Kingdom are less stringent. Before I delve into the depths of domain registration worldwide, I would like to address a fairly common misconception, that '.com' is equal to '.co.jp'. This is not the case. The '.com' domain is a generic Top Level Domain (gTLD), which is usable by anyone connected to the Internet anywhere in the world. Just the registration facilities are in the United States, and these are currently owned by Network Solutions, a for-profit, publicly traded company. By contrast, '.jp' (Japan), '.au' (Australia) and '.uk' (the United Kingdom) are all country specific domains, which are administered by a country specific NIC. Each of the country specific NICs sets rules regarding registration and use of the country's domain. Unlike '.com' domains, companies in Japan are limited to one domain name per company. This is not uncommon for country specific domains. Of the domains listed above, only the UK allows for multiple registrations by one company. Australia, for example, not only limits companies to one '.com.au' domain, it requires the domain name to be in some way related to the company name. So, a company like PSINet could register psi.com.au or psinet.com.au, but not internet.com.au. Most countries in Europe limit registrants to one domain per company, though the rules vary on what name can be registered. There are also some countries, like Tonga, '.to', that view the whole registration process as a moneymaking vehicle, and are registering '.to' domains to anyone who can pay. Getting a '.co.jp' domain name in Japan. For a company to get a domain name within Japan, it must register with an organization known as the JPNIC (http://www.nic.ad.jp), either individually or through an Internet service provider. Within one year of registration, the domain must be listed as being "connected," which means the Internet can in some way recognize this domain name. To qualify for a '.co.jp' domain name, an organization must be a kabushiki-gaisha, or limited stock company, yugen-gaisha, or partnership, or the registered subsidiary of a foreign company. To prove that a company actually exists, the JPNIC asks for the correct company name as registered in Japanese, the original address of the company and the date when it was registered, along with the current president's name. All this information must be provided in both Japanese and English, and the Japanese company information must be exactly the same as written on the incorporation certificate. Other types of domains A site with an 'ad.jp' domain must be a JPNIC member, which connects companies to the Internet. A 'ne.jp' must be a network provider, meaning a company that is not providing its own direct backbone connection but is instead reselling someone else's. Having 'or.jp' requires that an organization is a registered non-profit organization, or shadan hojin. An address with 'go.jp' is for Japanese government organizations only, much like '.gov' in the United States. The 'ac.jp' domain is for academic institutions, but not restricted to four-year universities like '.edu'. An address with 'gr.jp' is a domain that can have two individuals register as a group at the local ward office. It is differentiated from a non-profit organization in that it is not registered with the Japanese government, while a shadan hojin is. Regional domain names for individuals It is also possible to get geographic domain names in the form of 'name.ward.city.jp'. For example, 'weisser.minato.tokyo.jp' is a legitimate domain name, similar to the way 'that.us' domains are used in the United States. Jim Weisser is with PSINet Japan, an Internet service provider. He can be reached at jimbud@jp.psi.net. References United Kingdom http://www.nic.uk United States http://www.isi.edu/in-notes/usdnr/ Australia http://www.MelbourneIT.com.au/com_au/index.html Network Solutions http://www.internic.net JPNIC http://www.nic.ad.jp Back to the table of contents