Myths in Domain Purchase and Ownership (2024)

The concept of being able to buy domain names isn't technically correct - nobody can buya .com.au domain name permanently or even a purchase a .com (or any other web address), whether you get a new name or acquire an existing website URL.

A domainpurchaser inreality is a registrant; renting the license from the Australian registry to use the website name for a setperiod, with an option to renew the lease.

In the case of getting a new website address, while you cannot buy domain names outright or permanently, what you can do is to registera name. This is like purchasing a lease from the organisation that runswhatever registry the extension is associated with and shouldn't be confused with third party name leasing.

For example, any website name with.au as an extension is regulated by auDA, the Australian Domain NameAdministrator. Our company is an auDA accredited domain registrar; which is very different to a website address reseller.

Registration lease times can vary depending on the extension - some domain names you can register for upto 10 years at a time. The standard period you can register .com.au, net.au, .org.au, .asn.au or .id.au names is 2 years. That is another myth we can bust - you cannotbuy a domain name forever; however, you can continually renew registration tomaintain control over it.

While the term "buying a domain name" is also commonly used inrelation to purchasing an existing name registered to someone else; again, thepurchaser isn't buying the domain name as such, just acquiring the rights to maintain a lease on that name and continue to re-register it as each period ends - this is called renewal.

However, this situation certainly doesn't discourage thepractice and the domain name buying and selling industry (more accurately knownas trading) is a booming multi-billion dollar business, with some existing website namesbeing purchased and sold for millions of dollars each.

While you can't buy a domain name, you can rest assured that as long asyou're not contravening any policies associated with the registry or infringing on someone's trademarks, you will beable to keep using the web name for as long as you like, assuming of course you stayup to date with your registration fees.

Now that we've cleared up the "buy domain names" myth; you can now start your search and registera .com.au or get another extension with full knowledge of what you're actuallypurchasing for your money - to buy with confidence (so to speak).