Deadline to apply for Priority Status for .au direct domain names is approaching

You may be aware that the deadline to apply for Priority Status for ‘.au’ direct domain names for your existing key Australian domain names is 20 September 2022.

This means that if you have an Australian presence and have held a domain name ending in .au (e.g. ‘gadens.com.au’) prior to 24 March 2022 you may be eligible to apply for Priority Status for the .au direct match of your existing domain name (e.g. ‘gadens.au’). Priority Status registration will give you the best chance of protecting your .au direct domain names once .au direct domain name registrations become publicly available after 3 October 2022.

We strongly recommend all clients apply for Priority Status for all key domain names held in other .au namespaces (such as ‘.net.au’, ‘.com.au’ and ‘.org.au’).

While a good opportunity for domain name holders to consolidate their online presence, it is also an opportunity for cyber squatters. Irrespective of whether you intend to use the .au direct domain name, there is a risk that if you do not secure priority for all .au direct domain names relevant to your business before the Priority Status cut-off of 20 September 2022, another person or business could register the .au direct domain name themselves and attempt to engage in fraudulent conduct and impersonate your business. We strongly recommend that for all of your key Australian domain names, you apply for priority for your .au equivalent direct domain name as soon as possible.

If you would like to know more about what it means to have a .au domain name, auDA has recently released a ’10 things you need to know’ list for .au domain names, which you can read here.

If you would like to reserve your .au domain name, you can do so by visiting an auDA accredited registrar.

You can find more information about .au direct domain names at auDA’s website.

If you would like any assistance with securing your .au direct domain name prior to the cut-off date or if you have any questions, please let us know. Alternatively, we recommend that you instruct your relevant IT team members to ensure your domain name registrations are covered.

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Authored by:

Kerry Awerbuch, Partner
Madeleine McMaster, Senior Associate
Jessica Bell, Lawyer