Registrants of .cl domain names that become caught up in disputes regarding their domains may now be eligible for free legal assistance in a programme NIC Chile has facilitated.
The programme is offered through an alliance of legal clinics at Chilean university law faculties. Itâs aimed at helping registrants, mostly for individuals and small businesses, who may not have the resources to defend disputes.
NIC Chile, the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) manager for .cl, will not take a position in these disputes but believes it is necessary to offer registrants who opt for this benefit the possibility of being advised by entities independent of NIC Chile. The legal advice will be given by undergraduate and graduate law students, with the guidance of their professors, can work on improving the conditions of defense of users of .CL domains.
The advice involves assigning academic value to the work of the legal consultancy, so that students can acquire the tools to represent the client in this online arbitration system, which dispenses with the traditional class teaching.
Initially the programme began with a pilot involving 3 universities:
- Finis Terrae University, SME Legal Clinic
- Catholic University of the North, legal clinic
- Catholic University of the Most Holy conception, legal clinic.
The results of the pilot programme were positive and based on the good results, NIC Chile say other registries have shown an interest in replicating the service. Following the success of the pilot phase the program is incorporated as a permanent service available to all .cl registrants that are involved in domain name disputes and who comply with the eligibility conditions established by each participating law faculty.
The original NIC Chile announcement is available only in Spanish here and for accuracy this should be consulted.