Tag: .ng

Daily Wrap: M+M Takes Control of .BOSTON, .NG Grows in 2015 and Top December Keywords For .COM and .NET

Minds + Machines logoThe .boston gTLD has changed hands, with Minds + Machines, which currently operates 24 gTLDs that have gone live including .work, .london and .beer, taking a 99 percent interest in Boston TLD Management LLC, the owner of rights to the .boston gTLD, and the agreement of its subsidiary, Minds + Machines Limited, to act as the Registry Service Provider

Minds + Machines logoThe .boston gTLD has changed hands, with Minds + Machines, which currently operates 24 gTLDs that have gone live including .work, .london and .beer, taking a 99 percent interest in Boston TLD Management LLC, the owner of rights to the .boston gTLD, and the agreement of its subsidiary, Minds + Machines Limited, to act as the Registry Service Provider.

Minds + Machines provides backend registry services for an additional four gTLDs including .bayern.

“Over the last five years MMX has worked hard to establish itself as the owner/operator of choice for cities and municipalities on geo TLDs. We intend to continue growing this part of our portfolio as relevant opportunities emerge,” said Antony Van Couvering, CEO of Minds + Machines.

“We look forward to working with BTM, Boston Globe Media, the City of Boston and our distribution partners to ensure the successful launch of .boston later this year, which we believe will become a major digital asset to the City of Boston, its businesses and communities.”

The Nigerian ccTLD is growing, albeit more slowly than most. During 2015 the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) said a total of 22,113 new .ng domains were registered, an increase of 3,240 on 2014 with 14,462 renewed.

Verisign have released the top ten trending keywords in .com and .net for December 2015. For .com the top ten keywords had a heavy Chinese influence. They were clinic, fund, wang, lice, cai, fang, dai, lian, jin and traffic. For .net there was also a Chinese influence, but not as strong. The top ten .net keywords were porn, pure, perfect, parts, stem, zhai, edit, fang, dairy and tshirts.

Domain Names and Cybersquatting as Deadly Threats to Trade Marks: Any Remedy Under the Nigerian Law? by Afolake Obawunmi, Joseph Onele & Alade Temidayo

Social Science Research Network logoAbstract: Although the process for registering domain names is a separate one from trademark registration, many countries have reached the conclusion that there is a strong need to take precautionary measures to prevent conflicts between trademarks and use of domain names. However, since the advent of the internet and the birth of domain names, Nigeria has failed to adapt its trademarks protection framework to the exigent demands of participating in the network of computers on the World Wide Web

Social Science Research Network logoAbstract: Although the process for registering domain names is a separate one from trademark registration, many countries have reached the conclusion that there is a strong need to take precautionary measures to prevent conflicts between trademarks and use of domain names. However, since the advent of the internet and the birth of domain names, Nigeria has failed to adapt its trademarks protection framework to the exigent demands of participating in the network of computers on the World Wide Web.

This paper examines the concept of trademark infringement, cyber-squatting and the use of domain names, as well as considers the appropriateness of an action for trademark infringement or passing off in the event of a dispute arising from use of domain names. The paper also makes a bold attempt at imploring the judiciary to join the moving train in the fight against trademark infringement even as technology advances.

This paper is available to download in full from the Social Science Research Network website at:
ssrn.com/abstract=2633156

NiRA Aiming To Boost .NG Registrations Among Nigerians Giving Away 100,000 Domains

NiRA Proud To Be A Nigerian logoThere is currently a push underway to boost Nigerian’s use of their .ng ccTLD. Currently there are around 60,000 registrations, the Nigerian newspaper This Day reported. This is remarkably low given the country has 174.5 million people

NiRA Proud To Be A Nigerian logoThere is currently a push underway to boost Nigerian’s use of their .ng ccTLD. Currently there are around 60,000 registrations, the Nigerian newspaper This Day reported. This is remarkably low given the country has 174.5 million people.

In a move to help boost registrations, the .ng registry, the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has said it will give out 100, 000 free domain names to interested Nigerians in 2014 as part of its plan to celebrate the nation’s 100 years centenary anniversary, This Day reported.

NiRA has set up a working committee to examine ways to boost registrations. The President of NiRA, Mary Uduma, said the initiative was borne out of desire to promote the use of the .ng domain name by Nigerians.

The committee is to pass on its recommendations on boosting registrations to the Ministry of Communications Technology by February

While assessing the adoption of .ng domain name in the country so far, the NiRA President said, “in 2009 we had less than 2,000 domain names but now we have about 60, 000 registered domain names.”

Uduma also “called on registrars to take advantage of the opportunity to offer free domain name hosting which they will give to their registrants,” This Day continued. “This she stressed will open doors of loyalty between them and their registrants.”

.NG Booms On Reduced Prices But Still Outrageously Overpriced

NIRA logoRegistrations for Nigeria’s country code top level domain (ccTLD), .NG, have boomed compared to previous registration statistics following a dramatic cutting in the registration fee. But the ccTLD, along with many others, is still saddled with overpriced registration fees

NIRA logoRegistrations for Nigeria’s country code top level domain (ccTLD), .NG, have boomed compared to previous registration statistics following a dramatic cutting in the registration fee. But the ccTLD, along with many others, is still saddled with overpriced registration fees.

Today registrations have passed the 30,000 mark, up from around 9000 in 2011 with a reduction in the fees from ₦500,000 ($3170) to “just” ₦15, 000 ($95).

While the reductions are laudable, one has to ask how any TLD can justify such a high price? Especially in a developing country with a population of 174.5 million and a gross domestic product of $2700 (coming 180th out of 229 countries and territories according to the CIA Factbook). This compares to the United States with a GDP of $49,800 and .com domains easily available for $10 to $20.

Speaking at the fifth Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Mr. Ope Odusan, the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer, is reported to have said:
“It’s ironical that the foreigners who many often say are not always ready to do business with any business with .ng domain constitute the largest owners of the .ng domain names.”

Odusan is also reported to have said “only 32 .ng domain names were sold in three years, and 30 out of the 32, were bought by foreigners doing business outside Nigeria, while only two were bought by Nigerian residents, THISDAY Newspapers and MTN Nigeria,” according to a This Day report.

Well, it’s hardly surprising. Not many Nigerians would be in a position to afford a .ng domain name and were they intending to, it is much cheaper for them to register a .com domain.

But in part NiRA recognises that the high costs contribute to registrations, with Odusan saying that as part of measures to increase the usage of .ng, NiRA ‘crashed’ the cost according to Nigeria’s National Mirror. But this reduction still makes .ng domains unaffordable to a large proportion of Nigerians.

Google And NiRA Aiming For 250,00 Nigerians To Use .NG

Switch to NG logoThe Nigerian government is promoting the .NG ccTLD, encouraging the public and businesses to “switch to .NG.â€

Switch to NG logoThe Nigerian government is promoting the .NG ccTLD, encouraging the public and businesses to “switch to .NG.”

The campaign has several aims and objectives, all with the goal of encouraging more registrations of .NG domain names by Nigerians.

The campaign has the support of Google in Nigeria who are helping to promote .NG to small to medium enterprises, and in partnership with Google, MTN Business and Ecobank the campaign aims to get 250,000 public, private and individual entities using .NG domains by 2013.

The goals and objectives of the Switchto.ng campaign are to:

  • educate the public on the existence of .NG
  • provide a forum for government ministries, departments and agencies to understand the policies and procedures for registration of .gov.ng domains
  • give NiRA accredited registrars information to help them promote .NG
  • promote the use of .NG domains across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria
  • provide awareness of cybersecurity and scams.

More information on the Switch To .NG campaign is available from www.switchto.ng.

.NG Targets Half Million Registrations By End 2012 From 42,000 Now

NIRA logoBuilding on its low base of domains under management of 42,000, the Nigerian ccTLD is targeting 500,000 registrations by the end of 2012

NIRA logoBuilding on its low base of domains under management of 42,000, the Nigerian ccTLD is targeting 500,000 registrations by the end of 2012.

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association has recently improved its infrastructure, Ope Odusan NIRA’s Chief Operating Officer recently said, and the organisation has been collaborating with some national and international organisations to increase .NG’s usage, reports Nigeria’s National Mirror.

To improve local registrations, the president of NIRA, Mary Uduma challenged Odusan and the publicity committee of NIRA to come up with more strategies that will help increase .NG registrations among Nigerians, according to another report in This Day.

NIRA is also targeting direct marketing to corporates and individuals, which according to Odusan, has commenced with some level of achievement.

Nigeria Promotes .NG As Domain Of Choice For Nigerians

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), registry for the .NG ccTLD, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), have held a joint NITDA/NIRA Workshop to galvanise a general adoption of .NG as the domain name of choice, particularly among Nigerians.

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), registry for the .NG ccTLD, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), have held a joint NITDA/NIRA Workshop to galvanise a general adoption of .NG as the domain name of choice, particularly among Nigerians.

The government has become interested in promoting the country’s ccTLD due to the realisation it could contribute over N250 million ($1.6m) to government coffers yearly, according to a report in the local Guardian newspaper.

In a chat with The Guardian, the President of NiRA, Mrs. Mary Uduma, said the growth in .NG registrations both locally and internationally will have the same effect on the economy as the mobile explosion, in that ancillary jobs would be created in advertisement, web designing and hosting, there would be foreign exchange earnings from sale of .NG domain names to foreigners.

Uduma, who linked low adoption in Nigeria to lack of awareness of the domain name business, hinted to The Guardian that the .NG domain name is accepted anywhere in the world and it is Nigeria’s unique identity in the cyberspace, adding that, there are no issues, save for Nigerians to embrace and own .NG as the preferred brand in domain name registration, as well as a critical resource for the nation.

The registry and government are trying to entice Nigerians, including the government, to use .NG as their preferred TLD instead of the predominance of the adoption of .COM and CO.UK.

The Switchto.ng Campaign is an affirmative action on the value of .NG, and why the Nigerian government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies should adopt the Nigerian identity.  It is a call to Nigerian institutions, industries, SMES, individuals to switch to .NG.

50,000 Free Nigerian Domains As Part of Golden Jubilee Celebrations

50,000 free .NG domain names have been released by the Nigerian registry, the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) with the aim of assisting to help Nigerians identify with the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations

50,000 free .NG domain names have been released by the Nigerian registry, the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) with the aim of assisting to help Nigerians identify with the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Registration commenced on 31 December and will run until 21 March and is part of a Re-branding Nigeria Project.

“This sense of identification is tied to our perceptiveness of the collective responsibility required to project the true and appropriate Nigerian image and our conviction that the nation’s country code, Top Level Domain .NG, is a veritable tool towards achieving this,” the President of NiRA, Mary Uduma, told Nigeria’s Daily Independent newspaper.

“To this effect, we have chosen to partner with the Ministry of Information and Communications in the re-branding Nigeria Project with the offer of 50,000 free .NG domains in 50 days.”

The offer of free domains is restricted to the following second level domains, and normal eligibility rules apply:

  • .com.ng
  • .org.ng
  • .name.ng
  • .mobi.ng
  • .sch.ng

Domain names registered as part of the promotion need to be in use within six months of registration or will be withdrawn or deleted.

For more information on the Nigeria@50 promotion, see nira.org.ng.