By Farai Diza
California-based ICANN which is the Domain-name overseer, has sent out termination notices to applicants for failing to put them live on the internet. This is despite having paid for the right to their dot-names and having run through an evaluation and contract process.
Multichoice is among the applicants that were affected by this move.
The applicants for .naspers, .supersport, .mzansimagic, .mnet, .kyknet, .africamagic, .multichoice, .dstv and .gotv – all based in South Africa – signed contracts with ICANN in 2015 but failed to put their generic top-level domains live within a 12-month window. As a result, ICANN is now rescinding their rights.
"The Group took a decision not to continue with these brand specific domain names, at this time,but instead focus on continuing to manage the online presence of our brands through our existing domain names and websites," said Multichoice.
Meanwhile, the only company from Africa that has successful put new top-level domains online is the registry operator for South Africa's .za, ZACR, which applied for and runs three city TLDs: .capetown, .durban and .joburg.
(Additional reporting from The Register)
California-based ICANN which is the Domain-name overseer, has sent out termination notices to applicants for failing to put them live on the internet. This is despite having paid for the right to their dot-names and having run through an evaluation and contract process.
Multichoice is among the applicants that were affected by this move.
The applicants for .naspers, .supersport, .mzansimagic, .mnet, .kyknet, .africamagic, .multichoice, .dstv and .gotv – all based in South Africa – signed contracts with ICANN in 2015 but failed to put their generic top-level domains live within a 12-month window. As a result, ICANN is now rescinding their rights.
"The Group took a decision not to continue with these brand specific domain names, at this time,but instead focus on continuing to manage the online presence of our brands through our existing domain names and websites," said Multichoice.
Meanwhile, the only company from Africa that has successful put new top-level domains online is the registry operator for South Africa's .za, ZACR, which applied for and runs three city TLDs: .capetown, .durban and .joburg.
(Additional reporting from The Register)
