New internet domain name rules published
"The Alternative Dispute Resolution Regulations provide guidelines, rules and procedures for the resolution of domain name disputes under the .za domain, and sets out fee structures for the adjudication of disputes," said a government statement.
"The regulations also provide for the accreditation of domain name dispute resolution service providers by the .za Domain Name Authority (.zaDNA)."
Areas covered by the regulations included intellectual property rights, commercial, cultural, linguistic, religious and personal rights in relation to domain names, protected under South African law.
"The regulations allow a complainant to request dispute resolution where the complainant can prove that he or she has rights to a name or mark that is identical or similar to a domain name that was registered by someone else," the statement read.
"It furthermore allows dispute resolution over domain names that constitute abusive or offensive registrations," the department said.
A lack of regulation has been cited as hampering e-commerce, and leaving aggrieved parties with no alternative but to litigate in court at a high cost to get a domain name back.
The regulations were published in the Government Gazette on Wednesday, and can also be viewed on the department’s www.doc.gov.za website.
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