Domain Name Extensions in New Zealand

2LD Extension Options in New Zealand

Ever wondered what all the domain name extensions in New Zealand mean? Wondering if you need to qualify to be a .geek? Domain Name Extensions in New Zealand cover a host of communities of interest.

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There are currently 15 second level domain (2LD) extensions available in New Zealand. The name second level refers to the part that is before the country-code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) extension, which in New Zealand is .nz. For example, in a .co.nz domain name the 2LD part is .co and the ccTLD part is .nz.

Below is a list of the 2LD extension options for .nz domain names and the community of interest that they relate to:

• .ac - Tertiary educational institutions and related organisations (academic)

• .bank - Organisations that are registered as banks by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand

• .co - Organisations pursuing commercial aims and purposes

• .cri - Crown Research Institutes

• .gen - Individuals and other organisations not covered elsewhere (general)

• .geek - For people who are concentrative, technically skilled and imaginative who are generally adept with computers

• .govt - National, regional and local government organisations operating with statutory powers

• .health - Registered practitioners and organisations whose principal purpose is to provide health and disability services

• .iwi - A traditional Māori tribe. Hāpū that belongs to a traditional Māori Iwi or taury here Iwi group operating with the permission of the main Iwi

• .maori - Māori people, groups, and organisations

• .mil - Military organisations of the NZ Government

• .net - Organisations and service providers directly related to the NZ Internet

• .org - Not-for-profit organisations

• .parliament - Agencies and individuals who are part of the parliamentary system but not a part of the executive government

• .school - Primary, secondary and pre-schools and related organisations

Of the above list, there are five moderated (restricted) second level domains (2LDs): these are .cri.nz, .govt.nz, .iwi.nz, .mil.nz and .parliament.nz. Moderation means that proposed domain names need to meet specific criteria and are scrutinised for their suitability by a moderator appointed by the Domain Name Commissioner before they can be registered.

Not (quite) a free for all
Other than the five moderated 2LD extensions, domain names are registered on a first-come-first-served basis, so you can register any domain name that is currently available (unregistered). However, if you register a domain name that somebody else has the legal rights to e.g. a registered trademark or company name, you may find that you are asked nicely to hand it over before being threatened with legal proceedings.

Although prospective domain name registrants are encouraged to select the 2LD extension that best matches the community of interest they would be classified under, there is no mandatory requirement that you do this. If you are in business, it is considered worthwhile registering all available extensions for your business, trademark or product name, as this shuts the door on anybody that might consider “passing off”, and without the need to get the lawyers involved.

New second level domain extensions
Since the establishment of the domain name system in New Zealand there have been only five new second level domain name extensions introduced. These are:

• .maori - added in 2002

• .geek - added in 2003

• .parliament, .bank, and .health - added (in that order) since 2006.

Overall, the new second level domain extensions haven’t been overwhelmingly popular, with a total of 565 .maori domains, 905 .geek domains, 7 .parliament names and 4 .health names registered as of the end of August 2009. There are no .bank names registered to date, as they aren’t currently operational.

Anybody can initiate the process of creating a new 2LD within the .nz domain name space as long as they meet certain criteria. They must represent an identifiable, ongoing and long-lived community of interest, and the 2LD name must be a word or an obvious derivative of a word that properly describes the community of interest. It must also not conflict with any existing 2LD extension and be considered a useful addition to the current domain name system.

Fourth or Fifth Level Domains (or Sub-Domains)
If you have a .co.nz domain name registered, this would be considered a third-level domain, as the .nz is the first level, the .co is the second level, and the name you chose the third level. Domain names can actually have several more levels, almost without limitation, with the fourth and fifth levels (and above) often being referred to as sub-domains.

For example, if you were to visit books.google.co.nz, this would be a fourth level or sub-domain name. Sub-domains can be used as a way of separating out areas of your website, or for alternative functions like mail.yourname.co.nz, and are relatively simple to set up.

To register your own domain name visit domain registration in the NZS.com directory.

Credit:
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Freeparking - New Zealand Domain Names

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