The following is the .is top-level domain naming policy in effect since 29. april 2022. Please note that the Icelandic language version of this policy is authoritative. In case of discrepancies between the English and Icelandic text, the Icelandic text takes precedence
1. Scope and goals. Definitions
2. Domain Registration
3. Wrong Registration
4. Domain Hosting
5. Payments for Domains
6. Closure and Deletion of Domains
7. Dispute Lock
8. Board of Appeals
9. ISNIC’s Responsibilities
General.
Internet á Íslandi hf., here after ISNIC, administers the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .is in accordance with an agreement with IANA and icelandic law, nr. 54/2021.
Scope and goals.
These rules apply to all .is domain registrations with ISNIC and, as appropriate, the management of .is domains with external hosting and registration companies, and domain contacts. In case of discrepancies between these rules and ISNIC general Terms of Service, the .is registration rules take precedence.
The purpose of these rules (.is naming policy) is to ensure the security of domain delegation, the accuracy of the registration data and that the registration process is as efficient and as transparent as possible.
Definitions.
Domain Registration.
Domains are registered through a the ISNIC registration system, cf. 1. mgr. Article 9 of the Act on National Domain Names. By registering a domain, as well as renewing it with the payment of an annual fee, the rights holder agrees to comply with ISNIC’s rules on domain registration, as they appear at the time, as well as ISNIC’s Terms of Service and the Act on National Domain Names.
The registration of a domain must be accompanied by the payment of its first annual fee. If another party registers a domain name in ISNIC’s registration system on behalf of the rights holder, that party shall have a clear mandate to bind the right holder in accordance with applicable law at the time.
If two or more parties want to register the same domain, and all of them meet the necessary conditions, the domain is registered on a first-come first-serve basis.
Personal Use.
The registration of a domain includes the right of personal use in accordance with the applicable laws and rules of ISNIC in effect at the time, cf. 12. Article of the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names, but does not include direct ownership of domains. The right of personal use of the rights holder is indefinite, provided that it is maintained by payment of fees and compliance with applicable laws, these rules, and ISNIC’s Terms of Service.
Domain.
Domains names can only contain letters of the English alphabet,
numerals, hyphens and the letters: á, é, ý, ú, í, ó, þ, æ, ö, ð.
A domain name shall not begin or end with a hyphen, and shall not
contain a hyphen in both third and fourth position. A domain name
(including the .is part) can have a maximum of 66
characters, or 59 characters if it contains special Icelandic characters
mentioned above. No distinction is made between uppercase and lowercase
letters in a domain name.
The following domains are reserved for possible future use and will
not be registered: net.is, com.is,
edu.is, gov.is, org.is, and
int.is.
Registration in the register of rights holders.
The rights holder and domain contacts are responsible for the correct information being registered in the ISNIC rights holders register. ISNIC regularly updates the names of Icelandic rights holders and contacts based on the National Register and the Companies Register, and reserves the right to update the addresses in accordance with the National Register or Companies Register upon request.
In case of invalid registration or suspicion that the information registered in the rightholder’s register is incorrect, ISNIC can take measures as outlined in 3. section.
Rejection of registration.
ISNIC reserves the right to reject or invalidate registration of a domain name if registration information is clearly incorrect or incomplete, or if the conditions of these rules and the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names are not met. ISNIC may at any time request data confirming the validity of the registration, including that the above conditions are met.
Domain transfer.
Domain transfer involves transfer of all rights and obligations that accompany the registration of a domain to a new rights holder. A new rights holder shall meet all requirements in accordance with these rules and the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names as if it were a new domain registration. The rights holder or contact person for the rights holder performs domain name transfer through ISNIC’s website. ISNIC may request that the rights holder specifically confirm their consent to the transfer.
The same rules apply to transfer as to registration of new domains, as applicable.
Liability of rights holders.
The domain holder is responsible for the following aspects, cf. 12. Art. of the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names:
The right holder agrees to abide by the conclusions of the ISNIC Board of Appeals, cf. 8. section.
The right holder must compensate ISNIC for any damage that ISNIC may suffer and can be traced directly to the use of the domain.
Incorrect registration in the rights holders register.
ISNIC may, on its own initiative or on the basis of external information, take action under this chapter if the domain name registration information in the rights holders register is manifestly incorrect, or if it is suspected to be so. ISNIC is also authorized to conduct arbitrary or risk-based due diligence on the validity of domain registration information in the rights holders register.
The registration information of a domain in the register of rights holders in this chapter only refers to information that the rights holder is responsible for being correctly registered, such as information on the name and address of the rights holder and the domain’s contacts.
Information for registration verification.
ISNIC may at any time request any relevant data from the rights holder that ISNIC deems necessary to verify the accuracy of registration information in the rights holders register. Data that ISNIC may require for this purpose include:
Such a request for verification data is considered to have been served correctly if it has been verifiably sent by e-mail to the e-mail addresses of the rightholders and the contacts of the rightholders as they are registered in the rights holders register.
ISNIC shall not store data collected for the above purpose for longer than necessary and ensure that its processing takes place in accordance with the provisions of the Act on Personal Data Protection and the Processing of Personal Data.
ISNIC may decide to rely on a third party for implementation of verification of domain registration information in the rights holders register, provided that the credibility of the parties in question is maintained, incl. because it operates in accordance with EU data protection law. If an agreement is reached with a third party for this purpose, that party shall enjoy the same status and rights as ISNIC would otherwise enjoy according to these rules.
Domain lock while registration verification is pending.
ISNIC may lock a domain, cf. 7. chapter, while verifying the validity and correctness of relevant registration information in the rights holders register. ISNIC shall notify the rights holder of the locked domain for this purpose by e-mail. Locking under this provision shall not last longer than is necessary to verify registration information, no longer than six months.
Domain closure due to incorrect registration.
ISNIC may close a domain on the basis of incorrect or insufficient registration, cf. point a of the first paragraph, Article 10 Act on Icelandic National Domain Names.
ISNIC closes domains on the basis of incorrect or incomplete registration in the following cases:
Disputes.
Disputes regarding the validity of domain registration information in the rights holders register or ISNIC’s actions according to this chapter may be referred to the ISNIC Board of Appeals, cf. 8. section.
Domain set-up and hosting.
Domains should be hosted with a hosting provider on the Internet or in the ISNIC parking service at registration. Domain’s configuration at a hosting provider shall meet the ISNIC’s technical domain hosting requirements at any time as they appear on the ISNIC website.
Domain Name System (DNS) servers must be registered with ISNIC before the domain is registered.
Changes to Domain Hosting.
A registered DNS service provider can change the hosting of a domain that it hosts.
The rights holder, or the contact person of the rights holder, or a technical contact on their behalf, may change the hosting provider at any time, provided that the new hosting provider meets ISNIC’s requirements for setting up a domain, cf. 16. gr.
Domain closure due to non-compliant configuration.
ISNIC may close a domain if its technical configuration is non-compliant, cf. point b of the first paragraph. Article 10 of the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names. If the configuration of a domain does not meet the technical requirements of ISNIC, a warning shall be sent to the rights holder, the administrative contact of the rights holder and the technical contact of the domain. If the alert is not followed within 60 days, the domain is closed. Domain closures are governed by 6. section of these rules.
Annual domain fee.
Rights of the rights holder to a domain, cf. 12. Article of the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names, is generally granted on an annual basis. The end date of the annual fee is the registration date of the domain each year. The registration of a domain must be accompanied by the payment of its first annual fee.
ISNIC shall publish a price-list on its website stating what is the service costs at any given time.
Refunds.
Payments for ISNIC services, incl. annual domain fees, are generally non-refundable. However, ISNIC shall reimburse the domain’s first annual fee if its registration is rejected, provided that the rejection of the registration is not traced to a manifestly incorrect registration information or other events for which the rights holder is responsible, or if the rights holder may be aware of a violation of the Icelandic National Domain Act or these rules.
Domain closure.
ISNIC may close domains in the following cases, cf. 10. Art. Act on Icelandic National Domain Names:
ISNIC must close a domain if it is illegal according to a court decision or a final ruling of a competent body, cf. 4. mgr. Article 10 of the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names, or based on a request from the police following a court ruling, cf. 1. mgr. 11. in the same law. ISNIC closes a domain if it is necessary to enforce the decision of the Board of Appeals, cf. 8. section, or the final decision of another competent body.
In the event of a domain closure due to insufficient registration, non-payment of an annual fee or technical non-compliance, the beneficiary shall have 30 days to correct the registration and demonstrate its validity, pay an annual fee or rectify technical issues before the domain is removed.
Domain Removal.
ISNIC will remove domain names in the following cases:
Domain Lock Request.
Parties to a domain dispute already registered with ISNIC may request a domain lock. The person requesting the domain lock is a lock applicant and the rights holder of the domain is a lock defendant.
The lock request should be supported by data on the ongoing domain disputes. ISNIC considers a domain lock request if it has litigation records for:
Locking fee.
The locking applicant registers the locking request electronically with ISNIC and pays the locking fee according to the price list. The lock-in fee is non-refundable.
Validity of a domain lock.
The domain lock is valid for 6 months and can be extended once by another 6 months without a new lock request, as the lock applicant demonstrates that disputes on which the lock is based are still pending. There is no charge for locking extensions.
After twelve months, the lock will not be extended except on the basis of a new lock request according to Art. 24. It shall be accompanied by documents on ongoing disputes and the payment of a locking fee.
Technical functionality of locked domain.
It is not possible to change the rights holder of a locked domain, but a locked domain retains technical functionality. This includes changing the host of a locked domain and its contacts, other than the rights holder.
Releasing a domain from a lock.
Domain locking is canceled without changing its registration in the rights register in the following cases:
Domain locking ends with its re-registration to the lock applicant in the following cases:
Scope and appointment of the Board of Appeals.
ISNIC operates a Board of Appeals that resolves disputes over .is domains on the basis of these rules, cf. point i 2. mgr. Article 8 of the Act on Icelandic National Domain Names. The Board is independent in its work. ISNIC shall publish guidelines on appeals to the Board on its website.
ISNIC appoints one member of the Board of Appeals to adjudicate on a case-by-case basis and shall meet the qualifications of a district court judge. A Board member who has been appointed may propose to ISNIC that the Board be multi-member if they deem the nature of the matter and circumstances in other respects warrant it. If ISNIC agrees to the proposal, two additional Board members shall be appointed, one of whom shall have professional knowledge in the field of competition and intellectual property law and the other in the field of Internet and technology. The person who was first appointed chairs the multi-member Board and directs its work.
ISNIC provides the Board of Appeals with meeting facilities and secretarial services as needed.
Appeal fee.
An appeal to the Board of Appeals shall be accompanied by the payment of an appeal fee in accordance with ISNIC’s tariff. The Board of Appeals will not convene on a case until the appeal fee has been paid in full. The fee is non-refundable.
Procedures and formal requirements.
The procedure for the Board of Appeals requires a written, electronic form. The plaintiff’s appeal to the Board shall be accompanied by a statement containing information on:
The Board of Appeals shall notify the other party of the appeal, provide it with the statement of the plaintiff and give them a reasonable period of time, not less than two weeks, to submit a statement to the Board. The Board of Appeals shall give the plaintiff the opportunity to respond to the statement of the other party with an additional statement, unless this is deemed clearly unnecessary. If this is done, the other party shall be given an opportunity to respond to the plaintiff’s additional statement.
The Board of Appeals may obtain such additional documents as it deems necessary.
The Board of Appeals shall take a position on matters concerning the form of the case, such as the qualifications of the Board members and the dismissal claims. The Board shall give the parties an opportunity to comment on formalities before taking a position on them, unless this is deemed clearly unnecessary.
Notifications to litigants.
The Board of Appeals shall notify the parties about appeals, submitted documents, and adjournments by e-mail, and they shall be deemed to have been received by the time the e-mail is verifiably sent.
The email address used for each party shall be the one stated in the memorandum accompanying their appeal pursuant to Art. 30. Art. If the other party is the domain holder, their e-mail address shall be used as it is registered in the ISNIC rights holders register.
Intellectual property rights.
In a dispute where the plaintiff demands that the rights holder of a domain transfers a domain name to the plaintiff on the basis of intellectual property rights, the Board of Appeals may decide that the domain will be transferred if all the following apply:
A domain name will not be deemed to have been registered to the rights holder in good faith if any of the following applies:
Publication and enforcement of decisions.
Decisions of the Board of Appeals shall be published on the ISNIC website.
ISNIC enforces the Board’s decision ten days after its publication, or the next working day thereafter, if it has not already been enforced. ISNIC does not enforce a decision if a lawsuit has been filed in the same case or a ban has been imposed on the use of the domain concerned before the Board’s decision is available or before the day on which its decison was to be enforced.
Domain registration and registration change.
ISNIC is responsible for the registration of domains in accordance with these rules.
ISNIC is responsible for making changes that comply with these rules and are requested by the domain rights holder or the domain rights contact person, or are necessary to enforce the rulings of the Board of Appeals or another competent body.
Disclaimer.
ISNIC does not accept liability for damages that may arise due to delays in the registration of a specific domain or rejection of the registration of a specific domain. ISNIC will not be held liable in any way for any damages that the decisions of the Board of Appeals or other competent bodies may cause. ISNIC will not be held liable in any way for any damages resulting from the closure or removal of a domain due to a judgment or injunction. ISNIC will not be held liable in any way for any damages that may be traced to a domain lock.
Regarding the company’s liability in other respects, see ISNIC’s Terms of Service and general law.