Verisign has filed papers with ICANN proposing a new Domain Name Exchange, which would allow registrants of .net domain names to change them to other domain names.
Verisign claims that the new service would allow providers of packages that include domain names, but last less than a year to recoup some of their expenses. This is particularly useful to web hosting companies, who often offer monthly packages that include domain name registrations.
Verisign explains: “Today when a registrant terminates a package of services from a registrar after, for example, an introductory 1 or 3 month period, the registrar is forced to recoup the investment in the associated domain via monetization or the secondary market. The domain exchange will allow a registrar to offer another registrant a package that sits on top of that same registration using a new domain.”
The service would be optional, however the company does acknowledge that this could result in domain tasting. To quell fears, they have proposed a number of measures to prevent this including:
- The ability to make an exchange only once every 30 days.
- Not allowing a grace period following an exchange.
- Publishing a report that lists the domain exchanges as a part of registration.
- Creating a WHOIS/WHOWAS record for all names exchanged (WHOWAS would include a complete Registry history of a domain name, not specific information about Registrants or data maintained by Registrars).
The new service, if approved, will be offered only for the .net TLD.