1.1. Who can apply for a .cat domain name ?
You need to belong to the Catalan linguistic and cultural community in the Internet. You can belog to it if you:

already have contents in Catalan published online.
you could benefit of Sunrise's phases 1 or 3 validation codes.
you have access to an special code (sometimes called ENS)
issued during special promotions or by agreements with certain institutions.
you develop activities (in any language) to promote the Catalan culture and language.
or you are endorsed (sponsored mail) by 3 people that or 1 institution already using a .cat domain name.


1.2. Can I register a .cat domain if I do not live in a Catalan speaking country?

Sure. The .cat domain is not territorial, but applies to all the Catalan-speaking community. Therefore, if you fulfill the conditions described above (domain naming conventions and web related to the Catalan culture or language), you may register a .cat domain regardless of where you live.

1.3. Can anyone register a .cat domain?

Yes. Any individual, association, organization, company, etc. that fulfills the conditions mentioned earlier can apply for a .cat domain.


• When you register a .cat domain name you must fill, as part of the
process, a declaration of intended use for the domain you register. This
declaration does not need to be too detailed, but must be true. If once you
got the domain name, your use differs from the one you stated in the
"intended use", Fundació puntCAT may require you to explain why and might
even block the domain name (ie. keep you as owner but being inoperative for
any Internet service like web, mail, etc). Fundació puntCAT may also block
your domain if you do any unacceptable use of it like for instance spam or
reselling domains. Of course you can always change your declaration of
"intended use", but in any case, this change must comply with .cat Registry
eligibility charter (described above).

Domain Plan
Ministerial Order ITC/1542/2005, dated 19 May, approving the National Plan for Internet Domain Names under the country code for Spain (".es") came into effect on 1 June 2005.


The purpose of this Plan is to make the regulations regarding the assignment of ".es" domain names completely flexible.

Some of the most relevant points include:

•A domain is assigned automatically if it is available (except ".gob.es" and ".edu.es").
•Any individual or legal entity with interests in or ties to Spain has the right to acquire the domain.
•Different restrictions included previously have been eliminated.
Domain Names Plan in pdf

The regulation of the country-specific top level domain ".es" is supplemented by the following list of provisions.

Section Seven of the National Domain Names Plan establishes that the Public Business Entity Red.es has approved a list of prohibited terms and three lists of reserved terms.

These lists were approved in the Instruction from the Chairman of the Public Business Entity Red.es dated 12 September 2005, and, by virtue of section four of said Instruction, they have been completed and updated by:

•Resolution from the General Director of Red.es, June 28, 2006.
•Resolution from the General Director of Red.es, September 27, 2007.
•Resolution from the General Director of Red.es, October 29, 2007.
•Resolution from the General Directorof Red.es, May 16, 2011.
The following are the approved lists:

•The list of prohibited terms includes a reduced, updated list of Internet terms whose use as a domain name, due to the possibility of causing confusion, is prohibited.


•There are three lists of reserved terms relating to second-level domain names that cannot be assigned freely:

-The first reserves a list of domain names related to the designations of constitutional bodies or other State institutions, as well as terms related to the Royal Family that have not yet been assigned or have become available.
-The second reserves domain names related to the designations of officially accredited international and supranational institutions that have not yet been registered or have become available.
-The third is an updated list of reserved domain names consisting of place names used as the official designation of regional Public Administrations that have not yet been assigned or have become available. It also includes a list of place names or adjectives included on the ISO 3166-1 list in their official versions and their translations into Spanish.
You can apply for a .cat domain if you belong to the Catalan cultural and linguistic community in the Internet and you comply with the conditions set in the applying procedure.

Domain names must be requested through ICANN accredited registrars that offer .CAT domain names. You can get the updated list of .CAT Registrars at http://domini.cat/en_registrar.html . You may select the registrar you prefer, but do keep in mind that they offer different services and prices. Some of them only manage defensive registrations, certain may include hosting services, others may participate in special promos offered by puntCAT, etc).

Please remember that .CAT is a sponsored domain and that domain name applications require validation. Registrars only manage the application process but do not review your application. Fundació puntCAT, being the .CAT Registry, is the entity responsible to review and accept or reject domain name applications.

Like in any other domain, Registrars will ask you to pay in advance for the domain name and additional services you request. In order to avoid issues during the validation process, please double check you provide all the required information and comply with all the required items before you pay.

The application process is plain easy, just 3 steps and no paperwork involved:

Check that you comply with the application requirements
Select a registrar among the list of authorized ones
Fill in the application form at selected registrar's web page.
In order to ease the .cat application process, please follow the process:

Check if the domain name you want to register is still free at http://whois.cat o from registrars' web page.
Evaluate if you fit in any of the conditions stated below:
You already have online communications in Catalan (web, blog, mail-list, etc). If this is the case, you need to provide a reference URL you manage.
You qualified for Sunrise Phase I or Phase III; this allows you to apply for a .cat domain name at any time but without the priority you enjoyed during Sunrise. In this case you need to provide FASE1 o FASE3 code.

You have an special code (sometimes called ENS) obtained during promotions (like St. Jordi 2006 or other).
You carry out online activities (in any language) to promote Catalan language and culture. If this is the case you need to carefully fill in the “intended use” field explaining what you do.
You may be part of the “community” and be able to apply for a .CAT if you can get sponsored mail from 3 people already having a .CAT domain name that endorse your claim.
Follow Registrant's process to apply for the domain name and pay. Do not forget to fill in the “Intended use” field clearly stating how do you plan to use the domain. Once having submitted the application form, Fundació puntCAT will review it and accept it or reject it based on its policy compliance. You may check your request status by querying WhoIs at http://whois.cat In any case, please do remember that even if your domain has been accepted, whatever future non compliance with the “intended use” you stated or any misuse conflicting with the .CAT policy of use may be cause for setting your domain on hold (ie. not accessible).


Frequently Asked Questions
0. What is .cat ?
0.1. Whats the .cat domain name for ?
0.2 Who manages the .cat domain?
1. Who can get a .cat?
1.1. Who can apply for a .cat domain name ?
1.2. Can I register a .cat domain if I do not live in a Catalan speaking country?
1.3. Can anyone register a .cat domain?
1.4. For how long do I need to register a .cat domain name ?
2. How can I get a .cat domain name ?
2.0. Is it possible to register a .cat domain right now?
2.1. Can I get a .cat domain in the same way I can get a .com or .org one?
2.2. Can I get a domain directly from Fundació puntCAT?
2.3 How will I know which are these authorized registrars?
2.4. Can I register several .cat domains?
2.5. How will a .cat domain cost?
2.6. Will all domains cost the same?
2.7. How can I become an authorized .cat registrar?
2.8. The process to become ICANN accredited registrar seems a little too long, complex and expensive. Is there any other way for me to offer .cat domains to my customers?
3. What can I do with a .cat domain name ?
3.1. I have already my .cat domain, but I do not know how to use it in my website or in my electronic mail.
4. .cat technical specifications
4.2. Will the .cat domains be able to show any combination of letters and numbers?
4.3. Will it be possible to have domains with accents, c-cedilla (ç) and geminated el (l·l) ?
4.4. I have never seen domains with accents. Does it really work?



0. What is .cat ?
0.1. Whats the .cat domain name for ?
The .cat TLD is intended to serve the needs of the Catalan Linguistic and
Cultural Community on the Internet. That is, those who use the Catalan language for their online communications, and/or promote the different aspects of Catalan culture online.


0.2 Who manages the .cat domain?

The .cat domain is managed by Fundació puntCAT, which is a non profit organization and is open to the participation of all interested persons and entities.





1. Who can get a .cat?
1.1. Who can apply for a .cat domain name ?
You need to belong to the Catalan linguistic and cultural community in the Internet. You can belog to it if you:

already have contents in Catalan published online.
you could benefit of Sunrise's phases 1 or 3 validation codes.
you have access to an special code (sometimes called ENS)
issued during special promotions or by agreements with certain institutions.
you develop activities (in any language) to promote the Catalan culture and language.
or you are endorsed (sponsored mail) by 3 people that or 1 institution already using a .cat domain name.


1.2. Can I register a .cat domain if I do not live in a Catalan speaking country?

Sure. The .cat domain is not territorial, but applies to all the Catalan-speaking community. Therefore, if you fulfill the conditions described above (domain naming conventions and web related to the Catalan culture or language), you may register a .cat domain regardless of where you live.

1.3. Can anyone register a .cat domain?

Yes. Any individual, association, organization, company, etc. that fulfills the conditions mentioned earlier can apply for a .cat domain.

1.4. For how long do I need to register a .cat domain name ?
The minimum is for 1 year and the maximum 10 years.





2. How can I get a .cat domain name ?
2.0. Is it possible to register a .cat domain right now?

Yes. The restricted launch period (Sunrise) went from February 13th to April 21st 2006. The registry is open for everybody since April 23rd 2006.

2.1. Can I get a .cat domain in the same way I can get a .com or .org one?
The .cat domain is a generic domain, like the .com or .org, however, unlike these two, has a more restricted personality as it is addressed to the Catalan linguistic and cultural community in the Internet. And Fundació puntCAT has an ICANN's contractual duty to verify that all domains are related to this community.

Therefore, whoever may demonstrate its relation with the Catalan linguistic and cultural community may get a .cat domain. For instance, you may communicate online or have a web site in Catalan, you are member of an entity that already has a .cat domain, or you just want to address the Catalan speaking community in its language.

2.2. Can I get a domain directly from Fundació puntCAT?

No. The domains must be bought via the authorized registrars.

2.3 How will I know which are these authorized registrars?

You can find the current list of authorized registrars http://domini.cat/en_registrar.html

2.4. Can I register several .cat domains?

Sure. You may register as many .cat domains as you wish as far you comply with the rules of nomenclature and suitability described in this FAQ.

2.5. How will a .cat domain cost?

The final price will be fixed by the registrars and, therefore, as it happens with other domain names, price will vary according to each registrar's added services (DNS servers; hosting, mail, phone support, etc...).

2.6. Will all domains cost the same?

Like for all the new domains, prices are higher at Sunrise, due to the particular restrictions and checks that are necessary during this phase, and the possibility to register your domain before the general opening. After Sunrise you may get different prices at different registrars and also special reduced prices during promotions.


2.7. How can I become an authorized .cat registrar?
The .cat domain, like all the generic domains (.com, .org. info, .museum...) can only be registered via authorized ICANN registrars that in addition want to register .cat domains too. Here (http://www.icann.org/registrars/accreditation-process.htm) you will find the description of the conditions and the process. If you are interested in becoming a .cat registrar and fulfill ICANN's conditions, you can contact us.

2.8. The process to become ICANN accredited registrar seems a little too long, complex and expensive. Is there any other way for me to offer .cat domains to my customers?
The majority of the registrars have reseller networks. Talk to the .cat authorized registrar you prefer.





3. What can I do with a .cat domain name ?
3.1. I have already my .cat domain, but I do not know how to use it in my website or in my electronic mail.
The domain is an entry in a data base that associates your domain name to an IP address (that is, the location of a computer in the net). The registrars that offer hosting services (that is, space of disk where to put your web site or to receive and to send your electronic mail) they will indicate you how you can rise the contents of your pages or how can read the mail with the reader that you use.





4. .cat technical specifications
4.2. Will the .cat domains be able to show any combination of letters and numbers?

No. The domain names length must have more than 2 characters and less than 63. The accepted characters are those of the Catalan alphabet, plus digits (0-9) and the hyphen (aka minus sign), but this last cannot be the first or last character of the domain name, and you cannot put two hyphens side by side. Capital letters and lower case characters are treated as the same character.

4.3. Will it be possible to have domains with accents, c-cedilla (ç) and geminated el (l·l) ?

Yes. The .cat domain accepts the 11 Catalan special characters (à; ç; è é; í; ï; l·l; ò; ó; ú; ü). Note than if you register a domain with accents, you will also register (for free) the domain without accents. For instance, if you register fundació.cat you will get fundacio.cat too. Both domains behave, as a matter of fact, like a single one.

4.4. I have never seen domains with accents. Does it really work?

It is necessary to say that these special IDN or 'Internationalized Domain Names' are still in an experimental phase, but work. Not all the web browsers recognize them in a direct way yet (the Internet Explorer needs to get a plug-in), and they cannot be used in electronic mail. Nevertheless, Fundació puntCAT believes important that, despite the somehow limited functionality, users can use all the characters of the Catalan language.

INSTRUCTION FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE
PUBLIC CORPORATE ENTITY RED.ES, SETTING OUT THE
PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE ASSIGNMENT OF “.ES”
DOMAIN NAMES AND OTHER OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED
WITH THEIR REGISTRATION
PREAMBLE
On 21 October 2004, in order to adapt the legal procedures used by the ".es"
Domain Name Register to the stipulations of Order CTE/662/2003, dated 18 March,
which establishes the National Plan for Domain Names Under the Country Code
Corresponding to Spain (".es"), the Chairman of the public business entity Red.es
modified the Instruction dated 18 July 2003, which sets out the procedures applicable
to assignment of ".es" domain names and other operations associated with their
registration.
On 1st June 2005, the new National Plan for Domain Names Under the Country
Code Corresponding to Spain (".es") took effect, approved by Order ITC/1542/2005,
dated 19th May. This regulation marked a turning point in the evolution of ".es"
domain name registration, thanks to the simplification and increased flexibility of the
requirements for assigning ".es" domain names.
The purpose of this Instruction is to continue that process of simplification and
increased flexibility by introducing certain modifications designed to streamline the
procedures related to the assignment and management of ".es" domain names. In this
respect, one of the measures adopted consists in establishing that all resolutions
passed by the Managing Director of the entity in the area of domain names may be
appealed against directly before the contentious - administrative courts, without the
need to file a prior administrative appeal.
On the other hand, in order to reinforce the Registry's personal data protection
measures, it has been established that only the minimum personal data required to
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration manage the Register correctly may be viewed through the "Whois" tool on the
Registry's web page.
Finally, it has been deemed appropriate to include in this Instruction regulation of
the procedure for cancelling ".es" domain names, established by the Red.es General
Director's Instruction of 12 December 2005. Therefore, the Instruction dated 12
December is hereby repealed and the cancellation procedure regulations are included
in this Instruction. In order to prevent abuse of this procedure, cancellation requests
will require the existence of legitimate interest for them to be admitted for
processing.
The Chairman of Red.es has the authority to establish the procedures for
assignment of domain names and Internet addresses under the country code
corresponding to Spain (".es") and other operations associated with their registration,
in accordance with Provision Eighteen of Law 14/2000, dated 29 December, on Tax,
Administrative and Social Order Measures, as modified by article 70 of Law 24/2001,
dated 27 December 2001, on Tax, Administrative and Social Order Measures, in
Additional Provision Six of Law 34/2002, dated 11 July, on Information Society and
e-Commerce Services, and Order ITC/1542/2005, dated 19 May, which approves the
National Plan for Internet Domain Names Under the Country Code Corresponding
to Spain (".es").
In resolution dated 21 October 2005, the Chairman of Red.es, in accordance with
section two, article 7 of Royal Decree 164/2002, dated 8 February, which approves
the Articles of Association of the Public Corporate Entity Red.es, delegated to Red.es'
General Director the authority to establish the procedures for assignment of domain
names and Internet addresses under the country code corresponding to Spain (".es")
and other operations associated with their registration.
More than three years after last Instruction was approved, and on the occasion of
the forthcoming implementation of a new computing support tool for managing the
Register, the experience gained by the entity makes it advisable to adjust a number of
aspects related to procedures applicable to the assignment of domain names and
other operations associated with their registration, with a view to making them more
flexible.
As a result, the Managing Director of Red.es, by virtue of the authority delegated
to him, hereby issues this Instruction, which replaces the previous one approved on 8
November 2006.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
This Instruction will be effective as from the date indicated by Red.es on the
Registry's web site at least FIFTEEN CALENDAR DAYS in advance.
Madrid, 2 January 2010
Sebastián Muriel Herrero
Managing Director of the Public Corporate Entity Red.es
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
CHAPTER I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
One. Purpose
The purpose of this Instruction is to establish the procedures for assignment of
domain names and Internet addresses under the country code for Spain (".es") and
other operations related to their registration. In this respect, it regulates the
procedures for assignment, renewal, termination, data modification, management
transfer, cancellation and transfer of ".es" domain names.
Pursuant to Additional Provision Eighteen of Law 14/2000, in regulating the
established mechanisms and procedures for assignment of domain names and
other operations associated with their registration, the practices generally applied
and the recommendations of the international entities and organisations that
conduct activities related to the management of the Internet domain names system
were taken into account.
The agreements adopted by the Assignment Authority to improve domain name
registration management, issued to develop and implement this Instruction, shall
be binding provided they have been made public on its Internet site at least fifteen
calendar days before they come into effect, except for reasons of urgency for a
justified cause.
Two. Definitions
The following definitions apply for the purposes of this Instruction:
- Assignment Authority or Registry: The Public Corporate Entity Red.es, which
has been entrusted with the assignment of domain names under the country code
for Spain (".es"), in accordance with Additional Provision Six of Law 11/1998, dated
24 April (the General Telecommunications Act), Additional Provision Six of Law
34/2002, dated 11 July (the Information Society and e-Commerce Services Act), and
section Two, Provision One of Order ITC/1542/2005, dated 19 May, which
approves the National Plan for Internet Domain Names Under the Country Code
Corresponding to Spain (".es") (hereinafter, "the Domain Names Plan").
- Beneficiary or owner: The individual or incorporated or non-incorporated entity to
whom the Assignment Authority grants the right to use an ".es" domain name for the
purposes of addressing in the Internet Domain Names System, under the terms
established in the Domain Names Plan.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
- Administrative contact person: The individual designated by the beneficiary before
the Assignment Authority as the representative in relation to the rights of use of the
".es" domain name, and who has been granted sufficient power of attorney to act as
such.
- Invoicing contact person: The individual designated by the beneficiary before the
Assignment Authority as the contact regarding aspects related to the payment of the
amounts corresponding to the ".es" domain name assignment and renewal fees.
- Technical contact person: The individual designated by the beneficiary before the
Assignment Authority as the contact regarding the technical aspects related to
configuring and operating the ".es" domain name.
- Accredited registrar: The entity duly accredited before the Assignment Authority
that, on behalf and in representation of its users, processes the assignment
applications and manages the ".es" domain names, in accordance with the National
Domain Names Plan, the registrar contract, this Instruction and the rest of the
applicable provisions.
- ".es" domain name assignment: The procedure by which the Assignment Authority
assigns an ".es" domain name to a holder by virtue of the applicable regulations.
Domain name assignment will consist of two stages:
1. Provisional assignment:
Provisional assignment is carried out as soon as a domain name is requested,
provided that it is available and the request has been given time priority.
Until such time as the provisional assignment becomes definitive, the domain
name will not be visible on the Internet.
2. Definitive assignment:
A provisional assignment becomes definitive once payment for the ".es" domain
name has been made and received. The payment must be made within a
maximum period of TEN CALENDAR DAYS. In the event that payment is not
received, the provisional assignment will be cancelled and the domain name will
become available.
Direct data modification: The following data can be modified as described below: (i)
directly by the end user in the event that the domain name is managed directly by the
Assignment Authority, (ii) by the accredited registrar in the event that the domain
name is managed by them. The process will be automatic and will not require prior
verification.
- All the holder's data except for name, NIF (fiscal identifier) and legal status.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
- All data relating to brand, contacts and DNS servers.
- Data relating to type of renewal.
- Modification of data with prior verification: The modification of data that cannot
be altered directly can only be done by the accredited registrar with prior
verification.
- ".es" Domain name termination: The operation by which the Assignment Authority
is requested to terminate an ".es" domain name permanently, making it available,
when appropriate" for subsequent assignment.
- ".es" Domain name management transfer: The operation by which management of
the ".es" domain name is transferred to a registrar, or by which management of the
".es" domain name is transferred from a registrar to the beneficiary, who interacts
directly with the Assignment Authority.
- ".es" Domain name transfer: The operation by which the Assignment Authority
processes the transfer of ownership of an ".es" domain name, for the purposes of
Internet addressing.
- Online domain name application: The electronic document through which the
domain name registration procedure begins.
- Assignment web form: The form containing the data necessary to register ".es"
domain names, which may be accessed at: http://www.dominios.es
- Internet domain names system: The system built on a distributed hierarchical
database that enables access to an IP address by means of a domain name.
- ".es" Domain name registration system: The computer software and hardware
through which the ".es" domain names are registered and managed.
Three. Communications
In accordance with Section Six, Additional Provision Six of Law 34/2002, dated 11
July, on The Information Society and e-Commerce Services (hereinafter, "LSSI"), the
procedures for assigning and managing domain names and notifications sent for said
purpose shall be conducted by online means, unless otherwise stipulated. For this
purpose, the Assignment Authority shall set out on its web site the online methods to
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration be used for each type of procedure.
The Assignment Authority shall issue notifications to the individuals designated as
contacts, using the e-mail address provided. For this purpose, the domain name
beneficiaries and the registrars must provide the Assignment Authority with valid
and correct contact information, and keep it updated.
The Assignment Authority may request that the necessary documentation be
submitted to verify fulfilment of the requirements for assignment and management
of domain names, through online procedures or any other means it deems
appropriate. Notwithstanding the above, the Assignment Authority may verify,
using its own means, that the prevailing regulations are being complied with.
Four. Publicity
The Assignment Authority shall maintain an Internet site on which it shall publish, at
least, up-to-date information on:
a) The regulations in force regarding the ".es" Internet domain name assignment
rules.
b) The procedures established for the assignment and management of ".es"
domain names.
c) The amount of the official fee payable for ".es" domain name assignment or
renewal and the payment procedure established.
d) The agreements and resolutions issued by the Assignment Authority, in
accordance with section One of this Instruction.
e) Any other information of interest to ".es" domain name users.
Five. Forms
The Assignment Authority shall publish forms, which may be updated at any time,
to assist the interested parties in fulfilling the requirements in each case for the
assignment and management of an ".es" domain name.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration six. Time priority, identification and powers of attorney
The Assignment Authority shall, in all procedures related to ".es" domain names,
apply the principle of time priority. For this purpose, a reference number will be
assigned to each request marking its time priority for processing.
The Assignment Authority will confirm receipt of assignment, renewal and
cancellation requests.
Interested parties must identify themselves fully on the applications submitted to the
Registry and, in the event that they act through a representative, they must have
granted sufficient power of attorney.
For procedures requiring prior verification, and for transfer and cancellation
procedures, the Assignment Authority may request the appropriate power of
attorney document from the representative. If the required documentation is not
provided, the Assignment Authority will not accept the application, deeming it as
clearly unfounded. For the purposes of the present and in compliance with the
Second Provision, the administrative contact person is assumed to have sufficient
power of attorney.
Seven. Conditions for exercising the right to use an ".es" domain name
The right to use ".es" domain names is subject to compliance with the regulations set
forth under section Eleven of the Domain Names Plan, the obligations contained in
section Thirteen of the Domain Names Plan and fulfilment of all other applicable
conditions.
Eight. Appeals
The resolutions issued by the General Director of Red.es in relation to the ".es"
domain names may be appealed against directly before the contentiousadministrative
courts.
When the Assignment Authority becomes aware that legal proceedings have been
initiated challenging a resolution by the Assignment Authority issued in relation to
an ".es" domain name, Red.es shall notify the domain name owner of the existence of
said proceedings so that he or she may take the appropriate actions to defend his or
her right. Under no circumstances shall the Assignment Authority be obliged to
compensate the owner if said owner loses the right to use the ".es" domain name as a
result of a judicial decision.
Nine. Proof of payment of the official fee
Definitive domain name assignment or renewal requires that the Assignment
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration authority is given certifiable proof that payment of the corresponding fee for ".es"
domain names assignment or renewal has been made in advance.
Notwithstanding that which is set out in the previous section, the Assignment
Authority may, exceptionally and upon request by the interested party, definitively
assign and renew the ".es" domain names when:
· The ".es" domain name beneficiary, or the accredited registrar, provides a
certified copy of the corresponding assignment or renewal fee payment
receipt, in accordance with the established procedure, or
· The Assignment Authority can confirm by its own means that the ".es" domain
names assignment or renewal purchase fee has been paid.
CHAPTER II. ".ES" DOMAIN NAME ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURE
Ten. Legitimation
Individuals and incorporated or non-incorporated entities may apply for second
level domain names when they have interests in or ties with Spain.
In this case, the Assignment Authority shall consider an applicant to have interests in
or ties with Spain when, among other circumstances:
· The ".es" domain name beneficiary is an individual or an incorporated or nonincorporated
entity established in Spain, or
· The ".es" domain name beneficiary is an individual or an incorporated or nonincorporated
entity, the services of which fully or partially target the Spanish
market, or
· The ".es" domain name beneficiary is an individual or an incorporated or nonincorporated
entity wishing to offer information, services and/or products
that are linked culturally, historically or socially to Spain.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration eleven. Time priority criterion
The “.es” domain names will be assigned to the first person with the right to
request them by resolution issued by the Red.es General Director and according to
the time priority criterion applied to the request. In no case may applications be
submitted for ".es" domain names that have been assigned previously.
Domain name assignment will consist of two stages:
1. Provisional assignment:
Provisional assignment is carried out as soon as a domain name is requested,
provided that it is available and the request has been given time priority.
Until such time as the provisional assignment becomes definitive, the domain
name will not be visible on the Internet.
2. Definitive assignment:
A provisional assignment becomes definitive once payment for the ".es" domain
name has been made and received. The payment must be made within a
maximum period of TEN CALENDAR DAYS. In the event that payment is not
received, the provisional assignment will be cancelled and the domain name will
become available.
Second level ".es" domain names are assigned without prior verification, except as
regards the syntax rules stipulated in point 1, section eleven of the Domain Names
Plan, the list of prohibited terms in point 2, section eleven of the Domain Names Plan
and the specific limitations and the lists of prohibited or reserved second level
domain names indicated in section seven of the Domain Names Plan.
For the assignment of third level ".edu.es" and ".gob.es" domain names, verification
will be made prior to their assignment to ensure fulfilment of the requirements
established in article Thirteen of this Instruction and the syntax rules stipulated in
point 1, section eleven of the Domain Names Plan.
Third level ".com.es", ".nom.es" and ".org.es" domain names will be assigned without
prior verification, except as relates to the syntax rules stipulated in point 1, section
eleven of the Domain Names Plan and the list of prohibited terms provided in point
2, section eleven of the Domain Names Plan.
Furthermore, for the assignment of second level ".es" domain names, the Assignment
Authority will verify that the ".es" domain name is not included in the lists of
reserved or prohibited terms established in Provision Seven of the Domain Names
Plan and in section 2, Provision eleven of the Domain Names Plan.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration twelve. Submitting the application
The request for an “.es” domain name can be made through an accredited registrar
who holds the appropriate certification or directly by the interested party to the
Assignment Authority.
Submitting the assignment application for a domain name, either directly or through
a registrar, entails acceptance by the beneficiary of all corresponding obligations.
Notwithstanding that which is set out in the second paragraph of Section Three of
this Instruction, submitting a domain name application through an accredited
registrar presupposes that the beneficiary has previously authorised the accredited
registrar, either in writing or by online communication, to carry out all the required
procedures for the assignment and management of the domain name requested, and
to make payment on behalf of the interested party of the corresponding fees.
Unless otherwise established by the Assignment Authority, all communications
related to the domain names applied for or managed by a registrar, including those
related to payments, shall be sent to the corresponding registrar.
Thirteen. ".edu.es" and "gob.es" domain names
Applications for ".edu.es" and ".gob.es" domain names and for domain names on
any of the lists of reserved terms will be verified prior to assignment to ensure that
they meet the assignment requirements established in the Domain Names Plan and
in this Instruction.
Only officially recognised institutions or groups, whether an incorporated or nonincorporated
entity, that carry out duties or activities related to education or research
in Spain, respectively, may apply for assignment of ".edu.es" domain names. Only
the Spanish Public Administrations, Public entities that report to them, their
dependent organisations, bodies or units may apply for assignment of ".gob.es"
domain names.
These applications must be accompanied by all the documentation necessary to
verify compliance with the applicable provisions. When the Assignment Authority
considers that an application contains rectifiable errors or does not include all of the
necessary documentation, the applicant will be notified to rectify the errors or submit
the required documentation within ten calendar days.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration once it has been verified that the application meets all of the requirements, the
Assignment Authority will assign the domain name to the applicant. Otherwise, the
application will be rejected by resolution from the Managing Director.
Once the period of TEN calendar DAYS has elapsed without the errors having been
rectified or the required documentation submitted, the Assignment Authority will
consider that the interested party has abandoned the application, notifying the
applicant of this by resolution from the Managing Director of Red.es.
Fourteen. Assignment validity period
The validity period for the assignment of an “.es” domain name will depend on the
type of assignment selected. Domain names can be assigned with the following
periods of validity:
- One calendar year
- Two calendar years
- Three calendar years
- Four calendar years
- Five calendar years
- Ten calendar years
The domain name may be renewed pursuant to that established under chapter Three.
CHAPTER III. ".ES" DOMAIN NAME RENEWAL PROCEDURE
Fifteen. Renewal
Renewal of an ".es" domain name can be requested at any time during its period of
validity. This request will determine the amount of the corresponding renewal fee.
The holder will have TEN calendar days following the renewal request to make the
payment. If reliable proof of payment is not given within said period, the request will
be cancelled.
Sixteen. Renewal validity period
Domain names can be renewed with the following periods of validity:
- One calendar year
- Two calendar years
- Three calendar years
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
- Four calendar years
- Five calendar years
- Ten calendar years
CHAPTER IV. OTHER OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
REGISTRATION OF ".ES" DOMAIN NAMES
Seventeen. Termination
1. Voluntary termination
Domain name beneficiaries who do not wish continue to hold a name may request its
termination.
The procedure is started by submitting the termination request online. In accordance
with Section Six of this Instruction, the Assignment Authority will confirm receipt of
the ".es" domain name termination request.
The Assignment Authority will process the request and after carrying out the
relevant checks in a period of no more than TEN calendar days; it will terminate the
domain name by resolution issued by the General Director of Red.es.
Requests for termination of domain names processed by accredited registrars may be
presented by these. In such cases, the requests must be confirmed by the domain
name administrative contact person.
2. Automatic termination
If, upon reaching the end of the validity period for the assignment or renewal of a
domain name there is no record or proof of payment having been received for
renewal, the domain name will continue to be assigned, but it will not be visible on
the Internet for a period of FIVE calendar days.
At the end of this period, if the Assignment Authority still has no record or proof of
payment of the corresponding renewal fee, the ".es" domain name will be made
available to be freely assigned.
In the event that this procedure overlaps with renewal, automatic termination will
take priority.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration eighteen. Data modification
The beneficiaries of ".es" domain names may request the modification of their
registration data. To this effect, there are two possible procedures for modifying data:
1. Direct modification
The data described below may be modified: (i) directly by the end user in the event
that the domain name is managed directly by the Assignment Authority, or (ii) by
the accredited registrar in the event that the domain name is managed by an
accredited registrar. The process will be automatic and will not require prior
verification.
- All the holder's data except for name, NIF (tax no.) and legal status.
- All data relating to marks, contacts and DNS servers.
- Data relating to renewal type.
2. Modification with prior verification
Modification of data that cannot be altered directly may only be done by the
accredited registrar with prior verification.
The procedure is started by submitting the data modification request online. The
Assignment Authority will process the request and, after carrying out the
appropriate verifications, make the data modifications.
Nineteen. Discredited registrars
In the event that the Assignment Authority cancels the accredited registrar status
of any of the accredited entities, the management of all the domain names
administered by this entity up until said moment will be transferred to the recipient
designated for this purpose by the Registry.
The transfer of management will be undertaken automatically and for all domain
names.
The recipient of this transfer of management can be:
1. Another accredited registrar selected applying advertising and competition
criteria.
In this case, once the automatic transfer of management has taken place,
the domain name holder can request at any time the voluntary transfer of
the domain name in favour of any other accredited registrar.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
2. The Assignment Authority, which will to all intents and purposes act as the
provisional accredited registrar for a maximum period the TWO MONTHS.
a. During this period:
i. The domain name holder can request the voluntary transfer of
management of the domain name to any accredited registrar.
ii. The domain names provisionally managed by the Assignment
Authority can only be renewed once and for a maximum period
of ONE YEAR. The fee applicable for this operation will be the
same as for renewals requested through an accredited registrar.
b. At the end of this period, all the domain names for which their holders
have not requested management transfer to an accredited registrar, will
be managed directly by the Assignment Authority and will be subject
to the fees applicable for this mode of management.
CHAPTER V. ".ES" DOMAIN NAME CANCELLATION
PROCEDURE
Twenty. Cancellation procedure
Failure to comply with the ".es" domain name assignment and use conditions
established in Section Seven of this Instruction will lead to its cancellation by the
Assignment Authority, in accordance with the procedure established in this Chapter.
Twentyone. Motives for cancellation
The Assignment Authority may cancel the ".es" domain names, on its own
initiative or by request from an interested party, in the following cases:
a) When ".es" domain names are requested by individuals or incorporated or nonincorporated
entities without interests in or ties to Spain, in accordance with section
Ten of this Instruction.
b) When the beneficiaries of ".es" domain names consisting solely of surnames or
a combination of given names and surnames are not directly related to those names.
c) When the Register contains false or inaccurate data.
d) When the rules and technical conditions established by the Assignment
Authority for the proper operation of the ".es" domain names system are not
complied with.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration
e) When the ".es" domain names assigned do not comply with the syntax rules set
out in section One of Provision Eleven of the Domain Names Plan or any of the other
assignment conditions established to that effect in the aforementioned section.
Twenty-two. Temporary suspension
In the event that assigned ".es" domain names include terms or expressions that
contravene the Law, moral principles or public order or have a literal sense that
could affect any natural person's name rights or industrial property rights, infringe
any rights to honour, privacy and good name, or when they could give rise to the
perpetration of any crime or offence classified as such under Criminal Law, the
Assignment Authority will suspend or cancel these assignments by virtue of the
corresponding prior court order.
Prior to executing the suspension or cancellation, the Assignment Authority shall
grant the interested party a period of TEN calendar DAYS to make allegations.
Twenty-three. Procedure initiation
The cancellation procedure may be initiated upon the initiative of the Assignment
Authority or by request from an interested party.
1) If the procedure is initiated upon request from an interested party, said party must
submit a written document to Red.es in which, following due identification and
justification of a legitimate interest in the claim filed, he or she invokes, in a duly
motivated manner, the existence of non-compliance with the assignment conditions
that warrants cancellation of the domain name, in the terms established in section
Twenty of this Instruction. If the interested party acts through a representative, the
power of attorney must also be provided.
The Assignment Authority will not accept clearly unfounded requests. Clearly
unfounded requests include those in which the interested party has not duly
identified him or herself or does not prove, when appropriate, power of attorney.
Likewise, requests will be rejected when they do not justify a legitimate interest in
the claim filed or they do not provide a motivated explanation of the non-compliance
with the assignment conditions that warrants the cancellation of a domain name.
Once the request has been received, the Assignment Authority will require the
interested party to rectify any rectifiable defects within a maximum of TEN calendar
DAYS. If the request is free of errors or all errors have been rectified within the
stipulated deadline, the Assignment Authority will send the request to the
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration beneficiary of the domain name that gave rise to the controversy, granting said
beneficiary TEN calendar DAYS to put forward allegations.
Upon review of the allegations, the Assignment Authority shall resolve whether to
maintain or cancel the assignment of the domain name affected by the procedure.
In the event that the domain name becomes available to be assigned again, the
Assignment Authority, pursuant to Section Thirteen, paragraph 5 of the National
Plan, will inform the interested party that steps have been taken to initiate
cancellation, and they will have a maximum of TEN calendar days as from said
notification to file a preferential application for the domain name.
2) If the procedure is initiated at the initiative of the Assignment Authority, it will
notify the domain name beneficiary, under the terms indicated in section Three of
this Instruction, of the non-compliance with the assignment conditions, granting him
or her TEN calendar DAYS to put forward allegations.
Upon review of the allegations, the Assignment Authority will decide whether to
maintain or cancel the assignment of the domain name affected by the controversy.
Twenty-four. ".es" Domain name reassignment procedure
The Assignment Authority will reassign to their legitimate owners domain names
that have been rejected due to an error by the Register.
If the domain name affected by the error was assigned after the fact to a third party,
the Assignment Authority shall initiate, at its own initiative or upon request from the
interested party, the corresponding reassignment procedure for said domain name in
favour of the previous owner.
The Assignment Authority shall notify the third party, in accordance with the terms
indicated in section Three of this Instruction, of the existence of the error in the
Register that deprived a previous owner of the domain name, granting him or her 24
hours to make allegations.
Simultaneously with the initiation of the procedure, the Assignment Authority will
reassign the domain name to the previous owner as a precautionary measure.
Once the allegations have been received, the Assignment Authority will resolve
whether to reassign the domain name to the previous domain name owner, whose
registration application was received earlier, or confirm the assignment made to the
third party, in which case the precautionary reassignment will be cancelled.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration Twenty-five. Concurrence of a cancellation procedure and a conflict resolution
procedure
No cancellation procedure may be initiated against an ".es" domain name under this
Instruction when said ".es" domain name is subject to an ownership conflict pursuant
to the regulations of the dispute resolution procedure regulated in the Dispute
Resolution Procedure Regulations for Domain Names Under the Country Code
Corresponding to Spain (".es"), approved by Instruction from the General Director of
Red.es on 7 November 2005.
Similarly, a dispute resolution procedure cannot be started when a domain name
is subject to a cancellation procedure.
Twenty-six. Blocking the domain name
Once the cancellation request has been accepted for processing, when the procedure
is initiated upon request from the interested party, or at the same time as the initial
notification is sent to the interested party, when it is initiated on the Assignment
Authority's own initiative, the Assignment Authority shall immediately block the
domain name affected by the procedure until such time as the procedure has been
completed.
Blocking the domain name consists in disallowing the following:
1) Transfer of ownership of the domain name to a third party.
2) Cancellation of the domain name.
3) Modification of the registration data.
4) Domain name management transfer.
Under no circumstances shall the block prevent the owner from renewing the
domain name or modifying the renewal modality.
Once the procedure has been completed, the domain name block will be lifted.
CHAPTER VI. GENERAL ".ES" DOMAIN NAME TRANSFER
PROCEDURE
Twenty-seven. ".es" domain name transfer
In accordance with Section Twelve of the Domain Names Plan, the right to use a
domain name may be transferred voluntarily, as long as the recipient complies with
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration the requirements in the Plan and in this Instruction. All voluntary transfers must be
approved by the former domain name owner. Said approval shall be notified to the
Assignment Authority prior to the corresponding modification of the domain name
registration data, following the procedure established for this purpose.
In the event of hereditary or transfer in life successions and assignment of
trademarks or commercial names to which the domain names are associated, the
successor or assignee may continue to use said name, as long as the domain name
regulations contained in this Plan are complied with and the successor or assignee
applies to the Assignment Authority to have the registration details of the domain
name modified.
Twenty-eight. ".es" domain name transfer application
The transferor and the recipient must send the Assignment Authority the ".es"
domain name transfer application and the transfer conditions acceptance application,
respectively. The Assignment Authority will verify both applications, transferring,
when appropriate, ownership of the ".es" domain name to the new beneficiary by
resolution from the General Director of Red.es.
CHAPTER VII. APPLICATION OF THE PERSONAL DATA
PROTECTION RULES.
Twenty-nine. Personal data processing
The Assignment Authority shall process the personal data necessary to request and
manage the ".es" domain names in accordance with Organic Law 15/1999, dated 13
December: the Personal Data Protection Act (hereinafter, "LOPDP"), and in its
implementation regulations.
Thirtieth. Personal data publication and access
The personal data subject to processing by the Assignment Authority shall be those
strictly necessary to assign the ".es" domain names and carry out any other
operations derived from their management and registration.
The Assignment Authority shall publish only the personal data that are strictly
necessary for the proper management of the Register.
Instruction from the General Director of Red.es, dated 2 January 2010, setting
out the procedures applicable to the assignment of ".es" domain names and
other operations associated with their registration access to the personal data published in accordance with the above paragraph shall
be subject to acceptance of the conditions established by the Assignment Authority
for said purpose on the Registry web page.
The data relating to ".es" domain name beneficiaries may be subject to processing by
Red.es in the performance of its duties of promoting and developing the Information
Society and for historical, statistical or research purposes, and they may be
transferred, for these same purposes, to other Administrations in the cases
established under Article 21, sections one and two of the LOPDP.
Thirty-first. Access and rectification rights
Applicants and beneficiaries of ".es" domain names whose personal data are
processed by the Assignment Authority may exercise their access and rectification
rights, using the channels indicated in the LOPDP and in its implementation
regulations.
Additional Provision One. Modification of the reserved ".es" domain names
lists
Only those place names corresponding to the name of a country or territory listed in
ISO 3166-1, in their official versions and in their corresponding translation into
Spanish, shall be deemed as included by the resolution of the Managing Director of
Red.es, dated 28 June 2006, in the list of reserved terms consisting of place names that
coincide with the official designation of regional Public Administrations, approved in
the Instruction from the Chairman of Red.es dated 12 September 2005.
Temporary Provision One. Domain names assigned before the Plan came into
effect.
Domain names assigned before the National Plan came into effect shall remain valid.
Sole Repealing Provision. Repeal of previously applicable Instructions
The Instruction from the Chairman of Red.es dated 21 October 2004 and the
Instructions from the General Director dated 12 December 2005 and 8 November
2006 are hereby repealed.

Procedure

The extrajuridical conflict resolution system for ".es" domain names, established by the public business entity Red.es, is based on generally accepted international practices, and the recommendations issued by international entities and organisations that carry out activities related to managing the Internet domain names system.

You must have initial rights to a ".es" domain name that has already been assigned to use this system, pursuant to the Regulations for the Extrajudicial Conflict Resolution Procedure, approved on 7 November 2005.

You must prove why the registration of the ".es" domain name is speculative or abusive, and, in particular:

• Why the ".es" domain name is identical or similar to the point of causing confusion with another term to which the Plaintiff claims to have Initial Rights; and
• Why it must be considered that the Defendant does not have rights to or legitimate interests in the domain name or names being claimed; and
• Why it must be considered that the domain name has been registered or is being used in bad faith.

In any case, the claim must be initiated before an Extrajudicial conflict resolution provider accredited with the Public Business Entity Red.es, pursuant to article 13 of the Regulations for the Extrajudicial Conflict Resolution Procedure.

In the extrajuridical conflict resolution system for ".es" domain names, there are several roles which you should be familiar with:

• Business public entity Red.es: in this case, its duties are basically to ensure fulfilment of the obligations of the Providers and to execute the resolutions established by the expert.
• Provider: non-profit making organisation that manages claims, ensuring that they are processed pursuant to the Regulations, appointing the impartial and independent Expert.
• Parties: the plaintiff is an individual or organisation the makes the claim before the provider against the defendant, who is the owner of the ".es" domain name that causes the conflict.
• Expert: a professional, with certified experience in extrajudicial conflict resolution, who resolves the dispute with maximum efficiency and independence, taking into account the content of the claim and the response to it.

The extrajudicial conflict resolution procedure may not be initiated when a cancellation procedure is open for the ".es" domain name. The judicial option is always available to the Parties, regardless of the status of the claim.

The fee established by the providers of extrajudicial conflict resolution for ".es" domain names is €1,400.

To resolve the claim, the expert takes into account the statements and documents submitted by the parties.

The expert, in an average period of 2 MONTHS from the date the claim is made, shall issue a justified resolution, which must be consistent with the demands of the claim and may not contain decisions on matters beyond the scope of the claim.

Pursuant to article 13 of the instruction regulating the CRP, the plaintiff must indicate their demands in the claim; that is, transfer of the domain name to the plaintiff or the cancellation of the same.

To this end, the expert may issue the following resolutions:

• Claim Accepted
  
  In this case, the expert may decide to:
  
  
  1. Transfer the domain name to the plaintiff. In this case, following the maximum period of one month from notification of the decision to the parties and Red.es, the plaintiff must send a transfer request to transmisionDRP@nic.es. Once this request has been received, the domain name is transferred to the plaintiff.
     
     Transfer request in compliance with the resolution issued in the extrajudicial conflict resolution procedure:
     • For domains managed by the end user
     • Authorisation for Registrar to act on behalf of the assignee
  2. Cancel the domain name, making it available for free assignment. If the plaintiff has not indicated in the claim that the disputed domain name is to be transferred.
• Claim Rejected. In this case, the expert decides in favour of the defendant, so the domain name continues to be assigned to the former owner.

If during the 30-day period either of the parties notifies Red.es by means of a certified document that legal proceedings have been opened before the pertinent court, Red.es shall suspend the execution of the decision until notified of the outcome of said legal proceedings, unless the judicial body decides otherwise.