CTM or WIPO trade mark are required

1. To register a domain name under .lv name space, you have to read documents concerning domain name registration, check if your selected domain name is not already registered by someone else and then fill in an on-line domain name registration template. There is no written agreement to sign for registration. After domain has been registered you will receive an invoice that has to be paid.

2. Domain names can be registered by legal as well as by natural persons. There are no limitations how many domain names Registrant may register.

3. There is no local presence required to register - Registrants may be foreigners. Local domain name hosting is not required as well.

4. In domain name registration form you have to provide your personal information - name of your company, its registration and VAT number, legal and postal address. If you register domain name as a natural person, you have to indicate your personal ID number. You have to provide contact person information as well - name, surname, address, phone and fax number, e-mail address.

5. To check whether domain name is already registered, please use our checking system. You can check information for already registered domain names at NIC WHOIS database.

8. It is possible to use your domain name after you have received an e-mail confirming domain name pre-registration that is terminated when the payment for the domain is received by DNS Registry.

9. It is possible to register one domain name free of charge for educational (governmental only), research, and governmental organisations of Latvia. All other Registrants can register domain names free of charge under one of the generic subdomains of TLD .lv - id.lv that is a subdomain for individuals.

10. If invoice issued for the domain registration is not paid within the time limit prescribed in the invoice, there is a reminder e-mail sent to Registrant to one of his contact persons' e-mail addresses that were indicated in the registration form. If Registry does not receive payment within 14 days from the day the reminder e-mail was sent domain is deleted from .lv zone. It is available for reuse after 60 day hold period.

11. To establish a zone for your domain name you have to have 2 different domain name servers, that is - servers that support your domain name records and are able to transfer them to any other domain name server on the Internet.

If you have server which supports homepage or e-mail services with your new domain name you should choose second option in the registration form - Individual host and/or Mail exchanger registration where you would indicate the name for your homepage or mail server.

12. You can register .lv domain name also without knowing where you will host it. In such case after filling in the contact person information in the registration form you have to push the button "Finish". Your domain will be registered to point to special homepage for inactive domains. You will have a possibility to provide technical information after domain name is registered.

13. You can change contact person, DNS servers or IP addresses for your domain name by sending us e-mail from the current e-mail address of the domain name contact person. You can check you e-mail address at NIC WHOIS database.

14. If you wish to change the owner for the domain name, you have to send us a letter by post from the current owner of the domain confirming domain name transfer. This letter should be sent to:

15. If you wish to delete your domain name, current owner of the domain name has to send us letter confirming this domain name deletion to the address indicated in question 14.

Acquisition Of The Right To Use Domain Name. General Rules

In order to acquire the right to use a domain name the name must be entered into the DNS Registry. In Latvia, this is done by the Network Solutions Department, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, under an agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This Department also maintains the registry of Latvia’s domain names (.lv) and its links with global DNS servers.

The domain name is registered and the right to use it for a certain period of time is acquired after the domain name is applied for, the application is considered, and the right to use the domain name is paid for.

A name that is not engaged at the time of application alone can be registered.

In order to receive more information about domain name registration in the “.lv” zone of the Top Level Domain Registry please read the answers to the more frequent questions FAQ.

The following steps must be taken to acquire the right to use a domain name:

Step 1. Choice of domain name
Step 2. Choice of domain registration level
Step 3. Clarification of domain name usage
Step 4. Application for the chosen domain name
Step 5. Payment for the right to use a domain name
Step 6. Extension of the right to use a domain name




Step 1. Choice of domain name

In form:

(a) the domain name shall be expressed in Latin characters (case insensitive), numbers and dash (“-“). The dash cannot be used at the beginning and end of the name;
(b) the domain name length shall be a minimum of 2 and maximum of 64 characters.

In content:

The domain name cannot be:

(a) the registered trade mark of another institution, the name of another institution or its standard abbreviation. The registry reserves the right to postpone the registration of such a domain name or to demand contributing evidence of the applicant’s ri ght to the domain name.
(b) the name of a geographical locality or object. The names of towns, villages or parishes can be used only by their self-government bodies.
(c) a person’s name;
(d) a well-known name whose use can offend the interests of third parties;
(e) an indecent or insulting word or phrase.


The choice of domain name is further explained in Domain name dispute resolution policy.



Step 2. Choice of domain registration level

The domain name can be registered:

(a) in the top-level domain zone of ”.lv”, e.g., “my-organization.lv”. This variant is recommended for the registration of new domains;
(b) in the second-level domain zone of ”.lv”, e.g., "my-organization.edu.lv". Further information about the subdomains uand registration in them is available in the network.



Step 3. Clarification of domain name usage

The right to use can be registered exclusively for a domain name whose right to use is not granted yet to another legal entity or natural person. In order to make sure that a domain name is available you should search the NIC domain name database http://www.nic.lv/DNS/list.php.

An available domain name will not be registered if it fails to meet the advanced requirements.

The technical possibilities of domain name usage are expounded in Technical requirements.



Step 4. Application for the chosen domain name

If the chosen domain name is not registered yet, apply for the right to its use by filling in and submitting the online Domain Name Registration template. The template of application for registration should contain information about the ultimate user of the domain name and not its Internet Service Provider. In applying for the domain name a natural person should take into account that by filling in the application template it has agreed to publish its name, surname, e-mail address, telephone number in the NIC database.

The Registry checks whether the information given in the Applicant’s template is complete and correct and whether the domain name meets the requirements. If the conclusion is positive, the Registry reserves the domain name and e-mails confirmation to the domain name applicant within 3 business days.



Step 5. Payment for the right to use the domain name

Until further notice, educational (governmental only), research, and governmental organisations of Latvia can register one domain name per organisation free of any charges.

The application for the registration of the right to use a domain name and the confirmation of the domain name reservation e-mailed to the Applicant are considered as conclusion of an agreement with the Registry and serve as basis of payment for the domain name registration and maintenance. Registry will send invoices to Billing contact specified for the domain name by ordinary mail from Riga, Latvia. Invoice will contain information about domain name it relates to and the due date. Filling in application form, please indicate time period you wish to make the payment for. By default it is set to one year.

In the bank transfer the domain name for which the payment is made has to be specified. The Registry registers the domain name and grants the Applicant the right to use the domain name for the period of time indicated in the application and paid for.

Payment should be made within 2 weeks. The Registry cancels the domain name application if the payment is not made in time.

The Registration Fee is equivalent to USD 35.00 (thirty five US dollars) or EUR 30.00 (thirty euros) for a year.

The domain name registration is effected within 3 business days after the DNS Registry receives the payment. Together with registration, the Applicant acquires the right to use a new domain name for the time period paid as of the registration date. The Fee is not reimbursable.



Step 6. Extension of the right to use the domain name

One month prior to expiration, the Registry mails a bill for the extension of the right to use. The bill must be paid within 4 weeks as of the mailing date. The extension of the right to use the domain name costs USD 35.00 (thirty-five US dollars) or EUR 30.00 (thirty euros) a year, VAT (18%) included. After payment, the right to use is extended for another year.

If the payment is not made in time, the Registry e-mails a letter of reminder. If payment is not received within 7 days as of the reminder date, the Registry deletes the domain name from the database. The domain name is freely available for registration anew 30 days afterward. During this period the former domain name user can still renew the right to use by effecting the appropriate payments.

Timely payment is the responsibility of the domain name user. Failure to receive the bill cannot be regarded as a valid reason for not making payments in time. The effected payments are not reimbursable.

All fees are to be paid in U.S. Dollars or in Latvian Lats. Payment has to be made by bank transfer to the address and account specified on the invoice. Payments can be made by VISA and EC/MC credit cards. Alternatively payments can be made in cash person ally at the following address:

NIC, DNS Registry,
Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science,
Raina bulv. 29, Riga, LV-1459, LATVIA
tel.+ 371-7211241, fax.+371-7225072
e-pasts: dns-reg@nic.lv

The Registry makes changes in the domain name registration data (e.g., mail server address or name of the technical contact person) on request e-mailed from the address of the administrative or technical contact person indicated in the template of the cor responding domain registration application. The information of contact persons can be checked in the NIC database.

Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy of TLD ".lv"

1. To follow the best practices, the dispute resolution in ".lv" domain and its generic subdomains, except minor differences listed below, is considered to be the same as Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy adopted by ICANN for Top Level Domains ".com", ".net", ".org". Below differences follow the current ICANN and IANA recommendations for ccTLDs as described in RFC1591 and IANA TLD Delegation Practices Document or ICP-1 as well as the best practice from the other ccTLDs.

2. TLD ".lv" is a national TLD for Republic of Latvia, therefore the applicants related to Latvia (e.g. located in Latvia) will be given priority, although applications from anywhere else will be processed in recognition of the truly global nature of the Internet. Applicant may be a legal organisation or a private person.

3. Full and short Names of organisations and companies registered in the Enterprise Registry of the Republic of Latvia, and Trade Marks registered in the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia (this regulation applies only to fully registered Trade Marks) may be registered as domain names only by their legal owners.

Among claimants of equal rights the first option belongs to the first applicant. The juridical or physical person enjoying the first option for a particular domain name can disclaim this right in favor of another person. The surrender shall be executed in a written form and submitted to the Registry.

4. It is the responsibility of the Registrant to verify that the chosen domain name at the moment of registration does not violate regulation in section 3. Domain name registration may be cancelled any time, if the evidence is received that this regulation was violated at the moment of domain name registration. No fees are returned in this case. The Registrant will be invited to choose another domain name instead not violating this regulation.

5. Registrant is responsible for the selection of its own domain name ("Domain Name") and is solely responsible for the name which it has registered and any disputes which may rise from it. The Registrant, by completing and submitting its application, represents that the statements in its application are true and that the registration of the selected Domain Name, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, does not interfere with or infringe upon the rights of any third party.

6. In order to reduce the possibility of disputes after the domain name has been registered, Registry reserves the right to refuse registration of a Domain Name or request additional proofs during registration in the following cases:
a) If the domain name is a Trade Mark, Service Mark, or well known Organisation Name, or common abbreviation of that.
b) If the domain name is a name of geographic location or object. An exception regarding geographic location names are local municipalities of Latvia, which are allowed to register their name as a domain name (e.g. 'Dobeles pilsetas dome' may register domain dobele.lv).
c) If the domain name is a person name.
d) If the domain name is a well-known name or common word, which is likely to be of interest to some other party.
e) If the domain name is an offensive word or expression.

7. While Administrative dispute resolution service (Administrative Panel reffered to in ICANN Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) for domain name disputes is not established in Latvia, all disputes regarding already assigned domain names are to be resolved in Court or Arbitration Institution in Republic of Latvia directly between the current owner of the domain name and the contesting party without involvement of the Registry.

DISCLAIMER. REGISTRANT AGREES THAT REGISTRY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF REGISTRATION AND USE OF REGISTRANT'S DOMAIN NAME, OR FOR INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS, OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF REGISTRY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL REGISTRY'S MAXIMUM LIABILITY UNDER THESE POLICY GUIDELINES EXCEED FIVE HUNDRED ($500.00) US DOLLARS. <