Nowadays, all kinds of information can be found on the internet. As a result, Governments, companies, organizations and individuals use websites to provide information online. These websites are domain names used in URLs, for example in the URL https://www.stalawfirm.com/en.html; the domain name is stalalawfirm.com. A domain in simple language is a field of thought, interest, or activity, over which someone has control, rights or influence.

On the internet, a domain is a set of addresses that shows the category or geographical area to which an internet address belongs to. In short, domain names are used to represent particular IP addresses. Since the internet consists of IP addresses and not domain names, a Domain Name System Server is used by every Web Server to translate the domain names into IP addresses.

Top Level Domains ("TLDs") are depicted as the suffix in a domain name and identifies something about the domain name such as the purpose, the organization to which it belongs to or the geographical area of its origin. They are a limited number of Top-Level Domains.

  • Need for Domain Name Protection Principles similar to trademark infringement apply to domain name protection. Third parties, which are unrelated to the website owner, could create and register a domain name which is identical or like either the domain name or trademark of another party. These activities are commonly called as "cyber-squatting".

    Along with cyber-squatting, websites also run the risk of phishing, where fake websites are created like legitimate websites and are used to deceive customers into disclosing personal data. These fake websites often incorporate the trademarks belonging to the right website as well as the information provided in these websites, making the fake website appear genuine and confusingly like the legitimate one.
  • Domain Name in UAE and its Protection

    With the rapid growth of E-commerce in UAE and the other GCC countries, legislation has been put into place to ensure its protection. In the UAE, Internet Domain names fall under the authority of the ae Domain Administration with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Enabled in 2007, ae Domain Administration:
  • Acts as the Registry Operator
  • Establishes and enforces policies for the regulation of the ae Domain
  • Facilitates dispute settlement about the domain names

Brief History

The ae Domain was initially under the UUNET and was later re-delegated to Etisalat in 1995 following a brief period of administration by the United Arab Emirates University. However, in 2006, the administration was transferred to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

Domain name registration in Dubai is permitted at the second or third level based on specific category labels. At present, only Dubai companies can use the.co.ae domain name for their websites.

To read the full article click here

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.