Domain name transfers fell in 2018: Nominet report

The number of domain name complaints which resulted in a domain transfer fell in 2018, according to the UK’s .uk domain name registry, Nominet.

In an announcement today, July 23, Nominet said figures from its Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) which allows .uk disputes to be settled “efficiently and cost-effectively”, show that in 2018, 763 domain names were subject to DRS complaints.

Of these complaints, 49% of these resulted in a domain transfer. This was down 6% on the 55% of complaints which resulted in domain name transfers in 2017.

Brands that used the DRS in 2018 included Mastercard, Bloomberg Finance, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Rightmove and Superdry.

One complaint, filed by HM Revenue & Customs, involved a name containing the initials HMRC and terms related to taxation.

While at the time, the domain name did not lead to an active website, the DRS awarded the domain name to HM Revenue & Customs.

According to Nominet, the industries that filed the most complaints were banking and finance, automotive, electronics, education, fashion, and media and publishing.

The company also released statistics on the origin of the complaints. It said that in 2018, complaints were filed from 26 countries, with the most being filed by the UK, followed by the US, France and Germany.

It said that in 2018, the average length of time DRS cases took from being filed to being closed decreased from 57 to approximately 50 days in comparison to the previous year.

Eleanor Bradley, managing director of registry solutions at Nominet, estimated the DRS saved approximately £6 million ($7.4 million) in court costs in 2018.

“The efficient and transparent method of resolving disputes is thanks to the many experts who generously offer their time and expertise, as well as the robust processes we have in place. The decrease in time taken to resolve cases across the board year on year is testament to this,” she added.