Conflicted Name Process Overview
The Conflicted Names Process (CNP) was created to give all parties that had a similar third-level domain name (such as anyname.co.nz and anyname.net.nz) the same right to register the shorter version of their domain name for example, anyname.nz.
The conflicted name process started in 2014, some key milestones to date are listed below.
What is a conflicted domain name (or blocked name)?
In 2014, the .nz domain name space released registrations directly at the second level, meaning more choice in .nz domain names. This meant you could get ‘anyname.nz’ and didn’t need to first have, say, a ‘co’ or ‘org’ as in anyname.co.nz or anyname.org.nz.
When the second level was released, 15,759 domain names were identified as ‘conflicted domain names'. An example of this is if, at the time of release, one person had registered anyname.co.nz and a different person had registered anyname.org.nz, anyname.nz became a conflicted domain name because we gave both the registrants rights to the new shorter version of the domain name.
The anyname.nz domain name was put on hold, giving the domain name holders in the conflict sets preferential rights to reserve or register their interests in the conflicted name.
You can refer to the timeline below.
Key dates of the process
2014
- You can register a domain name without needing to include ‘org’ or ‘co’, e.g. anyname.nz. 15,759 domain names were identified as ‘conflicted domain names’ and put on hold, giving the domain name holders in the conflict sets preferential rights to reserve or register their interests in the conflicted name.
2015
- March:The preferential rights period concludes (parties were required to reserve or register the domain name before this date). If only one domain name holder were involved, they could register the domain name. If two or more domain name holders were involved, each party could register their preference for the conflicted name.
2017
- March: Reserved domain names that were not registered, were released for registration.
- October: Eligible parties that had not lodged their preference were removed from the conflict set.
2020
- In July, a review of the .nz rules was commissioned by InternetNZ. The .nz advisory review panel sought the community’s views in an Options Paper, including asking about the future management of conflicted domain names.
2022
- March: The Domain Name Commission sent out over 2,200 invitations as part of the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) pilot, offering free mediation and e-negotiation to resolve conflicted domain names involving two parties.
- November 2022: ODR pilot concludes.
2023
In the 2022-2023 reporting year, the remaining conflicted domain names dropped by 11% from 1,623 to 1,440. You can read more about the project.
2024
- March: 1,340 domain names remain in the conflict names set, where two or more parties haven’t been able to agree who can register the domain name.
- June–July: InternetNZ surveyed the remaining domain name holders in the conflict sets.
- November: Public consultation on the change proposal.
2025
- February: Review the outcome decision.
- July: The conflicted name process was changed to:
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Retire the process of allowing agreements to be made between domain name holders in the conflicted set as to who should register a conflicted domain name. This includes ending the lodging of preference changes at 12pm on Tuesday, 1 July 2025.
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Continue to block the remaining conflicted domain names from registration.
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Confirm and continue the ability for InternetNZ to release conflicted domain names in the future when only one remaining conflicted domain name remains in a conflict set.
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Going forward, domain name holders who can register blocked/ conflicted domain names will be notified via the registrant email address listed on the registration record.