Note:
This English version is only for reference. Any official
interpretation should be based on the original Chinese
version.
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. These Administrative Rules are formulated in
order to ensure and promote the development of China's Internet
and to strengthen the administration of China's Internet domain
name system. All of the domain name registrations within China
shall be carried out in accordance with these Administrative
Rules.
Article 2. The Office of the State Council's Steering
Committee on Informatization (i.e. State Council's
Informatization Office) is the official Chinese agency
responsible for China's Internet domain name system. These
responsibilities include the following:
(1)
formulate policies and procedures to establish, allocate and
administer China's Internet domain names;
(2) select, authorize and cancel top-level and second-level
domain names; and
(3) supervise and monitor the registration of domain names at
each level.
Article
3.
The Steering Committee of the China Internet Network Information
Center (CNNIC) shall assist the State Council's Informatization
Office with the administration of China's Internet domain name
system.
Article 4. With the authorization from and under the
leadership of the State Council's Informatization Office, the
CNNIC shall be the day-to-day administrative organization of the
CNNIC Steering Committee. The CNNIC shall formulate the Detailed
Implementation Rules for the Registration of Domain Names on
China's Internet and be responsible for administration and
registration of China's top-level domain name CN.
Article 5. The administrators of domain names at and
below the third level shall be determined by means of
authorization granted from the next highest adjacent level. The
administrators of domain names at each level shall be
responsible for registration of domain names one level below
their level. Second-level domain name administrators must
regularly submit registration statements of their third-level
domain names to CNNIC.
Article 6. Applicants for domain name registration must
be organizations that have been registered according to law and
can independently assume civil liability.
CHAPTER 2. STRUCTURE OF THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM OF CHINA's
INTERNET
Article 7. The top-level domain name officially
registered by China with InterNIC and being operated by China is
CN. The domain names at each level below the top level CN shall
be established according to a tree/hierarchy structure.
Article 8. Second-level domain names of China's Internet
are divided into category domain names and administrative
division domain names.
There are six category domain names, namely: AC for scientific
research institutions; COM for enterprises in the fields of
industry, commerce, finance, etc.; EDU for educational
institutions: GOV for government agencies; NET for information
centers (NICs) and operation centers (NOCs) of interconnecting
and accessing networks; and ORG for all kinds of non-profit
organizations.
There are 34 administrative division domain names assigned for
China's provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
directly under the central government, namely: BJ (Beijing
Municipality); SH (Shanghai Municipality); TJ (Tianjin
Municipality); CQ (Chongqing Municipality); HE (Hebei Province);
SX (Shanxi Province); NM (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region); LN
(Liaoning Province); JL (Jilin Province); HL (Heilongjiang
Province); JS (Jiangsu Province); ZJ (Zhejiang Province); AH (Anhui
Province); FJ (Fujian Province); JX (Jiangxi Province); SD (Shandong
Province); HA (Henan Province); HB (Hubei Province); HN (Hunan
Province); GD (Guangdong Province); GX (Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region); HI (Hainan Province); SC (Sichuan Province);
GZ (Guizhou Province); YN (Yunnan Province); XZ (Tibet
Autonomous Region); SN (Shaanxi Province); GS (Gansu Province);
QH (Qinghai Province); NX (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region); XJ (Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region); TW (Taiwan); HK (Hong Kong); MO
(Macao).
Article 9. The proposal for addition, cancellation or
modification of second-level domain names shall be filed by the
CNNIC Steering Committee and promulgated after approval by the
State Council's Informatization Office.
Article 10. Naming principles for third-level domains:
(1)
Third-level domain names shall be composed of letters (A-Z,
a-z, not case-sensitive), digits (0-9) and the hyphen (-).
Each level of the domain name shall be separated by a dot (.).
Any third-level domain name may not be longer than 20
characters;
(2) It is recommended that the applicant's English names (or
abbreviations thereof) or Chinese names romanized according to
the pinyin system (or abbreviations thereof) be used as
third-level domain names, so as to preserve their clarity and
simplicity.
Article
11.
Restrictions for the naming of domains at and below the third
level
(1)
Without official approval from the relevant state authorities,
domain names including words such as CHINA, CHINESE, CN,
NATIONAL, etc. may not be used;
(2) Well-known names of other countries or regions, foreign
location names and names of international organizations may
not be used;
(3) Without approval from the local government at relevant
levels, full or abbreviated names of administrative divisions
at and above county level may not be used;
(4) Classifications of industries or generic names of goods
may not be used;
(5) Enterprise names or trademark names already registered in
China by others may not be used;
(6) Names that are harmful to the interests of the state,
society or the public may not be used.
CHAPTER
3. APPLICATION FOR DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION
Article 12. Applicants shall have the right to select the
name for the domain one level higher. Organizations that apply
for a domain name from the category domain names shall apply
under the second-level domain name corresponding to the nature
of their organizations.
Article 13. Applications for domain name registration
must submit to the domain name administrator one level higher.
Article 14. To apply for domain name registration, the
following conditions must be met:
(1)
the domain name application for registration conforms to all
the provisions hereof;
(2) the applicant's primary domain name server is operated
within China and provides continuous service for the domain
name; and
(3) the applicant designates an administrative contact and a
technical contact respectively responsible for the
administration and the operation of the domain name server at
the requested level.
Article
15.
When applying for domain name registration, the following
documents and certificates shall be submitted:
(1)
an application form for domain name registration;
(2) a formal letter of request from the organization applying
for domain name registration;
(3) a photo identification card of the individual filing the
application; and
(4) a photocopy of the document stating that the organization
has been registered according to law.
Article
16.
The application form for domain name registration shall contain
at least the following particulars: the name of the organization
(including its Chinese name and its full and abbreviated English
name and Chinese name romanized according to the pinyin system),
the location of the organization, the individual responsible for
the organization, the administrative contact and technical
contact responsible for the domain name, the applicant's
information, the correspondence address, the telephone number,
the electronic mail address, the names and locations of the
primary and secondary domain name servers, the network address,
the models and operating systems of the servers, the domain name
proposed to be registered, the reason and purpose, and other
particulars.
Article 17. The name of the applicant shall be consistent
with the name on the seal and relevant certificates.
Article 18. Applications for registration may be
dilivered by electronic mail, facsimile, post, etc. All the
other documents specified in Article 15 shall be submitted by
any means within 30 daysthereafter. The date of an application
shall be the date on which the first application for
registration is received. If all the documents specified in
Article 15 are not received within 30 days, the application
shall automatically be null and void.
Article 19. Responsibilities of the applicant:
(1)
the applicant must observe China's laws and regulations of the
Internet;
(2) the applicant shall be responsible for the domain name
selected by him/her;
(3) the applicant shall warrant that the contents of his/her
application documents are true and accurate and, to the best
of his/her knowledge, that registration of the domain name
selected will not harm the interests of any third party; the
applicant shall warrant that registration of the domain name
is not for any illegal purpose; and
(4) upon approval of the application, the applicant will
become the administrator of the domain name registered and
must administer and operate the domain name in accordance with
these Administrative Rules.
CHAPTER
4. EXAMINATION AND APPROVAL OF DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION
Article 20. Domain name registration shall be conducted
on a first-come first-served basis. Domain name reservations
shall not be accepted.
Article 21. The domain name administrator shall complete
the approval of registration, make the name operational and
issue a domain name registration certificate within 10 working
days after receiving the documents specified in Article 15, if
the domain name requested and the documents submitted conform to
the provisions of these Administrative Rules.
Article 22. The domain name administrator shall notify
the applicant within 10 working days after receiving the
documents specified in Article 15, if the domain name requested
or the documents submitted do not conform to the provisions of
these Administrative Rules. The applicant will have 30 days to
revise and re-submit the application. The application shall
automatically be null and void, if the applicant does not reply
within 30 days or if the documents re-submitted do not comply
with the provisions hereof.
Article 23. The administrators of domain names at each
level shall not be responsible for checking inquiries with the
State Administration Agency for industry and commerce, and the
agencies for trademark administration as to whether or not a
user's domain name is in conflict with a registered trademark,
enterprise name, or is harmful to the interests of any third
party. The applicant shall be responsible for handling any
dispute arising from such a conflict and bearing the legal
liability. Where a third-level domain name is identical to a
trademark or enterprise name registered in China but the
registered domain name is not owned by the holder of the
registered trademark or enterprise name, the holder of the
domain name may continue using its domain name if the holder of
the registered trademark or enterprise name has not filed an
opposition. If the holder of the registered trademark or
enterprise name files an opposition, the administrators of
domain names at each level shall retain the domain name service
for the holder of the domain name for 30 days from the date on
which it is confirmed that the opponent owns the registered
trademark rights or enterprise name rights, and the domain name
service shall automatically cease after 30 days. Domain name
administrators are not responsible for any legal liability and
economic dispute.
CHAPTER 5. CHANGE AND CANCELLATION OF REGISTERED DOMAIN NAMES
Article 24. Registered domain names may be changed or
canceled, but are not permitted to be transferred, sold or
purchased.
Article 25. To apply for change of a registered domain
name or other registration particulars, the applicant shall
submit a domain name registration form and the documents
specified in Article 15 as well as the original domain name
registration certificate.
Following verification and approval by the domain name
administrator, the original domain name registration certificate
shall be annotated and returned, and the domain name shall be
made accessible within 10 working days.
Article 26. To apply for the cancellation of a registered
domain name, the applicant shall submit a domain name
registration form, the documents specified in Article 15, and
return the original domain name registration certificate.
Following verification and approval by the domain name
registrar, operation of the domain name shall cease and the
domain name registration certificate shall be revoked.
Article 27. An annual inspection shall be implemented for
registered domain names. The domain name administrators at each
level shall be responsible for the implementation of the
inspection.
CHAPTER 6. SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS
Article 28. Servers located in China and connected to
China's Internet, whose registered top-level domain names are
not CN, must report and file a record with the CNNIC.
Article 29. An administrative fee shall be paid when
registering domain names and handling other matters concerning
domain names. The detailed fee structure shall be determined
separately.
Article 30. The State Council's Informatization Office
shall be responsible for the interpretation of these
Administrative Rules.
Article 31. These Administrative Rules shall be
implemented from the date of ratification.
(Note: All translations are for reference only, any terms shall
be implemented in accordance with original Chinese version)