- well some of them anyway...

One of underlying issues in the recent slamming litigation is the issue of access to the 
expiry dates of .au domains. 

One of the benefits of the much vaunted .au domain space "reforms" is that 
information regarding the expiry dates of .au domain was supposed to be privy to the 
several parties to the registration.

Nearly two years into the new regime "auDA accredited registrars" are still providing 
expiry dates on domain names in their "care".

For example at http://www.namescout.com/renewal/index.asp you can submit a 
query about a .au domain registered through this foreign registrar and be provided 
with the full expiry date and indeed an apparent offer to renew the domain regardless 
of the length of time to the expiry date. (As anyone can see the expiry date for 
namescout.com.au is 	August 3, 2004)

Why is auDA allowing this practice to continue?

There appears to be an apparent disconnect between the requirement for .au domain 
registrants to be Australian entities and the licence given to Bermuda based 
registrars to act as .au registrars. (Or at least this is the apparent situation. The actual 
entity one is dealing with seems to be Momentous Australia Pty Limited an ACT 
based company although this is not disclosed anywhere on the Namescout site.)

Given the apparent disregard shown by the  registrar to the rules relating to the 
disclosure of expiry dates, does auDa monitor their compliance with other 
requirements? 

Has auDA set any service standards which registrars must adhere to? If not why not 
and what does it intend to do about this.

For example it might be useful to require all registrars to clearly show on their website 
what is required to obtain a registry key/UDAI, to have an Australian contact and fax 
number and to operate within normal Australian business hours (given that 
registrants are going to be for most part located in Australia).

Incidentally does anyone know if GST is payable on .au domain transactions with 
foreign based registrars?


cb