.CN now requires PAPER application!

[Anthony Ng]

According to CNNIC (the .CN registry), this may be the beginning of the end of .CN domain speculation:

In order to further enhance the authenticity, accuracy, and integrality of the domain name registration information, now notify as following:

1. Domain name applicants need to submit the formal paper based application material when making the online application to the registrar. The application material includes the original application form with business seal, company business license (photocopy), and registrant ID (photocopy).

2. Registrar should carefully review the application material. When application is deemed qualified, registrar need to submit the application material via fax or E-mail to CNNIC, and withhold the original application material.

3. From the day of the submission of online application, if CNNIC does not receive the formal paper based application material within 5 days or the application material auditing is not qualified, the domain name to be applied will be deleted.

4. The above regulations will be executed since 9:00AM (Beijing Time), Dec 14th, 2009.

Source: http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2009/12/12/5750.htm

[DNBA]

good maybe now they can stop sending spam that my .cn name is available for registration.

[snicksnack]

I think this will blow over. Once they have sorted out the porn websites and the registration numbers go down, they will still have the rule, but not enforce it.

Also you can still speculate on .CN, the market of end users might just be smaller, but in the end companies normally pay the big bucks and not individuals.

[Acro]

With every signed application you get a free copy of Mao's little red book

[snicksnack]

With every signed application you get a free copy of Mao's little red book

only for premium IDN.cn domains

[Seraphim]

good maybe now they can stop sending spam that my .cn name is available for registration.

I second that!

[DomainName]

first it was the outrageous Reg Fee Cost now its threats to take your name if you don't have a proper id...what's next with this extension.

[Acro]

first it was the outrageous Reg Fee Cost now its threats to take your name if you don't have a proper id...what's next with this extension.

It's China's version of capitalism.

[snicksnack]

first it was the outrageous Reg Fee Cost now its threats to take your name if you don't have a proper id...what's next with this extension.

The reg fee is still low and was extremely low in the last 2 years or so (1 RMB). They have mentioned that this will be for new registrations. They might later come around and apply this for existing registrations, but this is not the case for now.

[Acro]

The real question is, at which point does the registrant get arrested for not professing their love to the constitution?

[DomainName]

I'm referring to what they charge foreigners, which is A LOT more than 1 RMB. New registrations or not, this new rule is to pull names away from forgein investors.

[snicksnack]

it is the registrars charing you the high prices, not the registry. The registry does not have a price for chinese and another one for foreigners. Find the right registrar und you get the right price.

[DomainName]

let me guess...your registrar is the cheapest

[snicksnack]

no. If you want the cheapest I can point you in the right direction.

[zuriko]

I am afraid, next will be Russia!!

[katherine]

The registry does not have a price for chinese and another one for foreigners.

But the registry has different sets of rules according to whether you're Chinese or foreigner.

[alia]

Porn is just Chinese government's excuse to strengthen its control over Internet. One Chinese official claimed "We have never allowed individuals to register .CN domains." while over ten million registered .CN's had proved otherwise. In the meantime, Chinese domainers were bragging about 17.com being purchased by a Chinese domainer for more than one million (RMB, I believe). So, no, I don't think .CN domain speculation is going to an end. Chinese will be more than happy to see 17.cn also worth a million RMB.

[Anthony Ng]

Porn is just Chinese government's excuse to strengthen its control over Internet.

To be honest, the Chinese government has always been trying their best to control the Internet (at least within the jurisdiction of China), but then I also agree that porn and other illegal stuff (such as copyright infringing media download) need to be addressed.

If you are able to read the (Chinese) language, you may want to check out CNNIC's Chinese website, where a few more notices dated Dec 10 & 11 are posted. My understanding is that this latest strike is more a response to a CCTV news magazine report aired on Dec 9, which linked illegal online activities with false domain registration info.

For those who are not aware of it, investigative journalism in China has led to A LOT of reforms and prosecutions in the past decade.

[alia]

For those who are not aware of it, investigative journalism in China has led to A LOT of reforms and prosecutions in the past decade.

Long time no see, nameslave

I agree that CNNIC might have to do something to deal with the pressure, but why to overkill it? I believe it is again, the CCP's approach to kill two birds with one stone. Remember the "Green Dam" project? It's also in porn's name while over 70% of the censored keywords were NOT porn related.

In spite of the détente across the Taiwan Strait, each and every new .tw websites have been automatically blocked by the Chinese government since this April, and my daughter's Korean POP idol site was also blocked two months ago.

Today's China is even more backward than it was in 1989. The so called reform only happens in some economic departments. And guess what? 29 out of 30 Chinese billionaires are all children of CCP high-level officials.

Funny that you mentioned Chinese investigative journalism, as far as I know, most serious journalists' works on AIDS or environment or any "dark side" stories have been banned in China. Even the leading actress of the award winning film "Lust|Caution" is not allowed to act in China for her "lewd" performance...

No doubt China is much richer and more powerful than ever, but that's it.

-----

China Times (A local Taiwan newspaper):

After several P2P websites and hundreds of porn websites being forced to close, China is planning to put into practice a new "white list" Internet censorship. In the future, all foreign websites, except some major international websites, will be required to register to the Chinese authorities in order to be accessible to China.

.... The Chinese authorities will not resolve any unregistered domains, and all international domain names registered overseas will not be allowed to do any China related business...

–12/22/2009
http://news.chinatimes.com/2007Cti/2...200166,00.html

[Anthony Ng]

Long time no see, nameslave

...

Even the leading actress of the award winning film "Lust|Caution" is not allowed to act in China for her "lewd" performance...

No doubt China is much richer and more powerful than ever, but that's it.

Nice to see you here too, alia. To be honest, I'm not too sure if it's a good idea to discuss politics between friends; but to start with, I am more optimistic about China than you do, partly perhaps because I have seen WAY MUCH WORSE in the past.

But yes, it's a pity that they penalized Tang Wei, the lead actress in Lust, Caution, whose acting is VERY GOOD esp. as a newcomer.