Membership is FREE – with unlimited access to all features, tools, and discussions. Premium accounts get benefits like banner ads and newsletter exposure. ✅ Signature links are now free for all. 🚫 No AI-generated (LLM) posts allowed. Share your own thoughts and experience — accounts may be terminated for violations.
As I understand it you have to be a US citizen or company to register a .us domain. Does that also apply to the aftermarket? I'm a UK citizen and would like to buy an existing .us name - can I ?
No you don't need to be an American resident nor US based business. As I understand you must have legitimate business interest in the US but don't quote me on that :-X
I don't see how that can be policed. I have an American friend through whom I could buy the domain and then I'd simply make it private and use for my own purposes. Anyone see any problems with that?
You would likely get away with it if you answer the questions right including a US whois info. However, if a US citizen decided they wanted the name and reported the probable false information on the registration (ie. falsifying citizenship or US nexus), you would most likely lose the domain. As a personal site, maybe no big loss, but I certainly wouldn't build a business on it.
With a bit more resources and *some* determination from the registry, the rules can be enforced with no problem. (Just take a look at the RIAA's legal "shows".) But the bottom line is: we don't break the law just because we can, do we?
Depends upon whether you think domain registration as a law. The question has been answered though. Americans will get upset if I register a .us domain myself, so I'll register it through an American friend. Same outcome.
As I understand it you have to be a US citizen or company to register a .us domain. Does that also apply to the aftermarket? I'm a UK citizen and would like to buy an existing .us name - can I ?
I don't see how that can be policed. I have an American friend through whom I could buy the domain and then I'd simply make it private and use for my own purposes. Anyone see any problems with that?
Morally - yes, but it's a bit like the law that prohibits UK citizens parking on the pavement - wrong but done in every street!
Commercially - you don't even have to do that, it's done all of the time either by deception or by a wide interpretation of Nexus Category 3.