Wait Listing Service
Encyclopedia
A wait-listing service provided by a domain name registry
provides the ability to option a domain name
that is already registered. The option-holder then has the ability to have first rights to that domain name if the current registrant should cancel their registration.
Taking such an option is no guarantee a person will be able to register the domain name, merely that the person will be able to if the domain name becomes otherwise available. If the existing holder continues to renew his domain name, the option-holder will never get the domain through the procedure.
A move to introduce this service by ICANN
accredited registries drew fire in 2003 as anti-competitive. Currently domain name registrar
s provide a similar, non-guaranteed service by continually querying the registry if a domain name is available. If it should become available, the registrar quickly tries to register the domain to the new party. The consequence of this process is that, if multiple registrars are vying for the domain, the beneficiary of the new domain name may come down to luck and circumstance.
Domain name registry
A domain name registry is a database of all domain names registered in a top-level domain. A registry operator, also called a network information center , is the part of the Domain Name System of the Internet that keeps the database of domain names, and generates the zone files which convert...
provides the ability to option a domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
that is already registered. The option-holder then has the ability to have first rights to that domain name if the current registrant should cancel their registration.
Taking such an option is no guarantee a person will be able to register the domain name, merely that the person will be able to if the domain name becomes otherwise available. If the existing holder continues to renew his domain name, the option-holder will never get the domain through the procedure.
A move to introduce this service by ICANN
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
accredited registries drew fire in 2003 as anti-competitive. Currently domain name registrar
Domain name registrar
A domain name registrar is an organization or commercial entity, accredited by both ICANN and generic top-level domain registry to sell gTLDs and/or by a country code top-level domain registry to sell ccTLDs; to manage the reservation of Internet domain names in accordance with the guidelines of...
s provide a similar, non-guaranteed service by continually querying the registry if a domain name is available. If it should become available, the registrar quickly tries to register the domain to the new party. The consequence of this process is that, if multiple registrars are vying for the domain, the beneficiary of the new domain name may come down to luck and circumstance.