ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, has put into circulation a new transfer policy for generic domain names.

From now on, a registrant who initiates a transfer from one registrar to another will receive an email from the present registrar where they will need to confirm their transfer to the new company.

This update to the transfer policy is aimed at further protecting domain owners from unauthorized transfer attempts.

How does the new policy update amplify the existing transfer rules?

So far, every domain transfer initiating registrant has had to authorize the transfer request through a special link supplied by the new registrar (sent via the so-called ‘Initial Authorization for Registrar Transfer’ email, as per ICANN’s transfer policy).

To make sure that no unauthorized transfer request has managed to slip through the authorization email filter, ICANN has introduced another ‘bureaucratic’ procedure to the transfer policy.

According to the new transfer rules, the registrant will also receive an email from the Registrar of Record (i.e. the losing registrar), where they will be prompted to confirm that the transfer request is authorized by the domain owner through a special link – a procedure also known as a ‘Confirmation of Registrar Transfer Request’, as per ICANN’s transfer policy.

Here is how the transfer confirmation form will look like:

The registrant will be able to confirm the transfer request or reject it if, for some reason, it has not been authorized by them.

NOTE: If a registrant does not take any action with regard to the confirmation email within 3 days, the transfer request will be considered as ‘approved’.

Which domain names will the new transfer policy affect?

ICANN’s transfer policy is in force only for the generic top-level domain names that are overseen by ICANN itself – .COM. .NET, .ORG, .INFO and .BIZ.

As an ICANN-accredited registrar, we are bound by the new policy and have implemented it in our domain management system accordingly.

***

Hopefully, the new transfer policy update will be perceived by registrants more as a protective necessity than a ‘paperwork’ inconvenience and will be able to bring the number of disputed domain transfers to a minimum.