Expired Domain Deletion Policy

ICANN's Expired Domain Deletion Policy (EDDP) outlines the circumstances under which a Registrar can or cannot delete a domain name registration that has not been renewed.

Overview

If a registrant has not renewed a registration by the conclusion of the registration period (including the second notice or reminder period), the registrar shall cancel the domain name registration by the end of the auto-renew grace period. However, the registrar can cancel the name earlier.

Extenuating circumstances that may forestall the cancellation include a UDRP action, valid court order, the registrar's failure to complete the renewal process, the domain name provides DNS services to third-parties, which may result in additional time, bankruptcy proceedings, a payment or billing dispute, or litigation in a court of competent jurisdiction.

To renew a domain name without the explicit consent of the registrant, the registrar must maintain a record of the extenuating circumstances associated with renewing that specific domain name for inspection by ICANN.

In the absence of extenuating circumstances, a domain name must be deleted within 45 days of the termination of the registration agreement.

Registrars must provide notice to each new registrant describing the details of their deletion and auto-renewal policy and display it clearly on their domain name registration website, as well as any fees for recovering a domain name during the redemption grace period.

In the event that a domain is deleted or expires during a UDRP dispute, the complainant in the UDRP dispute can renew or restore the name under the same commercial terms as the registrant. The name will be placed in Registrar HOLD and Registrar LOCK status, the WHOIS contact information will be removed, and the WHOIS entry will indicate that the name is subject to dispute until the dispute is resolved.

Enforcement

Contractual Compliance enforces all requirements in the EDDP, the Expired Registration Recovery Policy (ERRP), which complemented the EDDP requirements, and the domain registration expirations provisions in the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA). Enforcement actions result from complaints received from external users through the dedicated forms on ICANN Compliance's webpage, monitoring, and audits.

History

On December 21, 2004, the EDDP went into effect, revising the previous domain registration expiration provisions (Section 3.7.5) of ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Agreement.

Implications

Cases in which the EDDP, specifically, paragraph 3.7.5.7, has been invoked:

• Grundfos A/S v. Bridge Port Enterprises Limited (WIPO Case No. D2008-1263)
• LEGO Juris A/S v. store24hour (WIPO Case No. D2013-0091)
• VMWARE, Inc. v. Above.com Domain Privacy, Above.com / Domain Admin (WIPO Case No. D2015-1449)

Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy

World Intellectual Property Organization

Generic Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains and other responsibilities set forth in the Bylaws (ICANN Bylaws).