.np Nepali Domains: Free No More? New Law Means Cost & Rules

The Nepali government is planning to make major changes to how ‘.np’ website names (domains) are managed and registered. Currently, these domains are free and last forever after one registration.

A new law, called the “Information Technology and Cyber Security Bill,” was introduced in Parliament on Tuesday. If passed, it will bring in some big new rules:

Who’s in Charge Now?

The Department of Information Technology will take over full control of managing and regulating all .np domain names. Right now, a private company called Mercantile Communications has been doing this voluntarily. But soon, it will be completely under government control. The Department will be able to issue necessary instructions to make domain operations more reliable and secure.

New Rules for Registering a .np Domain

The new bill adds important conditions for registering a .np domain:

You won’t be allowed to register a domain name that is confusingly similar or identical to one already registered. This aims to stop people from taking advantage by using names that sound like or are very close to existing brands or identities.

While .np domains used to be free forever, you will now have to renew them every two years by paying a set fee. However, government bodies will be exempt from this renewal fee.

Protecting Important Names

The bill also proposes to protect certain important names, such as:

• Company names
• Names of geographical and tourist places
• Names of nationally famous people

These special names will only be allowed to be used by the relevant individuals or organizations.

What About Existing .np Domains?

Millions of people and organizations currently use .np domains. If this new law is passed, all current .np domain users will have six months from the date the law starts to re-register their domains under the new rules.