There is another way.... ;-)

>According to the NSW Department of Fair Trading, registering a
>business name in a dot com form doesn't add anything of value as the
>dot com bit is disregarded anyway.  Probably the same in other States.
>
>The registered owner of the domain name discount.com.au has the
>registered business name Discount Computer Suppliers.  So the
>registration  meets the normal policy requirements, no problem.
>
>What is important to me, though, is that without any publicity, the
>NSW Department of Fair Trading has increased their fees from 31 March
>2000.  Business names have increased from $100 to $114 each.
>
>With a nice laminated $5 certificate for your business name (needed
>for display), the total cost of a dot au domain name based on a
>business name in NSW is now $114 + $5 + $125 = $244.  The policy of
>pre-requisite business name is starting to get very expensive.
>
>Assuming they are available, the three US names will cost about A$110
>each and net au another A$125.  A Trade Mark is about $500 just for a
>single classification (hope you don't want more than one).  So to
>secure a single name can be quite a financial burden even at cost.
>Dot au names shouldn't be sold (another policy) but compensation may
>be paid.
>
>Personally I'm surprised at the size of the increase (14%) and the
>timing before GST is introduced on 1 July 2000.  Especially as the
>ACCC is beating the drum as a consumer watchdog to hold the line on
>pre-GST price increases.
>
>Does this mean the fees will go up again with the introduction of GST?
>
>Believe me, it's a bureaucratic nightmare.  And the Dept of Fair
>Trading in each State is full of people registering Business Names as
>a prerequisite for registering domain names.  I have no doubt that the
>Government's registration income has grown exponentially with the
>internet.  And that's easy to check.
>
>Why not just change registrants $200 or so and keep the extra hundred
>dollars?   And then introduce, and monitor, a separate rule to prevent
>cybersquatting if that's your intention?
>
>Not do it indirectly by delegating the regulatory activity to the
>Department of Fair Trading.
>
>
>Patrick Corliss
>patrick§quad.net.au
>QUAD Quality Addressing Pty Ltd
>Tel: 02-9740-9200
>
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