By Alisa Rajamalar
In the digital age that we live in, domain names are considered an important part of brand building, and securing the right domain name is viewed as importantly as the protection of one’s trademark. Though domain names are often one of the first impressions of a brand to consumers online, it is not protected under trademark law. Thus, the onus lies on the business owners to strategically secure the registration of their domain name before it is nabbed by any other third party.
In Malaysia, domain name registrations are governed by the Malaysian Network Information Centre (MYNIC). Dispute resolution is administered in accordance to the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (DNDRP), the Rules of DNDRP and the Supplemental Rules whereas the proceeding is managed by the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), previously the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre of Arbitration (KLRCA). To maintain the independence of dispute resolutions, MYNIC does not participate in the proceedings.