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Why was the Reserved List created?
To avoid the well-documented problems associated with cybersquatting,
Neustar and the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) decided
to set aside a variety of domain names for use by federal, state
and local government entities. Neustar and the DOC sought to
eliminate the nuisance of cybersquatters and ensure that federal,
state and local entities would be able to claim the .US names
that could be considered rightfully theirs.
The existence of the .US Reserved List ensures that only an
official associated with a government entity is able to register
a corresponding .US name. Neustar performs an important authentication
step to ensure that .US names are going to rightful registrants.
While this involves additional cost, it is an efficient mechanism
for ensuring that names are correctly matched with government
entities and not purchased by outside parties.
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How were the names on the .US reserved list selected?
To preserve the U.S. Government presence in the new expanded
.US space, Neustar and the Department of Commerce, working through
the Federal CIO Council among others, reserved second-level
domain names that correspond to the names used by the U.S. Government
in the .gov space, as well as other federal program and agency
names.
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What is a Permanent Reservation, and how does it compare
with the other three options?
A Permanent Reservation allows the rightful name holder to keep
their name(s) locked in the .US database forever. By making
a Permanent Reservation, the rightful name holder keeps their
name from being released into the generally available name pool
after the promotion concludes (90 calendar days for federal
entities).
Names placed on "Permanent Reservation" WILL NOT
be loaded into the Domain Name System (DNS), and WILL NOT resolve.
If the owner of a permanently reserved .US domain name later
decides to activate it, he/she would contact Neustar and pay
the full lifetime registration fee (lifetime registration mandatory
for all names formerly on "permanent reservation"
status). The name is then loaded into the DNS and will resolve.
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What are the benefits of Lifetime registration?
The Lifetime registration allows rightful name holders to register
their .US Reserved List domain name and pay a one-time charge
to have and use the name for life. The name will never need
to be renewed, and the name holder will never have to worry
about what happens to their web site if they forget to renew
the name. The Lifetime option is the most convenient and most
cost effective registration option for the rightful name holder
of a .US Reserved List name.
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How does a "Permanent Reservation" differ from
a "Lifetime Registration"?
Although a name that is on "Permanent Reservation"
status has been registered, it is not loaded into the Domain
Name System (DNS) and will not resolve to a website. If and
when you subsequently decide to use the name, you must contact
Neustar and pay the "Lifetime Registration" fee to
activate. Neustar will then change the name's status and load
the relevant information into the DNS so that the name will
resolve to a website. If, on the other hand, you purchase a
"Lifetime Registration," you can use your .US name
immediately and in perpetuity as a website address and/or email
address.
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What happens to the reserved name(s) Neustar has set aside
for me if I do not register it/them?
Federal government entities will have 90 days after receipt
of the initial email solicitation informing them of the availability
of their reserved .US names to confirm their interest in registering
the names. Once this promotional period has elapsed, all unregistered
names will be taken off the reserve list and will be available
for general registration.
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How long do I have to decide if I want to register my Reserved
List name(s)?
Federal government entities will have 90 calendar days from
the date they receive their initial email solicitation regarding
the availability of their reserved .US names to register the
names. The projected closing date for federal entities is December
9, 2002.
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Why is the registration timeframe longer for state and local
government entities than for federal entities?
Put simply, registration of federal .US names is done electronically,
while state, county, city and town registrations are done manually.
Federal government CIOs prepared the list of names that they
wanted and simply emailed them to the Department of Commerce,
who in turn passed them along to Neustar. Neustar has a very
targeted list of potential registrants among federal government
CIOs, so notifying them that their names are available (and
collecting registrations from them) will not be as time-consuming.
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I'd like to buy a .US name that isn't on the Reserved Names
list. How can I do this?
You may attempt to register any unlisted .US domain name by
logging on to www.getmy.us
and working with a Neustar-affiliated registrar. Be advised
that name registrations are sold on a "first come, first
served" basis on the site, and that your name(s) of choice
may not be available.
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How are Reserved List names different than names I could
purchase if I went to any domain name retailer?
Reserved List names are short, memorable second level names
that have been set aside specifically for the rightful name
holders, which in this case are government entities. For example,
before Neustar will hand over the domain name www.newyorkcity.us,
we need to validate that the person requesting the name is in
fact authorized to purchase this name on behalf of New York
City's government. This validation step is what sets the Reserved
List names apart from names that can be purchased by the public
on a "first come, first served" basis.
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What credit cards can I use for payment?
A valid MasterCard, American Express, Visa or Discover Card.
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Where do I begin the registration process?
First, decide if you want to register any or all of the reserved
names found at the bottom of the solicitation email(s) you have
received from Neustar. Further instructions about how to purchase
these names can be found on the registration form, which is
included as an email attachment.
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I'm interested in registering for a period of years not
specifically mentioned in your pricing/term options list. Can
I do this?
When you register a name from Neustar's .US reserved list, you
are only eligible to register for the stated time periods (lifetime,
five-year, three-year, permanent registration). Neustar adheres
to a "no refund" policy on all registered domain names,
fees are not prorated, and you cannot change the registration
term. If you registered your .US domain name for a term that
is longer than you had intended, you will contract the domain
name for use for the duration of that period.
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When my domain name is up for renewal, for what increments
of time can I renew?
After claiming and registering your .US name(s) from Neustar's
reserved list, you can renew as often as the name comes up for
renewal. You will receive a notification email before your domain
name registration expires, reminding you that you need to renew
the registration term.
Please note that a lifetime registration represents the best
value, as it reduces your per-year costs significantly and eliminates
the hassles of renewals.
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My credit card was declined or rejected during registration.
How can I register my reserved domain name(s)?
If you were unable to complete your registration due to a declined
or rejected credit card, please try to register the domain name
using a different credit card. Currently, a credit card is the
only means of payment we accept. Contact your bank or card vendor
for more information about why your credit card was declined
or rejected.
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Can Neustar send me a copy of the invoice for my domain
name registration?
The only invoice you will receive will come in the form of a
"Confirmation Statement" email, which will be sent
out automatically when Neustar processes your order. You may
want to print this page for your records upon receipt. Federal
entities will receive a confirmation email within seven (7)
business days.
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Why has Neustar not named any new delegated managers since
taking over .US?
No delegated managers have been authorized because Neustar is
not permitted at this time to do so under the terms of its DOC
contract.
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Why are your prices higher than those charged by other registrars
for .US domain names? Is Neustar looking to "profiteer"
from the names on the .US Reserved List?
Neustar is taking additional steps to authenticate registrants
of .US reserved names. Although the fees assessed are higher
than those normally charged by other registrars for "first
come, first served" registration of domain names, our verification
procedure enables localities to rightfully claim—and enjoy
total control over—their .US name(s).
The answer to the second question is "no." The names
on the reserved list are being held for government entities,
are not eligible for general "first come, first served"
registration, and are not subject to the price-gouging so common
in other Internet domains.
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My agency/department wants to purchase reserved .US names
via check. Who should be listed as the payee?
Neustar's preferred method of payment is via credit card, but
on an exception basis, checks will be accepted. Make checks
payable to Neustar, Inc., and mail it back with your completed
order to the address listed on the registration form.
.US
Federal Reserved Names Page 
