Lexology Getting the Deal Through - Domains & Domain Names 2020 - Switzerland

Lexology Getting the Deal Through - Domains & Domain Names 2020 - Switzerland

Registration and use of domains at CCTLD Registry

Which entity is responsible for registration of domain names in the country code top-level domain (ccTLD)?

The registry for the ccTLDs .ch (for Switzerland) and .li (for Liechtenstein) is handled by SWITCH, a foundation created under Swiss law. SWITCH has been entrusted with this task since the internet was first used in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It manages all domain names ending in .ch and .li in the global domain name system. SWITCH provides the services on behalf of the Swiss Confederation (Federal Office of Communications) and the Principality of Liechtenstein (Office for Communications).

SWITCH's resale partners, known as registrars, are responsible for selling domain names to customers. In January 2015, SWITCH stopped selling domain names and Switzerland now uses a system with registries and registrars (with a separation between them). A list of registrars approved by SWITCH can be found at www.nic.ch/registrars/. 

Moreover, the administration of the newly crafted gTLD .swiss is administered by the Swiss Confederation through the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), but reselling also occurs through approved registrars. A list of approved registrars can be found at www.dot.swiss. The gTLD.swiss is a specific ‘Swissness’ domain name aimed at promoting the ‘Switzerland brand’, and is only granted to legal entities with an established connection to Switzerland.

The chapter on domains & domain names for Switzerland was written by Dr Dirk Spacek. Please find below the complete article to download.

Accreditation: Reproduced with permission from Law Business Research Ltd. This article was first published in Lexology Getting the Deal Through – Domains & Domain Names (Published: March 2020). For further information please visit www.gettingthedealthrough.com.

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