ICANN | Advisory: OnlineNIC Transfer Issues Resolved

Customers of registrar OnlineNIC who had problems with previous transfer requests should now be able to transfer their domains to a different registrar if they wish.

ICANN is aware that some customers of OnlineNIC have been prevented from completing requested transfers and ICANN has been working with the relevant parties in an effort to resolve complaints.

OnlineNIC, Inc. had interpreted a court order to mean that OnlineNIC was prohibited from allowing any domain names registered under its accreditation to be transferred to a different registrar. Two new court orders issued on 13 May 2009 provide for a receiver to act in a limited capacity in order to facilitate the transfer process.

Any registrant that experienced difficulty recently with transferring domain names from OnlineNIC to another registrar should now be able to complete the transfer by contacting their preferred registrar. Once the transfer request is initiated, it is expected that OnlineNIC and its receiver will follow the procedure spelled out by the court to permit legitimate transfers to be processed within a few days of the request.

While transfers should be possible now, ICANN is not suggesting that registrants request transfers if they are satisfied with the service and functionality available through OnlineNIC.

ICANN will continue to monitor the situation. For additional information about domain name transfers please visit the FAQ page at http://www.icann.org/en/transfers/dnholder-faq-03nov04.htm.