Four years ago an American friend of mine purchased a .us
domain for me as a wedding present. A year later, when the domain renewal came up, she simply transferred the domain to me, and it has been registered, with my valid UK details, ever since.
On Wikipedia it lists the following under 'Restrictions on use of .us domains':
Under .US nexus requirements .US domains may be registered only by the following qualified entities:
- Any United States citizen or resident,
- Any United States entity, such as organizations or corporations,
- Any foreign entity or organization with a bona fide presence in the United States
The heading implies that there restrictions on the use of the domain, yet the section itself only refers to the registration of the domain, and says nothing about its use. Since it was originally registered by a U.S. citizen and then transferred to me (a UK citizen) later, is this still an issue? Am I breaking ICANN rules?
The main reason I ask is because the domain is set to become the basis of a new business venture, and I don't want to have the rug pulled out from under me.
NeuStar frequently conducts "spot checks" on registrant information.
Also, the term registered is considered continuous throughout the registration period. You should either transfer it back to your friend, or setupa bona fide presence in the United States
as Dave Lozier suggests to adequately fulfill that requirement. You'll need to update the registrant contact information afterwards of course, so be aware that some registrars only permit changes 90 days after a transfer or registrant contact information update occurs. – dan♦ Jul 17 '14 at 0:42