.uk domains: deadline to register expires on 25 June 2019

If you own a .co.uk (or a .org.uk, .me.uk, .net.uk, .plc.uk, or ltd.uk) domain, you may have the right to register the corresponding .uk domain but only until 25 June 2019. The .uk domain was launched in 2014 to provide a shorter alternative to existing .uk domains and to increase the number of domains available in the UK.

To avoid potential conflicts, any domain that had already been registered in the UK (eg as a .co.uk) was automatically reserved for a period of 5 years to allow the owner to register the corresponding domain as a .uk.

It means that if you own example.co.uk, you may have the right to register example.uk. That 5 year period ends at 6am on 25 June 2019.

From 1 July 2019, all reserved names that have not been registered will be made generally available. The owners of .co.uk and other .uk domains should consider the merits of acquiring the corresponding .uk domain before the deadline.

Those with interests in the UK should also consider whether they wish to try to acquire any .uk domains that become generally available on 1 July 2019 and bear in mind the potential availability of the .uk when considering which domains to acquire for the UK.

Further information, including a search function for reserved names, is available here. Background information on the .uk domain is available here.