ARCHIVED - Common Look and Feel Standards - Crosswalk Table Policy Requirements - Cybersquatting

In order to maintain the integrity of government information and Web sites, GC organizations must protect their titles by registering domain names that include their title for the .com domain, as well as the .org and .net domains.

To help protect the unique identity and integrity of Government of Canada Web sites, the institution must register and maintain the registrations for its domain names in the gc.ca sub domain and, where required based on a risk-based assessment, any domain names that include its title and abbreviation in commonly used Internet top-level domains.

For multi-department sites, such as portals, gateways and clusters involving only Government of Canada partners, the lead institution must register and maintain the registrations of the name or abbreviation of the initiative in the gc.ca sub domain and, where feasible, in commonly used Internet top-level domains.

For collaborative sites, such as portals, gateways and clusters involving non-Government of Canada partners, the level of participation of various institutions and organizations determines whether an address in the gc.ca sub domain is warranted and, if so, the lead institution must register and maintain the registrations of the name or abbreviation of the initiative in an appropriate top-level domain and, where feasible, in other commonly used Internet top-level domains.

The institution must use only its domain names registered in the gc.ca sub domain for the purposes of advertising, marketing and promotion. In exceptional circumstances, a non-gc.ca address may be used, provided the authorization is obtained via the usual communications approval process in the institution.

Direction on the official languages obligations with regards to domain names is provided in the Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites and Appendix A to the Federal Identity Program policy establishes the order of elements. Instructions on registering domain names in the gc.ca sub domain are available from the GC.CA Domain Name Registrar.

The institution will facilitate the public's access to its Web sites by registering more intuitive addresses to supplement the existing address as specified by the Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites. For example, www.tbs-sct.gc.ca would meet the requirements of 1.1.1 and www.TreasuryBoardSecretariat.gc.ca and www.SecretariatduConseilduTresor.gc.ca would meet the requirements of 1.1.2. These unilingual addresses must resolve to the main menu page in the language used in the address.

Where a private individual or entity has registered a domain name with apparent bad-faith intent, the institution shall conduct a risk-based analysis to determine if it is appropriate to pursue the cybersquatter using the established redress provisions of the governing body that oversees the Internet domain in question.

Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites

The domain name of the welcome page: includes elements or acronyms in English and in French that appear in the prescribed order; or is a term with the same meaning and spelling in both official languages. "prescribed order" links to Domain name: When the two official languages must be used together, they appear in the following sequence: French first for an office or facility located in Quebec, and English first for an office or facility located elsewhere in Canada.

For example:
English - French: http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca
French - English: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/]; or is a term with the same meaning and spelling in both official languages.

Guidelines for Registration of Top Level Domain Names (July 2001)

No longer relevant.

Guidelines for .ca (October 2000)

No longer relevant