.ly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Introduced | 1988 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | LYNIC |
| Sponsor | General Post and Telecomunications Company |
| Intended use | Entities connected with Libya |
| Actual use | A random scattering of sites |
| Registration restrictions | Third-level subdomains have varying restrictions |
| Structure | Registrations have been made directly at the second level as well as at the third level beneath various second level labels |
| Documents | Regulations |
| Dispute policies | |
| Website | nic.ly |
- .ly is also the file name extension of the lilypond format.
.ly is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Libya.
It was apparently at one point open for registrations globally, directly at the second level, and there is a scattering of sites in it, some taking advantage of meanings of "ly" in various languages and place names as a suffix, as in ita.ly. These are known as domain hacks. There are not very many sites actually in Libya that use this domain[citation needed].
Currently, a lydomains.com site that formerly offered .ly domains for sale is abandoned and cybersquatted; according to the official registry site (nic.ly) it is no longer authorized as a registrar. The registry site promises that there will be multiple authorized registrars in the future, but at present only one, telephone carrier LTT.LY, exists.
LTT does not offer any means of registering domains online, but LTT's site does list one lone reseller, Libyan Spider Network, which does offer second and third-level .ly domains.
Second-level domains are sold at a substantially higher price: three times that of third-level .ly domain registrations.
According to the registration site, "any .LY domain names may be registered, except domains containing obscene and indecent names/phrases, including words of a sexual nature; furthermore domain names may not contain words/phrases or abbreviations insulting religion or politics, or be related to gambling and lottery industry or be contrary to Libyan law or Islamic morality."
The second-level domains which are officially open to third-level registrations are:
- .com.ly: Commercial services
- .net.ly: Internet-related services
- .gov.ly: Government and ministries
- .plc.ly: State-owned companies
- .edu.ly: Educational and training institutions
- .sch.ly: Schools
- .med.ly: Health-related services
- .org.ly: Non-profit organizations
- .id.ly: Individuals.
