Nominet members vote for constitutional change

Nominet has hailed a defining moment for the UK domain name market

Nominet has voted to change its constitution in a bid to avoid heavy-handed regulation by the government. The .uk registry has billed the move as a defining moment for the UK domain name market.

Nominet announced the changes after an extraordinary general meeting in London yesterday to debate the proposals.

Each of the proposed changes received over 90 per cent of the member votes cast, and were made with the aim of ensuring that the organisation acts in the public interest, the company said.

The changes included making sure that Nominet has a well balanced board of directors with the ability to set prices for registrations and renewals, and that it works with its members to find a way for "other stakeholders to have a voice in business decisions and policy development".

Nominet chief executive Lesley Cowley explained that the announcement is the result of over 18 months of work to engage with its members.

"We believe that Nominet's members have proved their commitment to considering the needs of all stakeholders by reaffirming our public purpose, and ensuring that we are governed according to best practices," she said.

"By implementing in full all of the measures that respond to the government's concerns, we hope to demonstrate that the reserve powers will not be necessary. "

The powers in question were touted as part of the controversial Digital Economy Bill currently making its way through parliament.

The proposals state that a future secretary of state could take control away from Nominet if it is thought that the organisation is not acting in the best interests of the UK's internet stakeholders.