This agreement (the “Agreement”) is between the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (“NIRA”) and you (the “Registrant”)
RECITALS
- NIRA has approved the application of the Registrant’s Registrar for either the registration of one or more Domain Names in the Registry in the name of the Registrant;
- This Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions which govern the registration in the Registry by NIRA of Domain Name(s) in the name of the Registrant from time to time pursuant to this Agreement (collectively, the “Domain Name Registrations” individually, a “Domain Name Registration”); and
- Capitalized terms used in this Agreement have the meaning given to them in this Agreement, including in Section 1.2.
In consideration of the registration by NIRA in the name of the Registrant of the Domain Name Registrations from time to time and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, NIRA and the Registrant agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1: INTERPRETATION
- Application. This Agreement between the Registrant and NIRA applies to all Domain Name Registrations made by the Registrant.
- Definitions. In this Agreement:
- “Account Information” means the user account and password (including any supplementary or substitute password issued by NIRA to the Registrant) information provided by NIRA, from time to time, to the Registrant for use in connection with Domain Name Registrations;
- “Activation” or “Activated” means the activation of a Domain Name Registration which shall be deemed to occur upon the activation time and date stated in the confirmation email sent by NIRA to the Applicant or Registrant confirming the activation of the Domain Name in the NIRA system;
- “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person who directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under direct or indirect common control with such Person, and includes any Person in like relation to an Affiliate. A Person is deemed to control another Person if such Person possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such other Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the term “controlled” has a corresponding meaning;
- “Agreement” means Sections 1-11 of this Agreement as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time;
- “Authorized Representative” in the case of a Registrant who is not an individual, means a representative of the Registrant who:
- is an employee of the Registrant;
- is a member of the board of directors of the Registrant;
- is a member of the board of governors of the Registrant; or
- has the association to bind the Registrant, provided such association is not limited to .ng domain name related matters.
- “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or any day on which banks are generally not open for business in the City of Lagos, Nigeria;
- “Domain Name” means a .ng domain name or sub-domain name;
- “Fees” means the fees payable to NIRA in connection with an application for a Domain Name and/or any renewal, transfer, and any other fees payable in connection with a Domain Name Registration in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. The fees which are payable by Registrars to NIRA are set forth in the document entitled Fees Policy as could be amended by NIRA from time to time;
- “Meeting” means a meeting of the Members of NIRA, called for any purpose;
- “Person” includes an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a trust, an unincorporated organization, association or club, the government of a country or any political subdivision thereof, or any agency or department of any such government, any of the individuals or entities listed in the Nigerian Presence Requirements for Registrants (as defined in the applicable Registry PRP) and the executors, administrators or other legal representatives of an individual in any of such capacities;
- “Registrant’s Registrar” means each Registrar which is authorized to apply on behalf of the Registrant, in accordance with the Registry PRP for the registration of a Domain Name and the renewal, transfer, modification and cancellation of, and to effect other requests and transactions with respect to, a Domain Name Registration, including any Registrar which is the Registrar of Record in the Registry for a Domain Name Registration;
- “Registrars” means the Persons from time to time certified by NIRA to offer Domain Name Registration services within the .ng Internet Domain Name system in accordance with the Registry PRP; and
- “Registry” means the .ng Internet Domain Name registry operated by NIRA.
- “Registration Information” means all information which the applicable Registry PRP require the Registrant to submit to NIRA or the Registrant’s Registrar to obtain a Domain Name Registration, any renewal, transfer, cancellation or modification of a Domain Name Registration or any other request or transaction with respect to a Domain Name Registration and all other information concerning the Domain Name Registration which appears in NIRA’s web-based look-up directory system (the “WHOIS”); and
- “Registry PRP” means the NIRA policies, rules, and procedures relating to registrants, Registrars, and Domain Name registrations as may be amended or adopted by NIRA from time to time and posted on NIRA’s website, including, without limitation, applications for Domain Name registrations and other transactions relating to Domain Name registrations.
ARTICLE 2: REGISTRATIONS OF DOMAIN NAMES; TRANSFERS, RENEWALS, MODIFICATIONS AND CANCELLATIONS OF DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATIONS BY THE REGISTRANT; CHANGES OF REGISTRARS; CHANGE OF REGISTRANTS
- Registrations of Domain names.
- The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that applications for the registration of a Domain Name shall be made to NIRA only by the Registrant’s Registrar on behalf of the Registrant in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP.
- Complete applications for the registration of a Domain Name shall be processed by NIRA and Domain Names shall be registered by NIRA, in each case in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. NIRA, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to reject any application for the registration of a Domain Name and refuse to register any Domain Name for any reason whatsoever with no liability of NIRA whatsoever to the Registrant, the Registrant’s Registrar or any other Person. NIRA will give notice to the Registrant’s Registrar by email if NIRA so rejects such application.
- The Registrant shall, in each application for registration of a Domain Name, through the Registrant’s Registrar, select a registration period for the registration of a Domain Name from one (1) to five (5) years from the date of the registration of the Domain Name (the “Registration Period”). NIRA may, at its option, extend the Registration Period of any Domain Name Registration for such further period as NIRA may determine, at no additional charge to the Registrant’s Registrar, by giving notice to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar.
- Renewals, Transfers, Modifications, Cancellations and Other Transactions.
- The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that a renewal, transfer, modification or cancellation of, and any other request or transaction with respect to, a Domain Name Registration shall be made either
- by the Registrant’s Registrar with respect to such Domain Name Registration on behalf of the Registrant in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP in force at the time of receipt by NIRA of any completed application or request for the renewal, transfer, modification or cancellation of a Domain Name Registration or other request or transaction with respect to a Domain Name Registration; or
- by the Registrant submitting information with respect to the renewal, transfer, modification, cancellation or other transaction directly to NIRA, as such may be permitted by NIRA. NIRA will notify the Registrant’s Registrar of any renewal, transfer, modification, cancellation or other transaction, except for NIRA membership related transactions, made by the Registrant submitting information directly to NIRA.
- Notwithstanding Section 2.2 (i) above, the Registrant agrees that Membership Information may be created, modified and cancelled only by sending a request directly to NIRA.
- The Registration Period of any Domain Name Registration may be renewed for a period of one to five years as selected by the Registrant through the Registrant’s Registrar in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP.
- The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that a renewal, transfer, modification or cancellation of, and any other request or transaction with respect to, a Domain Name Registration shall be made either
- Changes of Registrar.
- The Registrant may change its Registrant’s Registrar with respect to a Domain Name Registration after the date of Activation, at any time in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that it shall continue to be bound by its obligations under its agreement with its original Registrar in accordance with such agreement.
- In the event that a Registrant’s Registrar is no longer a Registrar, has had its certification as a Registrar suspended, revoked or terminated, or in the event the registrar agreement between NIRA and the Registrant’s Registrar (the “Registrar Agreement”) is terminated or expires, the Registrant shall be responsible for changing such Registrant’s Registrar to a new Registrar in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP within thirty (30) days of the earlier of notice thereof being given to the
Registrant by (a) the Registrant’s Registrar or (b) NIRA in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP; provided, however, that if any of the Registrant’s Domain Name Registrations are scheduled to expire within thirty (30) days of the giving of such notice, then the Registrant shall have an additional thirty (30) days from the anniversary date of such registration to register with a new Registrar. If the Registrant wishes to renew such Domain Name Registration, the Registrant will be required to do so through its new Registrant’s Registrar in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP.
- Right of NIRA to Verify Information and Compliance.
NIRA is entitled at any time during the Term (as defined in Section 5.1) to verify the accuracy and completeness of any information provided by the Registrant to NIRA, whether directly, through any of the Registrant’s Registrars or otherwise, including without limitation, the information provided by the Registrant him or herself or through any of the Registrant’s Registrars in any application to NIRA for the registration of a Domain Name or in connection with the transfer, renewal, modification, maintenance or cancellation of a Domain Name Registration and any other request or transaction with respect to a Domain Name Registration (collectively, the “Applications”) and, the compliance by the Registrant with the provisions of the Agreement including, without limitation, the applicable Registry PRP, and the terms and conditions of use of NIRA’s web site as set out in the Legal Notice (as defined in Section 3.1(o)). The Registrant shall cooperate with NIRA in connection with such verification which shall be conducted in such manner as is deemed reasonable by NIRA and in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP, and shall give and shall cause the Registrant’s Registrar to give NIRA and its agents and representatives such assistance and access to and copies of such information and documents in any or all media regarding, and access to the premises of, the Registrant as NIRA may reasonably request in order to enable NIRA to complete such verification. NIRA shall be responsible for its own expenses incurred in connection with any such verification and the Registrant shall be responsible for any expenses the Registrant incurs in complying with this Section 2.4. The Registrant agrees to promptly execute and deliver to NIRA any authorizations required to permit the verifications of NIRA under this Section 2.4. If NIRA decides to verify and/or
confirm information and/or compliance, NIRA may proceed as follows:- Send an email to the Registrant and/or the Registrant’s Registrar advising that the Registrant shall supply NIRA, either directly or via the Registrant’s Registrar, with valid information, as determined by NIRA in its sole and absolute discretion (the “Requested Information”) as set forth in the email within 7 days from the time and date of the email.
- If NIRA has not received the Requested Information within the 7 days, NIRA will send a second email to the Registrant and/or the Registrant’s Registrar advising that the Registrant shall submit the Requested Information to NIRA, via the Registrant’s Registrar, within 7 days of the time and date of the second email, otherwise the Registrant’s Domain Name Registration(s) will be suspended for 60 days.
- If NIRA has not received the Requested Information upon the expiry of the second 7 day period, NIRA will suspend the Domain Name and send an email to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar notifying them of the suspension and notifying them that upon the expiry of the suspension period if NIRA has not received the Requested Information, NIRA will cancel the Domain Name Registration(s) and terminate the Registrant Agreement.
- If NIRA has not received the Requested Information upon the expiry of the suspension period, NIRA will cancel the Domain Name Registration(s), terminate the Registrant Agreement and send an email to the Registrant and Registrant’s Registrar notifying them of the cancellation and termination. The Registrant may, at any time before the expiry of the suspension period, submit the Requested Information, either directly or via the Registrant’s Registrar, to NIRA.
- Right of NIRA to Verify Information and Compliance in Person.
In addition to, or as an alternative to, asking for the Requested Information, NIRA may at any time, in its discretion, also request that the Registrant attend in person at NIRA’s offices, or elsewhere as reasonably determined by NIRA, for an interview in order to verify the accuracy and completeness of information. If the Registrant fails or refuses to attend such an interview or attends but fails or refuses to provide satisfactory answers to NIRA’s request for information, or provides inaccurate information in response to such a request, NIRA may, upon reasonable notice to the Registrant and Registrant’s Registrar, suspend the Registrant’s Domain Name Registration(s) or cancel the Registrant’s Domain Name Registration(s) and terminates the Registrant Agreement, as NIRA deems appropriate in its sole discretion. - User Information.
NIRA will issue Account Information from time to time to the email address in the Registration Information for the Registrant or for the person identified in the Registration Information as the Administrative Contact for the Registrant’s Domain Name Registration(s) (the “Administrative Contact”). The Account Information shall be used only by the Registrant, or the Administrative Contact, to confirm the identity of the Registrant to NIRA and for other purposes as permitted pursuant to the applicable Registry PRP. The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that until the Registrant notifies NIRA that the Account Information may have fallen in to the hands of an unauthorized user, the use of the Account Information by any Person is deemed use by the Registrant. - Registrar As Agent.
The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that the Registrant’s Registrar is deemed to be authorized to act as the Registrant’s agent in connection with Domain Name Registrations, but not the Registrant’s NIRA Membership. Further, the Registrant acknowledges and agrees that the Registrant’s Registrar may, in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP:- make changes to the Administrative Contact details at any time without having to comply with the change of critical information approval process (as set out in the applicable Registry PRP), provided the Registrant has granted the Registrant’s Registrar the association to do so AND HAS NOT REVOKED SAID ASSOCIATION. If the Registrant has two or more Registrars, only one of the Registrant’s Registrars may be granted said association. The Registrant may at any time revoke said association or provide said association to another of the Registrant’s Registrars;
- cancel, on behalf of the Registrant the Domain Name Registration within seven (7) Days of Activation for whatever reason and without the Registrant’s consent; and
- cancel, on behalf of the Registrant, a renewal term for the Domain Name Registration, provided the renewal term has not yet commenced.
- Administrative Contact as Agent.
Except as provided in sections 2.10 to 2.12 below, the Registrant acknowledges and agrees that the Administrative Contact and any person who uses the Account Information or who sends or receives emails from the Administrative Contact’s email address as identified in the Registration Information for a Registrant and Domain Name Registration(s), is authorized by the Registrant to be NIRA’s only contact for the Registrant and the Domain Name Registration(s) and is recognized by NIRA and authorized by the Registrant to take any and all actions in connection with the Domain Name Registration(s) including, without limitation, transferring it to another Person or obtaining the Account Information for the Registrant or replacement of the Account Information. - Administrative Contact Email Address.
The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that all NIRA notices to the Registrant, other than as provided in sections 2.10 and 2.11 below, (in this Agreement, the Registry PRP, and NIRA’s constitution) will be sent by email to the Registrant’s Administrative Contact email address as listed in the Registration Information only. The Registrant further acknowledges and agrees that any reference to notices sent to the “Registrant(s),” or “Applicant(s),” in this Agreement, the applicable Registry PRP, and NIRA’s constitution shall mean that the notices will only be sent to the Registrant’s Administrative Contact. It is the responsibility of the Registrant to ensure that the Administrative Contact’s email address is at all times functional and accurate and to make arrangements with its Administrative Contact to receive any and all notices sent by NIRA to the Registrant’s Administrative Contact. - Members and Membership Representative.
The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that:- any Registrant who is an individual and who is, or becomes, a Member of NIRA will provide to NIRA an email address, phone number(s) and/or other contact information for Membership purposes;
- any Registrant who is not an individual and who is, or becomes, a Member of NIRA shall, in a manner prescribed by NIRA, appoint a Membership Representative and shall provide to NIRA an email address, phone number(s) and other contact information for the Membership Representative; and
- the Registrant, in the case of a Registrant described in section 2.10(a), or the Membership Representative, in the case of a Registrant described in section 2.10(b), will be NIRA’s only contact for all matters related to the Registrant’s Membership in NIRA, to receive notices sent to Members on behalf of the Registrant and to attend and vote at Meetings.
- Member Contact Email and Membership Representative Contact Email.
The Registrant acknowledges that all notices sent to the Registrant by NIRA in relation to Membership in NIRA, (pursuant to this Agreement, the Registry PRP and NIRA’s constitution) will be sent by email to the Registrant’s Member email address (for individual Registrants) or to the Registrant’s Membership Representative email address (for non-individual Registrants ). It is the responsibility of the Registrant to ensure that the Member email address or Membership Representative’s email address, as the case may be, is at all times functional and accurate.
ARTICLE 3: CERTAIN REGISTRANT OBLIGATIONS
- Certain Registrant Obligations.
Throughout the Term of this Agreement, the Registrant shall:- comply with and abide by all applicable Registry PRP (all of the applicable Registry PRP can be found at http://www.nira.org.ng);
- in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP, submit to NIRA through the Registrant’s Registrar or to NIRA directly, if NIRA, at its complete discretion and sole option, deems it appropriate, all Registration Information which NIRA may require;
- promptly give notice to NIRA, of any change to any Registration Information, such notice to be given either through the Registrant’s Registrar or, in exceptional cases, to NIRA directly;
- in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP, submit to NIRA all Membership Information, pertaining to the Registrant, which NIRA may require;
- promptly give notice to NIRA of any change to the Membership Information pertaining to the Registrant;
- comply with and observe all international, federal, state and local laws and regulations and other laws of applicable governmental authorities relating to the Registrant’s Domain Name Registration(s) (“Applicable Laws”);
- prior to providing any Registration Information to NIRA through the Registrant’s Registrar or directly to NIRA if permitted or requested by NIRA, obtain the written consents of individuals whose personal information will be held in the Registry where required by Applicable Laws;
- at all times ensure that the Registration Information is complete, accurate, and in compliance with the applicable Registry PRP and this Agreement, communicate to the Registrant’s Registrar (for communication to NIRA) any changes to the Registration Information and promptly confirm to NIRA when NIRA so requests in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP that the Registration Information is complete and accurate;
- immediately give notice to NIRA of any pending or threatened claim, demand, action, cause of action, proceeding, lawsuit, investigation or application (“Claim”) in relation to any Domain Name Registration (or any judicial requests or orders to produce documents or information obtained from or supplied to the Registry) that became known to the Registrant;
- not engage in any direct or indirect activity which in NIRA’s opinion is designed to bring, or may bring, the Registry into disrepute, is designed to interfere, or may interfere, with NIRA’s operations or designed to expose, or may expose, NIRA to prosecution or to legal action by the Registrant or a third party including, but not limited to, any of the following kinds of activities:
- directly or indirectly, defaming or contributing to the defamation of any other Person,
- unlawfully discriminating or contributing to the unlawful discrimination of any other Person; or
- committing any other actionable wrong against any other Person including, without limitation, any other infringement of the Person’s rights;
- act in good faith towards NIRA;
- not allow any third party to use or operate any Domain Name Registration registered in the name of the Registrant and not register any Domain Name as agent for, or on behalf of, any third party in any manner whatsoever, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, for purposes of lending, leasing, licensing or otherwise granting rights in such Domain Name Registration to any third party for monetary or non-monetary consideration unless such third party:
- otherwise qualifies under the applicable Registry PRP; or
- is an Affiliate of the Registrant.
For this purpose, “third party” means any Person other than NIRA and the Registrant;
- be wholly responsible for the use and operation of any third, fourth, or further sub-level domain to any second level Domain Name Registration in the Registrant’s name and the Registrant shall ensure that the use and operation of any such sublevel domain is conducted in compliance with this Agreement;
- not use any trade-mark, trade-name or symbol of NIRA or any trademark, trade-name or symbol likely to be confused therewith;
- be wholly responsible for taking, or ensuring that the Registrant’s Registrar for a Domain Name Registration takes, all necessary steps to renew the Domain Name Registration in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP;
- ensure all fees payable to the Registrant’s Registrar or, if applicable, the Registrant’s former Registrar, for registering, transferring, renewing, or a combination thereof any or all of the Registrant’s Domain Name Registrations, have been paid when due; and
- comply with and abide by the terms and conditions for the use of NIRA’s website as set out in the “Legal Notice” on NIRA’s website.
- Fees.
The Registrant acknowledges that the Registrant’s Registrar is obligated to pay Fees. The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that, should there be insufficient funds prepaid by any Registrant’s Registrar in the NIRA deposit account to be applied in payment of any Fees, NIRA may in its sole discretion stop accepting applications for Domain Name Registrations from such Registrant’s Registrar, stop effecting registrations of Domain Names and transfers, renewals, modifications and cancellations of Domain Name Registrations requested by such Registrant’s Registrar and stop performing other billable transactions requested by such Registrant’s Registrar not paid in full and NIRA may:- terminate the Registrar Agreement between NIRA and such Registrant’s Registrar; and
- cancel or suspend the relevant Domain Name Registration in accordance with Article 6 hereof.
- No Conflict.
The Registrant shall not enter into any agreement with any Registrar or any other Person that is inconsistent with, or in any way, modifies, affects, overrides, limits, contradicts or cancels the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the applicable Registry PRP. To the extent that the provisions of any such agreement with the Registrant’s Registrar contravene the provisions of this Agreement and the applicable Registry PRP, the Registrant hereby agrees that the provisions of this Agreement and the applicable Registry PRP shall prevail and be binding on the Registrant for the benefit of NIRA
ARTICLE 4: REGISTRATION INFORMATION
- Consent to Use of Registration Information.
The Registrant hereby grants to NIRA the right to disclose to third parties through the Registry the following information:- each Domain Name Registration in the name of the Registrant;
- the Registrant’s name, postal address, email address(es), telephone number(s), and, where available, fax number(s);
- the Registrant’s name and the Registrant’s registrant number as assigned by NIRA;
- each Domain Name Registration and domain number for each Domain Name Registration as assigned by NIRA;
- the description field which the Registrant or the Registrant’s Registrar filled out during the registration process describing the Registrant or the Registrant’s business;
- the Registrant’s “Pretty Good Privacy” (“PGP”) public encryption key, if the Registrant elects to use PGP encrypted email when communicating with NIRA;
- the Registrant’s Membership status;
- the name(s), postal address(es), email address(es), telephone number(s) and where available, the fax number(s) of the Registrant’s Membership Representative, in the case of Registrants who are not individuals;
- the name(s), postal address(es), email address(es), telephone number(s) and where available, the fax number(s) of the Member, in the case of Registrants who are individuals;
- the name(s), postal address(es), email address(es), telephone number(s) and where available, the fax number(s) of the technical contact and Administrative Contacts for each Domain Name Registration;
- the Internet Protocol Number of the primary name server and secondary name server(s) for each Domain Name Registration;
- the corresponding names of those name servers;
- the registration date and the last changed date of each Domain Name Registration;
- whether the Domain Name Registration has been suspended or is in the process of being transferred;
- the expiration date of each Domain Name Registration of the Registrant; and
- the name of the Registrant’s Registrar responsible for each Domain Name Registration.
- Personal Information of Registrant.
Except as set forth in this Agreement or the applicable Registry PRP, personal information pertaining to the Registrant belongs to the Registrant and shall not be collected or used by NIRA except for the reasonable purposes of the operation of the Registry and the implementation, execution, and enforcement of the applicable Registry PRP or in accordance with Applicable Laws or the terms of an order, ruling, decision or judgment of a court, tribunal, board, administrative body or commission. - WHOIS.
The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that NIRA has no control over how any member of the public uses the information disclosed by NIRA through the WHOIS database whether or not the information is subject to domestic or foreign privacy laws.
ARTICLE 5: TERM
- Term.
The term of this Agreement (the “Term”) shall commence effective upon the date that the Registrant enters into this Agreement with NIRA and shall continue in force unless terminated as set out herein.
ARTICLE 6: RIGHTS AND REMEDIES OF NIRA AND THE REGISTRANT
- Restrictions on Domain Name Registrations.
NIRA may, in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP or if it deems it necessary, in its sole discretion and at its sole option, restrict the Registrant’s ability to renew or transfer any or all of the Registrant’s Domain Name Registrations. NIRA may also restrict the Registrant’s ability to merge the Registrant’s Domain Name Registrations or Registration Information with any other Domain Name Registrations or Registrant, at any time and for any reason whatsoever. - Cancellation within 7 Days.
NIRA may, upon the Registrant’s Registrar’s request, acting on behalf of the Registrant and in accordance with applicable Registry PRP, cancel the Domain Name Registration within seven (7) Days of Activation without the Registrant’s consent and for any reason whatsoever. NIRA shall notify the Registrant if a Domain Name Registration has been cancelled pursuant to this provision. - Cancellation within 30 Days.
NIRA may, in its sole discretion and its sole option, cancel a Domain Name Registration for any reason whatsoever within 30 days after the date the Domain Name Registration is Activated with no liability of NIRA to the Registrant, the Registrant’s Registrar or any other Person by giving notice to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar. - Cancellation Due to Non-Payment of Fees to Registrar.
NIRA may, in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP, cancel a Domain Name Registration if the Registrant fails or failed to pay to the Registrant’s Registrar or former Registrant’s Registrars, when due, any fees for registration, transfer, and/or renewal of Domain Name Registrations. - Cancellation by NIRA of Domain Name Registrations.
NIRA may, in its sole discretion and at its sole option, in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP, cancel a Domain Name Registration in the event that:- the Registration Information concerning such Domain Name Registration contains false, misleading, or inaccurate information;
- the Registrant’s Registrar fails to pay to NIRA when due any Fees payable by the Registrant’s Registrar with respect to a Domain Name Registration under the Registrar Agreement or the Registry PRP;
- the Registrant breaches any term of this Agreement or any of the Registry PRP or any terms and conditions of the Legal Notice;
- the Registrant at any time fails to meet the Nigerian Presence Requirements for Registrants for closed SLDs;
- the Registrant disrupts or abuses NIRA’s Registry services as determined by NIRA in its sole discretion, acting reasonably;
- the Registrant allows any third party to use or operate any Domain Name Registration or registers a Domain Name as agent for, or on behalf of, a third party in any manner whatsoever which contravenes Section 3.1(l) of this Agreement; or
- the Registrant provides false or misleading information in relation to Membership in NIRA or fails or refuses to respond fully to any request by NIRA for information in relation to Membership in NIRA. and, in any such event, the Registrant fails, within five (5) Business Days after the receipt of a notice from NIRA to remedy the event. The Registrant agrees to promptly give notice to NIRA of the occurrence of any of the events listed in Sections 6.5(a) and 6.5 (c) to
- NIRA will give no less than thirty (30) days’ notice to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar of any cancellation of a Domain Name Registration under this Section 6.5.
- Cancellation, Transfer and Suspension in Particular Circumstances.
NIRA may, in its sole discretion and at its sole option, in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP, immediately cancel or transfer a Domain Name Registration or suspend a Domain Name Registration, for such time period as NIRA may determine in its sole discretion, in the following circumstances, by giving notice to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar:- circumstances where maintaining the Domain Name Registration would put NIRA in conflict with requirements of Applicable Laws, including, without limitation, applicable federal, state or local human rights legislation or the Criminal Code (Nigeria), or the terms of an order, ruling, decision or judgment of a court, tribunal, board, administrative body, commission or arbitrator including, without limitation, an order, ruling, decision or judgment of the Human Rights Commission of the government of Nigeria;
- circumstances where the cancellation, transfer or suspension of a Domain Name Registration is required by an order or decision under NIRA’s Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy as set out in the applicable Registry PRP or an order, ruling, judgment or decision of a court, tribunal, board, administrative body, commission or arbitrator; and
- circumstances where the registration or use of the Domain Name Registration conflicts with applicable Registry PRP;
- the Registrant engages in any direct or indirect activity which in NIRA’s opinion is designed to bring, or may bring, the Registry into disrepute, designed to interfere, or may interfere, with NIRA’s operations or is designed to expose, or may expose, NIRA to prosecution or to legal action by the Registrant or a third party including, but not limited to, any of the following kinds of activities:
- directly or indirectly, defaming or contributing to the defamation of any other Person,
- unlawfully discriminating or contributing to the unlawful discrimination of any other Person, or
- committing any other actionable wrong against any other Person including, without limitation, any other infringement of the Person’s rights; or
- Suspension of Domain Name Registrations to Preserve Integrity of the Registry.
NIRA may, in its sole discretion following procedures NIRA deems appropriate from time to time, suspend a Domain Name Registration for such period of time as NIRA may determine in the event that NIRA, acting reasonably, considers that such suspension is necessary to preserve and protect the integrity and the rights and interests of any of the Registry, the Registrant, the Registrant’s Registrar, other registrants or Registrars and/or third parties. - Suspension May Precede Cancellation.
Prior to canceling any Domain Name Registration pursuant to Section 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, or 6.6, NIRA may, in its sole discretion, first suspend the Domain Name Registration for such period as NIRA may determine in its sole discretion. NIRA shall give notice of the suspension to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar in accordance with the respective Section and the applicable Registry PRP. The time period of the suspension may be extended at any time by NIRA in its sole discretion. - Suspension and Cancellation for Failure to Renew.
A Domain Name Registration shall be cancelled by NIRA for failure to renew the Domain Name Registration in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. The Domain Name Registration shall first be suspended for failure to renew in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. NIRA shall give notice of the suspension to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. During the period of suspension as prescribed by the applicable Registry PRP, the Registrant may at
any time renew the suspended Domain Name Registration by complying with the applicable Registry PRP with respect to renewals. The Domain Name Registration shall be cancelled by NIRA in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP if the Registrant fails to renew such Domain Name Registration during the period of suspension. - Suspension and Cancellation for Failure to Confirm Registration Information.
NIRA may in its sole discretion and at its sole option immediately suspend a Domain Name Registration for failure by the Registrant or the Registrant’s Registrar to confirm the accuracy and completeness of Registration Information which NIRA requests be confirmed in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. During the period of suspension as prescribed by the applicable Registry PRP, the Registrant may at any time reactivate the suspended Domain Name Registration by confirming the Registration Information in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. If a Registrant fails to confirm the Registration Information in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP within the period of suspension prescribed by the applicable Registry PRP, NIRA may, in its sole discretion, cancel the Domain Name Registration in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP on no less than thirty (30) days’ notice to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar. - Suspension or Cancellation by Registrant.
The Registrant may at any time, through the Registrant’s Registrar, request NIRA to suspend or cancel a Domain Name Registration, and NIRA shall comply with such request, in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. The Registrant’s Registrar shall not be entitled to any refund of any Fees in such event. A Domain Name Registration which the Registrant requested be suspended may be reactivated at any time by the Registrant in accordance with the applicable Registry PRP. - Effect of Suspension.
During any period in which a Domain Name Registration has been suspended pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement:- the Domain Name Registration will not be included in the list of Domain Name Registrations transferred on a daily basis to the Registry’s primary domain name server;
- an Internet user will not be able to send an email or access a web page which incorporates such Domain Name Registration;
- NIRA will continue to list such suspended Domain Name Registration in the WHOIS look up system of the Registry and the WHOIS look up system will indicate that the Domain Name Registration has been suspended;
- NIRA may reactivate the suspended Domain Name Registration at any time in its sole discretion; and
- NIRA may extend the period of suspension at any time for such period as NIRA may determine in its sole discretion.
- Effect of Cancellation of a Domain Name Registration.
Upon the cancellation by NIRA of a Domain Name Registration pursuant to this Agreement:- the Registrant will no longer be entitled to the use of such Domain Name Registration;
- the Domain Name Registration will be deleted from the Registry and will be available for registration in the name of another Person;
- an Internet user will not be able to send an email or access a web page which incorporates such Domain Name;
- NIRA will list the cancelled Domain Name Registration as available in its WHOIS look up system; and
- Prohibition on New Registrations.
If the Registrant breaches the Registrant’s obligations contained in Section 3.1(l) of this Agreement prohibiting the use by Persons other than the Registrant of a Domain Name Registration and the registration of Domain Names by a Registrant as agent for, or on behalf of, any third party:- NIRA may, in its sole discretion following procedures NIRA deems appropriate from time to time, prohibit the Registrant, by giving seven (7) days notice thereof to the Registrant, from registering any new Domain Names for a period of up to one (1) year from the date of such notice; and
- if the Registrant is also a Registrar, the Registrar shall be deemed to have breached its Registrar Agreement with NIRA and NIRA may then revoke the Registrar’s certification and terminate the provisions of the Registrar Agreement with NIRA.
- Termination of Agreement by NIRA.
NIRA may, in its sole discretion and at its sole option, terminate this Agreement by giving notice thereof to the Registrant (such termination to be effective on the date specified by NIRA in the notice) in the event that:- the Registrant breaches any term of this Agreement or any of the applicable Registry PRP;
- the Registrant disrupts or abuses NIRA’s registry services as determined by NIRA in its sole discretion, acting reasonably;
- all of the Domain Name Registrations registered in the name of the Registrant have been cancelled or have expired;
- the Registrant allows any other Person to use or operate any Domain Name Registration or applies to register a Domain Name as agent for, or on behalf of, a third party in any manner whatsoever which contravenes Section 3.1(l) of this Agreement; or and, in any such event, the Registrant fails within seven (7) calendar Days after the receipt of the notice from NIRA to remedy the event. NIRA will give no less than thirty (30) days notice to the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar of the termination under this Section 6.15.
- Termination Due to Dissolution, Bankruptcy, Amalgamation, Change of Name etc.
In the event that:- the Registrant is insolvent or bankrupt or subject to the provisions of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Nigeria) or any other similar legislation of any jurisdiction, or makes a proposal under such legislation, or goes into liquidation, either voluntarily or under an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
- the Registrant ceases to carry on business in the normal course, dissolves or is wound up;
- a receiver or other official having similar functions is appointed over a substantial portion of the assets of the Registrant; or
- the Registrant amalgamated with another Person, changed its name, or ceased to exist as the Person listed in the WHOIS; then NIRA may in its sole discretion and at its sole option terminate this Agreement and cancel the Registrant’s Domain Name Registration(s) by giving no less than seven (7) days notice to the Registrant.
For greater certainty, if any of the foregoing events occur, in no event shall any receiver, trustee, creditor or other Person have any right whatsoever to the Domain Name Registration(s).
- Termination by Registrant.
The Registrant shall be entitled (through the Registrant’s Registrar) to terminate this Agreement at any time
by giving thirty (30) days notice to NIRA. - Registrations of Cancelled Domain Names.
The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that in the event of the termination of this Agreement or the cancellation of any Domain Name Registrations by NIRA or the Registrant pursuant to this Agreement, NIRA shall have the right to allow any other Person to register the Domain Name that was the subject of the Domain Name Registration without any liability of NIRA to the Registrant, any of the Registrant’s Registrars or any other Person. - Termination to Result in Cancellation of all Domain Names.
The termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 6.15, Section 6.16 or Section 6.17 shall result in the automatic cancellation of all Domain Name Registrations in the name of the Registrant.
ARTICLE 7: LIMITATIONS ON WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
- Limitation On Warranties And Conditions.
NIRA makes no representation, warranty or condition, whether oral or written, express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including, without limitation, any warranty or condition of quality or fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement or that the registry will be available at all times during the term or with respect to functionality, freedom from bugs or viruses, compatibility or interoperability of the registry or the systems accessed by the registrant’s registrar (s) and/or the registrant or with respect to the security of the registry or any systems accessed by the registrant’s registrar (s) and/or the registrant, including without
limitation, those provided by third party software, hardware, internet and/or telecommunications or other service providers or otherwise with respect to the services provided hereunder. - Use Of Domain Names.
The registrant agrees that NIRA shall not be responsible for the use of or right to use any domain name registered in the registry and that NIRA shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever for any conflict or dispute with or any claim against the registrant or a registrant’s registrar including one relating to a registered or unregistered trade-mark, a corporate, business or other trade name, rights relating to a name or other identifying indicium of an individual or any other intellectual property rights of a third party, or relating to defamation of or unlawful discrimination with respect to any other person. the registrant acknowledges and agrees that the registration of a domain name does not create any proprietary right for the registrant, a registrant’s registrar or any other person in any name used as a domain name or in any domain name registration, and the entry of a domain name in the registry in the “whois” database shall not be construed as evidence of ownership of the domain name registered as a domain name. the registrant shall not in any way transfer or purport to transfer a proprietary right in any domain name registration or grant or purport to grant as security or in any other manner encumber or purport to encumber any domain name registration. - Limitation Of Liability
NIRA’s aggregate liability to the registrant, including, without limitation, for all breaches by NIRA of this agreement, shall be limited to the amount of fees relating to the registrant’s domain name registrations paid by the registrant’s registrar(s) to NIRA. - Additional Limitations Of Liability.
- in no event, whether as a result of breach of contract, tort liability (including negligence) or otherwise, shall NIRA or its directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives be liable to the registrant for any special, indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages or for economic loss or resulting from loss of use, lost business revenue, lost profits or third party damages.
- in no event shall the registrant pursue any claim against NIRA and in no event shall NIRA be liable for any loss, damage or expense (including, without limitation, any special, indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages or for economic loss or damages resulting from loss of use, lost profits, lost business revenue or third party damages) arising out of, resulting from or in any way connected with:
- any access delay or access interruption;
- any data non-delivery or data misdelivery;
- any unauthorized use or misuse of the user account or private password provided to the registrant by NIRA;
- any error, omission or misstatement in any information or service provided under this agreement;
- the deletion of or failure to store email messages;
- a computer bug or virus or other system malfunction;
- NIRA’s failure or refusal to register a domain name, NIRA’s registration of a domain name, NIRA’s failure or refusal to renew a domain name registration, NIRA’s renewal of a domain name registration, NIRA’s failure or refusal to transfer a domain name registration, NIRA’s transfer of a domain name registration, NIRA’s failure or refusal to maintain or modify a domain name registration, NIRA’s maintenance of a domain name registration, NIRA’s modification of a domain name registration, NIRA’s failure to cancel a domain name registration or NIRA’s cancellation of a domain name registration from the registry, the loss of membership in NIRA resulting from NIRA’s cancellation of a domain name registration from the registry or from a member’s failure to comply with the registry PRP, or NIRA’s
refusal to admit an applicant as a member; - the processing by NIRA of any application for the registration of a domain name or any other application or request, NIRA’s processing of any authorized or unauthorized changes to the registrant’s information or the failure by the registrant’s registrar to pay any fees;
- any breach by a registrant’s registrar of its obligations under its agreement with the registrant or its agreement with NIRA or any other action or omission of the registrant or a registrant’s registrar;
- the application of NIRA’s domain name dispute resolution policy or rules or the compliance with any order, ruling, decision or judgment made thereunder or by any court, tribunal, board, administrative body, commission or arbitrator and any actions taken in consequence thereof;
- the use of any domain name in the registry and any conflict or dispute with or any claim (as defined in section 3.1(i)) against the registrant or the registrant’s registrar, including one relating to:
- registered or unregistered trade-marks;
- business names, partnership names, corporate names and other trade names;
- names or indicia of individuals or groups or individuals;
- any other intellectual property rights;
- defamation of any person; or
- unlawful discrimination with respect to any person; or
- NIRA’s failure to confirm or verify any membership information.
- Indemnity.
The Registrant agrees to indemnify and save NIRA and its contractors, agents, employees, officers, directors, members, affiliates and assigns harmless from and against any and all damages, liabilities, obligations, losses, claims, demands, actions, causes of action, lawsuits, penalties, costs, and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable legal and other related costs) arising out of or in any way connected with:- any breach of or non-fulfillment of any covenant or agreement on the part of the Registrant under this Agreement; or
- any incorrectness in or breach of any representation or warranty of the Registrant contained in this Agreement;
- the services of NIRA provided hereunder or the use by the Registrant of NIRA’s services, including without limitation violation by the Registrant of any intellectual property or other rights of any person and any defamation of or unlawful discrimination against any Person or any violation of any of the applicable Registry PRP relating to the services provided; or
- the actions or omissions of the Registrant and the Registrant’s Registrar(s).
ARTICLE 8: REGISTRANT REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES & INDEMNITIES
- Corporations.
Where the Registrant is a corporation, the Registrant covenants, represents and warrants to NIRA as follows:- Incorporation and Power. The Registrant is a corporation duly incorporated under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and is duly organized, validly subsisting and in good standing under such laws.
- Authorization. The Registrant has all necessary corporate power, association and capacity to enter into this Agreement and all other documents and instruments contemplated by this Agreement and to carry out its obligations under this Agreement and such other documents and instruments. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and all other documents and instruments contemplated by this Agreement and the performance by the Registrant of its obligations under this Agreement and such other documents and instruments have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Registrant.
- Enforceability of Obligations. This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Registrant enforceable against the Registrant in accordance with its terms subject, however, to limitations on enforcement imposed by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to the extent that equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunctions are only available in the discretion of the court from which they are sought.
- Partnerships and Trusts.
Where the Registrant is a partnership or a trust, the Registrant covenants, represents and warrants as follows:- Existence. The Registrant is duly formed, organized, established and validly existing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it was formed, organized and established.
- Authorization. The Registrant has the power, association and capacity to enter into this Agreement and all other documents and instruments contemplated by this Agreement and to carry out its obligations under this Agreement and such other documents and instruments. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and all other documents and instruments contemplated by this Agreement and the performance by the Registrant of its obligations under this Agreement and such other
documents and instruments have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Registrant. - Enforceability of Obligations. This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Registrant enforceable against the Registrant in accordance with its terms subject, however, to limitations on enforcement imposed by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to the extent that equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunctions are only available in the discretion of the court from which they are sought.
- Other Registrants.
Where the Registrant is not a corporation, a partnership or a trust, the Registrant covenants, represents and warrants to NIRA as follows:- Capacity. The Registrant has the legal capacity and all necessary power and association to execute and deliver this Agreement and all other documents and instruments contemplated by this Agreement and to perform the obligations of the Registrant under this Agreement and such other documents and instruments.
- Enforceability. This Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Registrant, enforceable against the Registrant by NIRA in accordance with its terms; subject, however, to limitations on enforcement imposed by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to the extent that equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunctions are only available in the discretion of the court from which they are sought.
- Additional Representations, Warranties and Covenants.
The Registrant represents, warrants and covenants to NIRA as follows:- Association. The Registrant has or will have authorized each of the Registrant’s Registrars to apply on behalf of the Registrant for the registration of a selected Domain Name and to apply on behalf of the Registrant to transfer, renew, modify, maintain, terminate and take any other action with respect to a Domain Name Registration in the name of that Registrant for which a Registrant’s Registrar is the Registrar of record.
- Registration Information. All Registration Information is and at all times shall be true and accurate in all respects.
- Insolvency. The Registrant is not an insolvent person within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Nigeria) nor has made an assignment in favour of its creditors or a proposal in bankruptcy to its creditors or any class thereof nor had any petition for a receiving order presented in respect of it. The Registrant has not initiated proceedings with respect to a compromise or arrangement with its creditors or, if the Registrant is a corporation or a partnership, for its winding- up, liquidation or dissolution. No receiver has been appointed in respect of the Registrant or any of its assets and no execution or distress has been levied upon any of its assets.
- No Infringement. Neither the registration of any Domain Name nor the manner in which the Registrant intends to use or uses such Domain Name will directly or indirectly infringe or otherwise violate the trade-mark or other intellectual property or other rights of any Person or defame any Person or unlawfully discriminate against any Person or breach any Applicable Laws.
- Qualification. The Registrant meets the Nigerian Presence Requirements for Registrants.
- Survival and Reasonableness.
The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that the limitations on warranties, conditions and liabilities, the representations and warranties of the Registrant contained in Article 8 and the restrictions and indemnities set forth in Articles 7 and 8 shall forever survive the expiry or termination of this Agreement or any suspension or cancellation of any Domain Name Registration. The Registrant acknowledges and agrees that such provisions are reasonable in the context of NIRA’s status as a not-for-profit organization that is performing a public service on a cost-recovery basis.
ARTICLE 9: LEGAL RELATIONSHIP
- Independent Contractors.
The legal relationship between NIRA and the Registrant and NIRA and each Registrant’s Registrar is that of independent contractors. Under no circumstances shall this Agreement be construed to create a partnership, agency or joint venture between NIRA and the Registrant or NIRA and any of the Registrant’s Registrar(s). - No Agency.
Except as provided in Section 9.3, neither party shall have any right, power nor association to act on behalf of the other party and neither party shall create any express or implied obligations or financial commitments on behalf of the other party. - Appointment of NIRA as Attorney-in-Fact.
The Registrant constitutes and appoints NIRA and any officer or agent of NIRA, with full power of substitution, as the Registrant’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact with full power and association in the place of the Registrant and in the name of the Registrant or in its own name, from time to time in NIRA’s discretion after the occurrence of any event listed in Sections 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11,6.15, 6.16, and 6.17 to take any and all appropriate action and to execute any and all documents and instruments as, in the opinion of such attorney acting reasonably, may be necessary or desirable to accomplish the purposes of this Agreement including, without limitation, to preserve the rights of other registrants of the Registry and the integrity of the Registry. These powers are coupled with an interest and are irrevocable until this Agreement is terminated. - Registrant as Member of NIRA.
Nothing in this Agreement confers or shall be deemed to confer, Membership or any rights of Membership on the Registrant. The Registrant acknowledges that the Registrant may become and continue as a Member of NIRA only in accordance with NIRA’s constitution, and applicable Registry PRP. Copies of NIRA’s articles of incorporation and constitution are set out on NIRA’s website. - NIRA Constating Documents and PRP.
Nothing in this Agreement limits or shall be deemed to limit NIRA’s rights pursuant to its Letters Patent, Constitution and Registry PRP.
ARTICLE 10: AMENDMENT OF AGREEMENT
Amendment by NIRA.
- NIRA shall have the right, at any time and from time to time, to amend any or all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement provided that any such amendment to this Agreement shall be applicable to all Persons seeking the registration of a Domain Name or who maintain a Domain Name Registration. Any such amendment to this Agreement will be binding and effective upon the later of seven (7) days after the posting of such amendment on NIRA’s website (currently at http://www.nira.ogr.ng) and seven (7) days after NIRA gives notice that amendments to the Registrant Agreement have been made. The notice will only include a message that amendments to the Registrant Agreements have been made, a link to a summary of the amendments, and a link to the amended Agreement in full.
- NIRA shall have the right, at any time and from time to time, to amend any or all of the Registry PRP or establish new Registry PRP. Any such amendment to the Registry PRP or new Registry PRP will be binding and effective no earlier than seven (7) days after the posting of such amendment or new Registry PRP on NIRA’s website.
- The Registrant agrees to periodically review NIRA’s website, including the current version of this Agreement and the applicable Registry PRP available on NIRA’s website, to be aware of any amendments to this Agreement and the applicable Registry PRP and any new applicable Registry PRP.
- If the Registrant does not agree with any such amendment or new applicable Registry PRP, then the Registrant may terminate this Agreement in accordance with Section 6.17. By continuing to maintain Domain Name Registrations in the Registry in accordance with this Agreement, the Registrant agrees to be bound by such amendments and new applicable Registry PRP after they become effective.