An application for the registration of domain names may be filed through the national Network Information Centre Austria, NIC.AT in Austria.
Such application may be filed by the applicant or his representative directly with NIC.AT if all the technical and organisational requirements are fulfilled.
Otherwise it is advisable to file the petition through a provider because names are granted on the basis of priority (first come, first serve); all technical and organisational requirements have to be met for the grant of the priority.
The application is not examined for conformity with the law. However, a prerequisite for registration is uniqueness, i.e. each domain name is unique worldwide.
An annual fee has to be paid for the maintenance of the domain name. Disputes in domain matters, in particular on the basis of prior trademark or name rights in the event of unauthorized domain registration (domain grabbing, cybersquatting, typosquatting ect.), have to be taken to the courts of law.
