The Russian registry has decided to begin accepting new registration requests for COM.RU domains after suspending operations for COM.RU over the past several years. The re-launch of COM.RU will begin on October 25, 2011 with an Open Registration Period and any business or individual may place a registration request at that time. If you were unable to get your brand in .RU before, or if you have a new request, don’t miss this opportunity to get the COM.RU that you want.

Safenames is currently accepting pre-orders for this country code domain extension (ccTLD) and will submit the orders on October 25th, 2011. Here is what you need to know:

• There are no local presence or trademark requirements and there are no restrictions on COM.RU domains
• Open registration orders will be fulfilled by the registry on a first-come, first-serve basis
• If there is more than one application for the same domain, the name will go to auction and you will be notified about the auction process
• The registration fees are non-refundable during the pre-order registration phase

If you have any questions about COM.RU, contact your Safenames account manager or call Safenames customer service at +44-1-908-200022 or +1-703-574-5313. Existing customers can order within their Safenames account.

COM.DE—Germany’s new TLD—is now available for General Registration. There are no local contact or German residency requirements, and anyone can register a COM.DE domain name. If you are doing business, or are planning to do business in Germany, now is the time to get your COM.DE.

If you have any questions about COM.DE, contact your Safenames account manager or call Safenames customer service at +44-1-908-200022 or +1-703-574-5313. Existing customers can register within their Safenames account: https://idp.safenames.com/login.aspx.

If you receive an e-mail or a postal letter entitled “Final Notice of Domain Listing”—or a similar renewal notice from an unknown company—please disregard it; it’s a scam. The sender is attempting to get you to unknowingly transfer your domain(s) to another registrar or worse, steal your money. There are so many (too many to list) domain name related scams circulating the Internet these days, targeting unsuspecting registrants. Scammers are mining the WHOIS database searching for businesses and individuals that will pay for “expiring” (wink, wink) domain names—and these people pay because they simply don’t know any better and are afraid their domains will actually expire. It’s important to disregard any correspondence you receive that includes language such as “domain name search engine registration,” “search engine registration,” or “must renew.” All legitimate domain name renewal communications will come directly from your registrar. If you are a Safenames customer your account is likely on auto-renew and no action is required for the renewal of your domains. If you ever have any questions about materials/correspondence you receive, contact your Safenames account manager or call Safenames customer service at +44-1-908-200022 or +1-703-574-5313.