Leosghost - 12:44 pm on Oct 1, 2012 (gmt 0)

For instance would Google own google.co.uk and Apple own apple.co.uk if foreign corporations were prevented from registering a .co.uk?

Might get them to pay some taxes in the UK..instead of hiding behind being in Ireland but doing the vast bulk of their business in the UK..

If I can be in France but have a UK ltd and pay my way in the UK and France..I don't see why they cant..

I only own a handfull of .co.uks..precisely because the world and dog can also get them..

I personally know dozens of east European gypsies..and even some people who are in Europe and the UK without "residency papers", who have .co.uk domains..and more Chinese traders based out of South East China and Hong-kong than I can shake a stick at..

For most it gives them "cred" on UK ebay..

Google do own Google.fr..and did so many years before the rules were about .fr were "relaxed"..all they had to do was register a legit company here..so they did..same applies to Germany..where they also own the Google.de..they registered a legit company..

The same goes for Apple..and all other legit companies..a "legit presence" is required for all European tlds..except the .co.uk one..

I know a fairly large number of Russians that run .co.uk domain names too..

Those in the UK web industry may not like to hear it ..but to many in the rest of the world ..the incredibly "relaxed" registration conditions of the .co.uk ..make it no more credible that .biz..and just as easy to get and hide behind..

[edited by: Leosghost at 12:45 pm (utc) on Oct 1, 2012]