Registering a .fr domain

An option instead of local presence?

[alpine]

I have been trying for the past several weeks to register a .fr domain, but have been unsuccessful as we have no local French presence.

I have read several threads in which Heini and others have suggested that there are registrars that will handle the issue of local presence for their customers. While I have found such registrars for other countries, I have not found one for France. It is implied to me from the websites of these registrars offering local presence service in countries other than France, that the owner of the domain (you vs. them) may be ambiguous. This would concern me.

I see on the French NIC site ( scroll down to the table at [nic.fr...] ) that, apparenly, a local presence is not required if one has a WIPO (OMPI in French) trademark on the domain word.

We have a US trademark on our domain word, and could apply for a WIPO trademark. Does anyone have knowledge of this method as a viable one to obtain a .fr domain?

Alternatively, you'll see that the above-mentioned table states that having an entry in the INSEE directory ( [insee.fr...] ) is another option. I'm not sure whether a US company could get themselves listed there. Is anyone familiar?

[louponne]

apparenly, a local presence is not required if one has a WIPO (OMPI in French) trademark on the domain word.

But then your domain name would be whatever.tm.fr - pretty boring.

...having an entry in the INSEE directory ( [insee.fr...] ) is another option. I'm not sure whether a US company could get themselves listed there. Is anyone familiar?

No, you could not get listed.

There are two alternatives. One-you find some means to become a French-based organization. If you have no real entity in France, some companies will "set up shop" for you so that you can do that. Of course the domain name is then theirs.
The other is to set up a whatever.com.fr There are no restrictions to do so.