Domain Name Management Terms

1. Purpose and Scope

These Domain Name Management Terms describe how Acadia Marketing LLC, a Maine limited liability company ("Acadia Marketing LLC", "we", "us"), handles domain names in connection with the website design and development, website hosting, domain name management, email setup, and related services we provide. They apply to every domain name that we register, renew, configure, or manage for a client, and to acadiamarketingmaine.com and any page, subdomain, or transfer page that we operate or issue to clients (the "Sites"). They supplement the applicable agreement between us and the client and should be read together with our Terms of Use and our Website and Domain Transfer Terms.

2. Our Role as Manager, Not Owner

When we manage a domain name for a client, we act as the client's manager and administrative agent. We do not own the domain name, and nothing in these terms or in the applicable agreement gives us ownership of it. Our management of a domain is a service performed for the client, and the client's rights in the domain are those that exist under the registrar's terms and the law. We do not sell, lease, pledge, or otherwise deal with a client's domain for our own benefit.

3. Registration on Behalf of Clients

We may register a domain name on behalf of a client at the client's request or as part of the applicable agreement. By asking us to register a domain, the client confirms that the information provided to us is accurate and complete, that the client is entitled to use the requested name, and that the name does not knowingly infringe the rights of others. Registration depends on availability and on the registrar accepting the request. We do not guarantee that any particular name can be registered, and we make no promise regarding the value, search ranking, or commercial performance of any domain.

4. Registrant of Record

The registrant of record is the person or entity listed in the registry's ownership records as the holder of the domain. Unless the applicable agreement states otherwise in writing, we will arrange for the client to be listed as the registrant of record. Where a domain is registered under our account for administrative convenience, we hold that registration for the client's benefit and will follow the process in Section 7 when the client lawfully asks for the domain to be moved. Clients are responsible for keeping their contact details current, because registrars and registries use that information for notices and for verifying ownership. Registrant contact information may be subject to privacy or disclosure rules set by the registrar and applicable law.

5. Renewals and Lapses

Domain registrations run for a limited term and must be renewed to remain active. Renewal is handled according to the applicable agreement and the agreed schedule. Where we have undertaken to renew a domain, we will make reasonable efforts to do so, but renewal also depends on the client's timely payment, valid payment details, and the registrar's systems. If a renewal is not completed, the domain may be suspended, may stop resolving, may enter a redemption or grace process on the registrar's terms, or may be released for registration by others. Websites and email connected to that domain may stop working during that time. We are not responsible for loss that results from a lapse caused by non-payment, outdated contact details, a client instruction not to renew, or events outside our reasonable control. Reinstatement, where available, may involve additional charges set by the registrar.

6. Registrar Terms Apply

Every domain name is registered through a registrar that is accredited under the rules of the relevant registry. The registrar's own terms, policies, and fees apply to the domain in addition to these terms, and the client agrees to be bound by them. These include the registrar's rules on registrant verification, domain dispute policies, and the handling of expired or disputed names. If these terms conflict with the registrar's terms on a matter within the registrar's control, the registrar's terms govern that matter. We do not control the registrar, the registry, or the systems they operate, and we are not liable for their acts, omissions, outages, or changes to their policies.

7. Transfer Out

A client may request that a domain be transferred to another registrar or to the client's own account. On a valid request from a designated recipient of the client, we will cooperate in the transfer, including by providing the transfer code the registrar requires, subject to Section 10 and to the registrar's rules. Transfers can be limited by registry or registrar restrictions, such as a lock status, recent registration or change, or a pending dispute, and we cannot override those restrictions. We may ask for reasonable proof of identity and authority before acting on a transfer request. The process for moving a client website or domain is further described in our Website and Domain Transfer Terms. Where hosting is relevant to a transfer, hosting continues under the existing agreements unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

8. DNS Changes

We may create, edit, or remove domain name system records, such as address, alias, mail routing, and verification records, when needed to provide the agreed services. We make DNS changes at the client's request or as needed to deliver hosting, email setup, or other services under the applicable agreement. DNS changes may take time to take effect across the internet, and we cannot control how quickly third-party networks update. Clients should not change DNS records or nameservers that we manage without telling us first, because an unplanned change can interrupt a site or email. We will not change nameservers, move a domain to a different provider, or delete records that the client depends on without authorization from the client, except where needed to protect the security of the domain or the services.

9. Client Responsibilities

The client is responsible for the accuracy of the registration information, for the lawful use of the domain, and for compliance with our Acceptable Use Policy. The client must promptly tell us of any change in designated recipients, any suspected unauthorized access, and any notice of a dispute or complaint about the domain. Access to domain accounts is protected under our Access Code and Authentication Policy, and the client must keep any access code or transfer code we issue confidential.

10. Suspension and Withholding

To the extent permitted by law and the applicable agreement, we may decline to act on a request, or may pause our management services, where the request appears unauthorized, where a legal or registrar restriction applies, where required by a court or authority, or where amounts due under the applicable agreement remain unpaid. We will act in good faith and will tell the client of the reason where we reasonably can.

These terms operate alongside our Privacy Policy, Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability, Intellectual Property and Copyright, Electronic Communications and Notices, and Governing Law and Dispute Resolution documents. Maine law governs these terms, with venue in Cumberland County, Maine. Notices and questions may be sent to Acadia Marketing LLC, 218 Pond Road, Wilton, ME 04294, by email to info@acadiamarketingmaine.com, or by telephone at (207) 716-9079.