On an internet news site the domain is not merely a technical address; it is part of the declaration and imprint chain. A change requires both legal and technical steps.
The Legal Step: A Declaration of Change
Art. 8/2 of Law No. 5187: every change in the content of the declaration is notified to the same authority within two weeks, with the necessary documents, by a new declaration.
Under Art. 7 the declaration shows the name and nature of the publication. On an internet news site the name of the publication and the domain are usually the same; in that case a change of domain is a change in the content of the declaration.
Updating the Imprint
The paragraph added to Art. 4 by Law No. 7418 requires six items to be kept on internet news sites in a way that users can reach directly from the home page, under a contact heading. On a domain migration these must be fully visible at the new address:
- The business address from which it operates
- The trade name
- The electronic mail address
- The contact telephone number
- The electronic service address
- The name and address of the hosting provider
The Technical Step: Protecting the Archive
- Back up the two-year content archive before migrating and keep the integrity digests.
- Preserve the first publication and update dates of content published at the old address (Art. 4/4).
- Migrate the records of content that has been removed or corrected.
- If there are records subject to a judicial notification, flag them separately - those records must be kept until the proceedings conclude.
Reply and Correction Links
Art. 14 requires a correction and reply on an internet news site to be published with a URL link provided. On a domain change the links given to old URLs must keep working.
Other Notifications
| To whom | Why | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The public prosecutor's office | A declaration of change - two weeks | Law No. 5187 Art. 8 |
| The Directorate of Communications | Notification of a change of workplace and/or title | Press Card Reg. Art. 36 |
| The Press Advertising Agency | If you hold the right to official announcements | Agency rules |
Checklist
- Has the electronic service address been updated for the new domain?
- Are the six imprint items complete at the new address?
- Are old URLs permanently redirected?
- Has the two-year archive been migrated and its integrity verified?
- Have the date stamps (first publication + update) been preserved?
- Was the declaration of change filed within two weeks?
- Was the title/workplace notification made to the Directorate of Communications?
Summary
- A domain change is notified within two weeks by a new declaration to the extent it affects the content of the declaration.
- The six imprint items must be complete at the new address.
- On the technical side, the integrity of the two-year archive, the date stamps and the working of correction links must be preserved.