The duration of the rights to the registered domain name is calculated in terms. A term is a one-year period of the rights to the domain. One term of the storage of the domain records in the WHOIS database is one year, i.e., twelve months.
The first term begins from the date of the domain creation (the registrant pays for the first term when he/she creates a domain). The renewal terms conducted on time are calculated continuously, adding them to the previous terms, for example, a domain is created and two renewals are conducted; therefore, a total term is three years from the date of the domain creation (the first term after the domain creation + two renewals).
Renewal has to be conducted until the end of the current term. It is impossible to renew a domain after its deletion.
The term that has begun is considered a current term and all the previous ones – completed terms. The accumulated terms are the ones conducted on time but they have not begun yet.
The allowed duration of renewals in the individual top-level domains:
.lt – minimum of one term, maximum of five accumulated terms;
.eu – minimum of one term, maximum of nine accumulated terms;
.info – minimum of one term, maximum of nine accumulated terms;
.com, .org and .net – minimum of one term, maximum of nine accumulated terms.
The IPC does not apply an auto-renewal but notifies the domain holder about the need to renew a domain by email. If the domain holder fails to pay for the renewal order on time, the domain is deleted on its expiration date. During the “quarantine” period, only the last domain holder has the possibility to create the same domain name.
The duration of the “quarantine” in the individual top-level domains:
.lt – 30 days after the domain deletion (if the “quarantine” is applied);
.eu – 40 days after the domain deletion;
.com and .net – 30 days after the domain deletion;
.org and .info – this service is not provided.
