There are few rules and names are handed out on a first come first served basis. Companies or individuals trading under a different name will be asked to provide a letterhead or some proof that they are trading as who they claim. This is a UK domain for non-profit making organisations. This is an International domain under the jurisdiction of Internic. No attempt is made by Internic to determine the legality of applications.
Internet law is a tricky area.
If you are in any doubt about whether you are entitled to a name then you should seek legal advice. Click here for more information about Internic's Domain Name Dispute Policy . The ltd.uk and plc.uk domains are intended to allow a unique mapping between company names registered under the Companies Act with Company's House and a DNS name. Although it was envisaged by the Naming Committee that only ltd.uk was required, Nominet UK's legal advisors have said that a public limited company registering within ltd.uk would be committing a criminal offence. Therefore the additional plc.uk is required.