DOI System Governance and Participation > DOI System Participants: Registration Agencies and Registrants > Service Non-exclusivity and Competition Matters

Exclusivity of DOI name registration rights covering either a specific geographic territory or a wide area of application in general (for example, audio) will not normally be granted to any Registration Agency (RA). Exceptions are possible, for example where the RA is mandated to operate as a service for an existing closed community and will not offer their registration services outside that community. DOI applications often overlap and in the digital world any number of categorisations are possible, which makes exclusive arrangements difficult. The only exception at present is an implementation for the Publications Office of the EU, covering DOI registration and management of official EU documents.

In order to maintain a persistent identifier, a DOI application normally provides more value than simply registering a DOI, by offering an added value service such as citation linking or metadata management. RAs operate as independent businesses on the basis of these added-value services and unique selling propositions they bring to offer to the market. In order to provide some coherence of DOI services, applications to become an RA are assessed in the context of likely business implications. Where there is an overlap of the expected market or services of RAs, each will be informed of the potential for overlap or competition and invited to address the problem in such a way as to encourage uptake of the DOI System as a whole whilst ensuring that legitimate business interests are met.