.CO Internet S.A.S. has announced its global sunrise period will use best practices to provide trademark and IP protection for registered trademark holders according to the news release below. To be eligible for the sunrise process, trademarks of national effect from any country in the world must have been registered on or before July 30, 2008.
The Sunrise Process will close on June 10, 2010 to make way for the next stage in the multi-phase launch plan, Landrush. During Landrush, registrants can secure high priority .CO domain names at a premium price prior to the public launch on July 20th.
For more information see the news release below.
The .CO domain registry announces global sunrise and public outreach initiatives at Web 2.0 expo [news release]
Process follows best practices in trademark and IP protection to manage domains in an equitable and sustainable way
.CO Internet S.A.S. (www.COinternet.co) announced today the launch of its Global Sunrise Process at the Web 2.0 Expo. The structured Sunrise Process is using best practices to provide trademark and IP protection for registered trademark holders worldwide to successfully secure their eligible .CO domain.
To be eligible, trademarks of national effect from any country in the world must have been registered on or before July 30, 2008. The Sunrise Process will close on June 10, 2010 to make way for the next stage in the multi-phase launch plan, Landrush. During Landrush, registrants can secure high priority .CO domain names at a premium price prior to the public launch on July 20th.
âThroughout the launch of the Global Sunrise Process, we are implementing a number of important rights protection mechanisms to ensure for the fair and orderly distribution of domain names,â said Juan Diego Calle, CEO of .CO Internet. âOur policies have been designed in consideration of the guidance set forth by ICANNâs Intellectual Property Constituency, along with consultations with a variety of global domain registries.â
.CO Internet Global Sunrise Process
In order to prevent some of the challenges that have occurred during select previous TLD launches, .CO Internet has set up a strict validation process, being administered by Deloitte, to ensure that all trademark ownersâ rights are respected and verified. Through Deloitte, .CO Internet has also set up an IP Clearinghouse to ensure applications are thorough and complete before being submitted to the .CO Registry.
Applications will not be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis during the Sunrise Process. Instead, applications will be collected through June 10th. Single validated applications will be awarded at the end of the Sunrise period. In the event that there is more than one entity applying for the same domain name, with each of them having corresponding trademarks, the name will go to auction through Pool.com to determine the owner of the domain name.
Be a Part of the .COmmunity
.CO Internet has several other opportunities for entrepreneurs and brand owners to engage with the .CO domain. Early adopters are able to take advantage of the .CO Founders Program, an initiative designed to help qualified âfirst moversâ to proactively develop and maintain domains with the .CO extension prior to the public launch in July. The .CO Founders Program is open to all interested applicants from individuals to businesses and big brands.
Additionally, .CO Internet is launching its âCreate Your Opportunityâ contest at Pitch.co for aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas for a business, website or blog and compete for a $50,000 prize and the corresponding .CO domain name to build it on. The online community will be able to vote for their favorite pitch at Pitch.co. The top 30 vote-getters will advance to the finals where they will join a maximum of 7 pitches selected by the judges. Voting ends on June 14, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be announced on June 20, 2010.
About .CO Internet S.A.S.
.CO Internet S.A.S. is the Registry Operator for the .CO top-level domain. .CO Internet was formed by a strategic venture between Arcelandia S.A. and Neustar, Inc. The .CO domain offers individuals and businesses a truly global, recognizable and credible option in branding their online presence. Thanks to leading-edge technology, enhanced security and unprecedented rights protections for trademark owners, the .CO domain is poised to become the worldâs next premier web address. For additional information, please visit www.COinternet.co.