Goldstein Report

Tag: .co

  • .CO Landrush Deadline Extended

    Due to extraordinary demand for the impending .CO domain launch, according to the registry operator of the .CO domain, .CO Internet S.A.S has announced it has officially extended the deadline for people and companies to secure high-priority .CO domain names prior to their availability to the general public on July 20. The deadline for the “Landrush” phase will be extended through Friday, July 16th at 12:00 pm (Noon) US EDT.

    For more information see the news release below.

    .CO Internet Extends Deadline for “Landrush” to Secure .CO Domain Names

    Miami, FL : July 9, 2010

    July 16 Marks the Last Chance to Secure High-Priority .CO Domain Names Before General Public; More than 26,000 .CO Domains Already Claimed by Top Global Brands, Fortune 500 Cos and Others

    MIAMI - July 9, 2010 – Due to extraordinary demand for the impending .CO domain launch, .CO Internet S.A.S. (COinternet.co), the registry operator of the .CO domain, today announced it has officially extended the deadline for people and companies to secure high-priority .CO domain names prior to their availability to the general public on July 20.  The deadline for the “Landrush” phase will be extended through Friday, July 16th at 12:00 pm (Noon) EDT.

    The new .CO domain offering presents unprecedented opportunities for corporations, brands, web developers, agencies, entrepreneurs and others to secure high-priority, high-value domain names that have long been “unavailable” in the .com domain.  To date, .CO Internet has registered or taken applications for more than 26,000 .CO domain names, many of which have been secured by the world’s top global brands and Fortune 500 companies, such as: Amazon, American Express, Apple, BMW, Cartier, Canon, CNN, Coca-Cola, Disney, Ebay, Exxon, Facebook, Ford, Google, Hilton, Honda, IBM, IKEA, Kodak, McDonalds, Microsoft, MTV, Nestle, Nike, Nokia, Panasonic, Pfizer, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Toyota, Twitter, Unilever, Visa, Yahoo and many more. The company expects to receive several thousand more applications prior to the end of the Landrush period.

    “The response to the new .CO domain offering has been overwhelming.  To keep up with the demand, our registrar partners have asked us to extend the deadline for the Landrush phase to give more people the opportunity to secure their desired domains before they are released to the general public,” said Nicolai Bezsonoff, chief operating officer of .CO Internet.  “July 16th will be the last opportunity for corporations, major brands, start-ups and individuals to secure their desired domains early.  On July 20, all unclaimed domains will be added to the general pool and released on a first-come, first-served basis.”

    Pricing and Availability
    During the Landrush phase, organizations and individuals wishing to secure early access to high-priority, high-value .CO domain names may do so – for a premium – through one of 10 .CO Accredited Registrar partners, including GoDaddy.com, Register.com, Network Solutions, eNom, InternetX, Dotster, Melbourne IT, OpenSRS, My.co, and Dominio Amigo, or any of the resellers within each registrar’s extended networks.

    .CO domains registered during the Landrush phase are priced at a premium to reflect their high value and high demand, with prices averaging between $250 to $300, depending on the registrar. If more than one Landrush application is received for a particular domain name, it will be auctioned to the highest bidder.

    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. (NYSE: NSR). 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 brand owners, the .CO domain is poised to become the world’s next premier web address. For additional information, please visit www.COinternet.co.

    This news release was sourced from:
    www.cointernet.co/media/press-releases/co-internet-extends-deadline-“landrush”-secure-co-domain-names

  • E.CO Auction – Your Chance to Own Shortest Domain

    The auction for the E.CO domain name is currently underway with a top bid at the time of writing of US$20,500.The domain name, the shortest possible domain name, is being auctioned to celebrate the re-launch of .CO, Colombia’s country code Top Level Domain. Bids close on 10 June and ends on the same day the Sunrise period for .CO closes.Following the Sunrise period will be the Landrush from 21 June to 13 July and domains will be available to all from 20 July.The E.CO auction is being conducted by Sedo and funds raised will be going to charity.”The E.CO domain name can be a strategically important asset for any organization looking to enhance customer engagement and adapt to changes in technology, like Twitter and Facebook, that demand shorter urls,” according to Kathy Nielsen, director of sales at Sedo. “The shorter the URL, the easier to spread awareness and engagement with your brand.””We wanted to celebrate our upcoming global launch in a way that would not only raise awareness about the availability of the .CO domain extension – but also raise money for a deserving charity,” said Lori Anne Wardi, director of marketing of .CO Internet S.A.S.”The upcoming auction of e.co is the perfect way to do that, and will give the buyer the added bonus of donating the auction proceeds to the charity of their choice.”To check out the latest bids for E.CO or even bid yourself, see E.CO.

  • .CO Global Sunrise Process Announced

    .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.

    “Throughout 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,” said Juan Diego Calle, CEO of .CO Internet. “Our policies have been designed in consideration of the guidance set forth by ICANN’s Intellectual Property Constituency, along with consultations with a variety of global domain registries.”

    .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 owners’ 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 “first movers” 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 “Create Your Opportunity” 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 world’s next premier web address. For additional information, please visit www.COinternet.co.

  • .CO Addresses Trademark Abuse Concerns

    Concerns of trademark abuse for the recently relaunched .CO country code Top Level Domain have prompted the new registry operator to write an open letter to brand owners to reassure them that their rights will be protected.

    Concerns have been raised that the .CO could easily become a typographical error, or typo, for .COM names.

    However the letter, written with internationally recognised best practices, and in consultation with the leading global firms of Deloitte and Laga, notes .CO will be a pioneer in the domain industry by implementing many of the Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) proposed by ICANN’s Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) to safeguard the rights of brand owners around the world.

    This includes, among other things, implementing a carefully structured Sunrise process, commencing in April, where owners of eligible registered trademarks will have the chance to register corresponding domain names before the registry opens to the general public.

    “As the new registry operator of the .CO TLD, we recognize and embrace our responsibility to serve as a reliable trustee for the .CO domain – a unique digital resource with broad global appeal,” said Juan Diego Calle, chief executive officer of .CO Internet. “We are committed to managing the .CO Registry in a responsible manner – one that places a premium on protecting the rights of brand owners.”

    Some of the key RPMs and other protections announced by the .CO Registry include:
    1) An IP Clearinghouse to assist brand owners (through their registrars) in securing their brands in .CO during the Sunrise process in an efficient and effective manner;
    2) A Rapid Takedown Policy to rapidly take down domains in cases where phishing, pharming, malware, or other significant criminal and/or security threats have been established, including serial cyber-squatting; and
    3) A list of Specially Protected Marks offering added protection to leading brands that the global consulting firm of Deloitte has independently identified as having made significant efforts to protect and enforce their trademarks in the domain name space. For a full summary of the Deloitte criteria, see: www.deloitte.com/be/brand-list.

    Additionally, proxy registrations, where registrants shield their name and contact information, will be prohibited.

    These RPMs are aligned with the Registry’s goal of positioning .CO as a truly global, recognizable and credible domain enabling secure Internet commerce and innovation for consumers, companies and communities worldwide. Associated with the words “COmpany,” “COrporation” and “COmmerce” – the .CO domain launch is expected to generate significant interest given the scarcity of credible web address options in the market.

    “We have built the .CO Registry on a globally distributed, state-of-the-art platform with the highest standards of stability, security and performance to seamlessly power the resolution of domain names in every corner of the world,” said Nicolai Bezsonoff, chief operating officer for .CO Internet. “In addition to being recognized in the industry for our stable, secure technology, we want .CO domain names to be relied on by the world’s leading businesses, trademark owners and entrepreneurs as stable, secure digital assets on which to build and grow their brands.”

    More details on the various RPMs .CO Internet is putting in place can be found at www.cointernet.co/global-responsibility. Additional information will be published as it becomes available. In the meanwhile, holders of brands who are identified on the Deloitte Brand List will be contacted once the list is published and invited to register their respective brands with .CO Internet.

    More information on the recently re-launched .CO is available at www.cointernet.co.

  • 400,000 .CO Domain Registrations Expected in Relaunch's First Year

    NameAction visited Colombia recently to examine the registration process for the relaunched .CO recently.
    Juan Diego Calle (General Manager), Eduardo Santoyo (Vice-president of Corporate affairs) and Nicolai Bezsonoff (Vice-president of Operations) of NIC Colombia showed NameAction staff around and answered their questions. (more…)

  • 400,000 .CO Domain Registrations Expected in Relaunch’s First Year

    NameAction visited Colombia recently to examine the registration process for the relaunched .CO recently.

    Juan Diego Calle (General Manager), Eduardo Santoyo (Vice-president of Corporate affairs) and Nicolai Bezsonoff (Vice-president of Operations) of NIC Colombia showed NameAction staff around and answered their questions.

    Below is a transcription of the interview, originally in Spanish, conducted on February 25, 2010.

    1.  How many new domain namse have been registered since the opening of .com.co and how many you expect to register in the first year?

    Since the opening of domains .com.co we have registered 4,000 domains and expect to register 400,000 during the first year.

    2. How was the process of registration during this stage?

    We believe it was good, the peak of 3rd level domains was a pleasant surprise. On the other hand the lack of accredited registrars was not good since it increased the prices because of lack of competition. From the 9 accredited registrars, only 3 participated: GoDaddy, my.com.co and InternetX.

    3. Is it possible to know the proportion of companied from Latin America, USA and Europe?

    At least half of the companies were Latin and mainly Colombians.

    4. Why should people register their domain .CO?

    The answer is in 3 ideas we use here constantly:

    I. The .CO is a global domain, with this we mean that it is distributed globally by the main net registrars.
    II. It has recognition, is intuitive and globally legible.
    III. The .CO has credibility.

    The letters .CO are known around the world and they have a significance. In a survey of 600 people in the United States where the question was, what does .CO signifies, 75% responded “Company”.

    It is not necessary to sell .CO as synonym of “Company”, it has immediate recognition. Additionally .CO means the same thing in the main languages.

    Also, .CO has a lot of technical credibility since it has the support of a strong, solid and with a lot of experience company like Neustar that already operates domains like .BIZ, .Travel, etc.

    There is a policy of keeping the domain clean and a technical operation top of the line.

    The management policies also give credibility to the .CO since they have been adjusted to the international setting. The management is regulated by the Ministry of Communication.

    5. Which is your main market?

    There are 2 products:
    I. Global product which is the new domain under second level .CO.

    The focus is to search for small and medium companies that are starting on the Internet, at the time of registering their domain, to give priority to .CO over other extensions.

    II. Product for Colombia .COM.CO.

    The idea is that this extension works for local companies like dentists or others for which the .COM.CO is perfect.

    6. How does the cybersquatting problem get solved?

    There are various tools that help in this subject.

    I. Have a group of registrars that have control points.

    II. A higher price that demotivates piracy.

    III. A policy that punishes false information on a domain. If there is false information the domain can be cancelled.

    IV. A robust WHOIS that prevents anonymity and allows visibility for the registrant.

    V. The UDRP (Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy) allows to recover the domain through arbitration.

    VI. Through the regulations approved by the Ministry a person that tries to damage a third party is punished with the domain’s cancellation and also allows to go to civil courts.

    7. Will ICANN be in Cartagena this year?

    There is interest. The proposal to have ICANN in Cartagena was already presented because it is congruent with the new era of the .CO, plus there has never been an ICANN in Colombia.

    The technical evaluation of Cartagena was already made and it fulfilled all the requirements.

    The above interview and translation was provided by NameAction.

  • New Era for .CO Begins

    As of 00:01 on 7 February, a new era began for the .CO (Colombia) ccTLD began with the transition of management of the registry from Universidad de los Andes to .CO Internet SAS.

    Within the first hour of registrations under the new management, more than 500 domain names were registered.

    The seamless transition to new management on the changeover sees a number of new policies implemented along with a reduction in the cost of .CO domain names.

    Other changes to the new policies include:

    • a network of ten registrars and a number of resellers for those wanting to purchase a .CO domain name
    • ability to register a domain name quickly, in five minutes according to the registry
    • better support for customers

    For more information check out www.cointernet.co.

  • Changes to Registration of .CO Domain Names Imminent

    As of 7 February there are changes to the manager of the .CO (Colombia) registry and to the registration policies.

    The new company managing the .CO registry will be Internet SAS and to coincide with them taking over the registry management the following changes to registration policies are being implemented, the most important of these being:

    • anyone, whether they are a resident of Colombia or not, will be able to register a .CO domain name apart from the following second level domains: org.co, edu.co, mil.co, and gov.co that will continue to have special requirements.
    • registration of .CO domains will be available through several registrars, allowing competitive prices and additional services
    • the documentation and the steps for registration are simplified with the previous verification requirement abolished
    • it will be possible to register an unlimited number of domains
    • domains will be able to be registered from one to five years
    • domains will be able to be transferred between registrants
    • from March 2010 it will be possible to register second level domains such as example.co, however there will be a phased in process over four stages:
    • Phase 1:
    • those that have a .CO domain registered before 30 July 2008 will have priority to register the same domain at the second level (this phase will occur between 1 and 20 April, 2010)
    • Phase 2:
    • those that have trademark in Colombia before 30 July 2008 will be able to register their domains (between 26 April and 10 June 2010)
    • Phase 3:
    • anyone will be able to request a domain with a fee higher to the normal one, while where there are several applicants an auction will decide the successful registrant (between 21 June and 13 July 2010)
    • Phase 4:
    • registration will be open to the general public on a “First Come, First Served” basis through registrars with registrations from one to five years, commencing on 20 July 2010.

    All of the above dates are tentative and them could change, so it is best to check the .CO registry website to confirm any dates at www.nic.co.

    Also see www.cointernet.com.co/administrador/medios/el-7-de-febrero-de-2010-el-dominio-co-tendra-un-nuevo-administrador/ for further information (in Spanish).

    To register your .CO domain name, check out America Registry here.