Registered Trademark Owners get your .CO Domain Name

Today I attended the SMASHsummit conference (a great event, Dorsey was a sponsor), and saw a presentation by the company that will be bringing the new .CO top level domain.

Originally the country code domain for Columbia, the Colombian government is now making .CO domains available globally through a joint effort with a private company.

Though the .CO domain is being marketed for its association with the words “company,” “corporation,” or other commercial endeavors, the .CO domain will be available to any business or individual seeking a new TLD extension.

The availability of .CO domain names is as follows:

Global Sunrise: April 26 – June 10:

The Global Sunrise phase is for trademark holders with exact match domain names registered prior to July 30, 2008.  This allows trademark owners to apply for their desired domains and secure their trademarks.  Matching domains will go to auction.

Landrush: June 21 – July 13:

The Landrush phase will take place from the end of June through mid-July and will be open to anyone interested in registering domain names of high commercial value.  Any interest in matching domains will go to auction.

General Availability: July 20:

Once the Global Sunrise and Landrush phases are complete, .CO domains will become available to anyone in the world through participating registrars. Except where otherwise reserved by the .CO Registry or earmarked for premium auctions, .CO domains will be available to the public based on the chronological order of registrations on a first come, first served basis.

In addition, individuals or companies wishing to get in on the .CO action early can apply to the .CO Founders program.