.CO
is the county code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) assigned to Colombia.
Besides serving the function of a ccTLD it will also become a popular
branding tool on the Internet since the two letters CO are the
recognizable abbreviations for Company, Commerce and Communications.
It is currently possible to register a third level domain name (COM.CO, NOM.CO and NET.CO) without restriction.
.CO Launch Schedule
The launch of .CO, the second level domain will occur in 5 stages.
1. Third Level Transition - 7 February 2010
Pre-existing
domain names with extensions such as COM.CO, NOM.CO and NET.CO will be
transferred to the new registry, for safekeeping, until transferred to
a .CO registrar, which must occur before the expiry date of each domain
name.
2. Grandfathering - March 2010
Owners
of third level domain names (COM.CO, NOM.CO and NET.CO) which were
registered before 30 July 2008 can register the corresponding second
level domain name. Example: brand.com.co will allow the registrant to
register brand.co.
3. Sunrise A / Sunrise B - (1 April 2010 - 20 April 2010) and (26 April 2010 - 10 June 2010)
Trade mark owners who have a trade mark registered on or before 30 July 2008 can apply for a corresponding domain name.
4. Landrush - 21 June 2010 - 13 July 2010
Anyone
who is interested in securing a short and memorable domain name of high
commercial value will have the opportunity to submit an application
before General Availability begins. Matching applications will be
resolved at auction.
5. General Availabilty - 20 July 2010
.CO domain names can be registered on a “first come, first served” basis.
If you want a copy of the .co provisional launch document, please email [email protected].
The above dates are tentative and are subject to change.