.ME will officially be launched through an initial Sunrise period and will then move onto a Landrush period before being released to the general public on a “first come, first served basis”.
.ME will probably be used more as a marketing tool than to identify a particular brand to Montenegro but nevertheless it will be an important extension that should be secured by trade mark owners.
Sunrise Period
The Sunrise period will comprise of several phases, each explained below:
May 1-May 6: Montenegrin Sunrise
Only applications from Montenegrin entities will be allowed during this phase. These applications will be evaluated in the Quiet Period (see below), along with applications from the General Sunrise (see below). If more than one application is received for a domain during this phase the applicants will then participate in an auction in order to secure the domain. Applications for this phase must be submitted directly to the registry by the applicant.
May 6-May 20: General Sunrise
Trade mark owners may apply for a domain based on any registered trade mark worldwide. If more than one application is received for a domain during this phase the applicants will then participate in an auction in order to secure the domain.
May 20-June 6: First Quiet Period
During this period auctions will be held for domains that received more than one application during the Montenegrin Sunrise and General Sunrise Periods. During this phase applications will also be checked to determine if they comply with the Sunrise conditions.
June 6-June 26: Landrush
Landrush applications will be accepted during this phase. A trade mark registration is not required during this phase. The domains applied for during this phase are not awarded on a first come, first served” basis therefore if more than one application is received for a domain during this phase the applicants will then participate in an auction in order to secure the domain.
June 26-July 15: Second Quiet Period
During this period the registry will be closed in order to hold Landrush auctions for domains that received more than one application during the Landrush phase.
July 17: Open Registration (Live Registration)
Domains can be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
"Premium Names" Auction
The "Premium Names" auctions are expected to begin in September 2008. Premium Names are domains that are anticipated to be in high demand so the registry has prevented these domains from being registered and will only release them via an auction. The domains will include names like contact.ME, its.ME or about.ME.
General Sunrise Conditions
The applicant must comply with all the conditions below during the General Sunrise Period.
1. The registered trade mark or service mark relied upon must have been registered in the name of the applicant on or before 28 June 2006. It will also be sufficient if the trade mark was submitted before that date and subsequently registered after that date; and
2. The Domain Name must be identical to the textual or word elements of the trade mark or service mark registration on which the application is based; and
3. The trade mark or service mark registration on which the application is based must be of national effect.
Prices
Sunrise: minimum 5 year registration of £104/year = £520 (for 5 years)
Landrush: minimum 2 year registration of £39/year = £78 (for 2 years)
Open registration: minimum 2 year registration of £19/year = £38 (for 2 years)
For more information or to apply for a .ME domain contact our Domain Name Department on +442081331319 (UK), +27823333391 (ZA), +436641641255 (AT), +16174183502 (US) or simply send an email to [email protected].