Registration of .info names begins on 25th July for trade mark holders, the start of the so-called “sunrise period.” During this period, those with a reputation in their trading name can stake their claims to .info names to protect their trade mark rights. The “sunrise period” will close on 28th August.
There will then be a 15 day “quiet period” for “testing and evaluation.” The close of the sunrise period on August 28th also marks the commencement of the “sunrise challenge process”, during which challenges to names registered during the “sunrise period” may be raised. This will last for 120 days.
Registration for the general public will commence on 12th September after the “quiet period” and the names themselves are expected to go live one week after that date. The only names that will not go live at that time will be those that are the subject of disputes.
The phased introduction of the .biz domain has already begun. The first phase, the Intellectual Property Claim Service, is intended to give trade mark owners special protection before they even apply for their names much like the “sunrise period” for .info. However, this stage of protection, which ends on 6th August, in fact offers little more protection than the rights already given to trade mark owners under other existing rules.
From June 25th (although the date is still subject to change), applications can be made for .biz names. The names are not actually live at this stage, so cannot be used with a web site. If more than one business claims the same .biz name at this stage, in most cases, one applicant will be chosen at random. The only exception is if one applicant staked a claim in the first phase, which means dispute resolution proceedings may follow. The names are expected to go live on 1st October, shortly after the .info names, but again, the date is uncertain.
Unlike .biz names, which are intended only for business purposes, there will be no restrictions on who applies for the .info names. If there are several applications for the same .info name, a winner is chosen at random, although the rules favour early applicants.