.info
From Freepedia
| .info | |
| Image:Infologo.jpg | |
| Introduced | 2001 |
| TLD type | Generic top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Afilias |
| Sponsoring organization | None |
| Intended use | Informational sites |
| Actual use | A variety of uses; many held by speculators |
| Registration restrictions | None |
| Structure | Registrations at second level permitted |
| Documents | ICANN registry agreement |
| Dispute policies | UDRP, Sunrise Challenge Policy (SCP), Challenges of Last Resort (CLR) |
| Web site | nic.info |
.info is a generic top-level domain intended for informative websites, although its use is not restricted. It was a part of ICANN's highly publicized announcement, in late 2000, of a phased release of seven new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The event was billed as the first addition of major gTLDs to the Internet since the DNS was developed in the 1980s. The seven new gTLDs, selected from over 180 proposals, were meant in part to take the pressure off the overcrowded .com domain.
.info is an unrestricted domain, meaning anyone can obtain a second-level domain under .info. You don't have to be a library, for example. You could be someone masquerading as an information source but really targeting and exploiting a market. This is in contrast to a TLD such as .edu or .coop, which comes with criteria.
The launching of .info involved a "sunrise period" for trademark owners followed by a "landrush" open to all. This process came under much criticism for giving trademarks precedence over words that are generic in other contexts; for instance, the Caterpillar construction equipment company was able to get cat.info before anybody else, such as a feline enthusiast, even had a chance, and sex.info went to somebody who had a trademark on a graphical logo including the word "sex". In addition, many fraudulent registrations were made by registrants who didn't actually own a valid trademark; a challenge procedure later weeded out some, but not all, of these.
In another controversial move, at the last minute before registrations began the names of countries were reserved from registration at the request of ICANN, to the consternation of those who had paid pre-registration fees to attempt to register these names in the landrush.
Many .info names have been registered (the most of any of the new TLDs), but critics still say that recognition by the general public is low, and many are hoarded speculatively or used for unsavory purposes such as sites advertised in e-mail spam.
The .info domain has been operated since its creation by Afilias.
External links
- website of Afilias
- .info Registry Agreement with ICANN
- Domebase, a site with commentary and studies regarding the .info launch
- Chart showing number of .info domain names relative to other TLDs
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