.ASIA Registry Announces "Pioneer Domains Program"
The .ASIA registry has launched a new program designed to award .ASIA domain names to applicants based upon relevant content and business plans. Applicants for the Pioneer Domains Program will also be required to submit a deposit in most cases, which will be refunded if the registry does not award them the domain name in question.
There are three categories: "Community Pioneer," which is open to individuals, businesses and other organizations that wish to apply for generic words; "Global Brand Pioneers," for "well-established brand owners to develop active and relevant Web sites and services;" and "Partner Pioneers," which is designed for accredited registrars, technology and service providers to promote the .ASIA extension.
While the Sunrise period is designed to provide comprehensive protective measures for trademark owners, the registry says the Global Brand Pioneers category "offers proactive brand holders who are committed to the Asia community the .ASIA domains that best match their mark and businesses."
In order to qualify for the Global Brand category, the registry says a brand must have or demonstrate:
- Trademark registrations in multiple countries and/or regions, with at least one in Asia;
- Significant investment into the development and promotion of the corresponding brand online and offline; and,
- Substantial sales threshold in connection with goods and services associated with the mark.
The registry says the Pioneer Domains Program is not designed to replace the Sunrise process, but has not yet defined what constitutes "a significant level of investment" and "substantial sales" or what the advantages would be for companies to apply through the program versus the Sunrise process.
The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2007. Detailed information and application forms can be found at: http://pioneer.domains.asia/.