.info

This article is about the Internet domain. For the magazine, see.info(magazine).For other uses, seeInfo.

.info

Introduced	June 26, 2001(2001-06-26)
TLDtype	Generic top-level domain
Status	Active
Registry	Afilias
Sponsor	None
Intended use	Informational websites
Actual use	Used for general purposes
Registration restrictions	None
Structure	Registrations at second level permitted
Documents	ICANN registry agreement
Dispute policies	UDRP
Registry website	afilias.info

.infois ageneric top-level domain(gTLD) in theDomain Name System(DNS) of theInternet.The name is derived frominformation,although registration requirements do not prescribe any particular purpose.

The TLDinfofollowedICANN's highly publicized announcement,in late 2000, of a phased release of seven new generictop-level domains.The event was the first addition of major gTLDs since the Domain Name System was developed in the 1980s. The seven new gTLDs, selected from over 180 proposals, were meant in part to take the pressure off thecomdomain.

History

Domaininfohas been operated byAfiliassince its creation. In 2003, it was the first gTLD domain to support IETF standards-basedinternationalized domain names.In 2001, Afilias CTO (Ram Mohan) discoveredproblems with theUniversal Acceptanceof the domain due to it being the first tld whose length was greater than two or three characters.

The launching ofinfoinvolved a "Sunrise Period"for trademark owners, followed by a" landrush "open to all, the first time such a process had ever been conducted for a new gTLD. This process received criticism for giving trademarks precedence over words that are generic in other contexts; for instance, the Caterpillar construction equipment company was able to registercat.infobefore feline enthusiasts were.

Although a large number of fraudulent registrations were initially made by registrants who did not actually own a valid trademark, a challenge procedure later weeded out most of these.

Prior to launch, the names of countries were reserved from registration at the request ofICANN,to the consternation of those who had paid pre-registration fees to attempt to register these names in the landrush.ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee, composed of country representatives from around the world applauded the move, the first by any major domain to protect the national interests of sovereign nations.

Usage

Domaininfohas been the most successful of the seven new domain names, with over 5.2 million domain names in the registry as of April 2008. After theSeptember 11, 2001 attacksin the United States, theMetropolitan Transportation Authorityof New York switched to the easier to remember mta.info website to lead users to latest information on schedules and route changes on the area's transportation services. ICANN and Afilias have also sealed an agreement for country names to be reserved by ICANN under resolution 01.92.

Infois an unrestricted domain, meaning that anyone can obtain asecond-level domainfor any purpose, similar to the domainscom,netandorg.This is in contrast to TLDs such asedu,orcoop.Infois the only top-level domain that was explicitly created and chartered for unrestricted use, although various other TLDs resulted in this situationde facto.Infostands forinformationin about 37 languages, and is a neutral name.

Afilias,the registry operator of both theinfoandaerotop-level domains, has been aggressive in its marketing of the domain, with significant registrar incentives and outreach events.

External links

• .info Registry Agreement with ICANN
• Domebase,a site with commentary and studies regarding the.info launch