MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an open letter to brand owners, .CO Internet S.A.S. (www.COinternet.co), the new registry operator for the .CO top-level domain, today announced its plan to ensure that the rights of brand owners will be respected and protected in connection with the launch of the .CO domain. The full letter to brand owners can be found at www.cointernet.co/domain/launch/global-sunrise/.

Guided by internationally recognized best practices, and in consultation with the leading global firms of Deloitte and Laga, .CO will be a pioneer in the domain industry by implementing many of the Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) proposed by ICANN’s Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) to safeguard the rights of brand owners around the world. This includes, among other things, implementing a carefully structured Sunrise process, commencing in April, where owners of eligible registered trademarks will have the chance to register corresponding domain names before the registry opens to the general public.

“As the new registry operator of the .CO TLD, we recognize and embrace our responsibility to serve as a reliable trustee for the .CO domain – a unique digital resource with broad global appeal,” said Juan Diego Calle, chief executive officer of .CO Internet. “We are committed to managing the .CO Registry in a responsible manner – one that places a premium on protecting the rights of brand owners.”

Some of the key RPMs and other protections announced by the .CO Registry include:

1) An IP Clearinghouse to assist brand owners (through their registrars) in securing their brands in .CO during the Sunrise process in an efficient and effective manner;

2) A Rapid Takedown Policy to rapidly take down domains in cases where phishing, pharming, malware, or other significant criminal and/or security threats have been established, including serial cyber-squatting; and

3) A list of Specially Protected Marks offering added protection to leading brands that the global consulting firm of Deloitte has independently identified as having made significant efforts to protect and enforce their trademarks in the domain name space. For a full summary of the Deloitte criteria, please refer to http://www.deloitte.com/be/brand-list.

These RPMs are aligned with the Registry’s goal of positioning .CO as a truly global, recognizable and credible domain enabling secure Internet commerce and innovation for consumers, companies and communities worldwide. Associated with the words “COmpany,” “COrporation” and “COmmerce” – the .CO domain launch is expected to generate significant interest given the scarcity of credible web address options in the market.

“We have built the .CO Registry on a globally distributed, state-of-the-art platform with the highest standards of stability, security and performance to seamlessly power the resolution of domain names in every corner of the world,” said Nicolai Bezsonoff, chief operating officer for .CO Internet. “In addition to being recognized in the industry for our stable, secure technology, we want .CO domain names to be relied on by the world’s leading businesses, trademark owners and entrepreneurs as stable, secure digital assets on which to build and grow their brands.”

More details on the various RPMs .CO Internet is putting in place can be found at http://www.cointernet.co/global-responsibility. Additional information will be published as it becomes available. In the meanwhile, holders of brands who are identified on the Deloitte Brand List will be contacted once the list is published and invited to register their respective brands with .CO Internet.

About .CO Internet S.A.S.

.CO Internet S.A.S. is the Registry Operator for the .CO top-level domain. .CO Internet was formed by a strategic venture between Arcelandia S.A., a wholly-owned Colombian company, and the U.S. public company, Neustar, Inc. The .CO domain offers individuals and businesses a truly global, recognizable and credible option in branding their online presence. Thanks to newly liberalized policies, leading-edge technology, enhanced security and unprecedented rights protections for trademark owners, the .CO domain is poised to become the world’s next premier web address. For additional information, please visit www.COinternet.co.