Dot London Launches Sunrise and Landrush Periods

A few weeks ago, the first of the thousands of new domain names were released, with more being added almost every day. From .build to .sexy, these new gTLDs are expected to shake up the marketplace, giving more people the chance to nab the web address they truly wanted but missed out on.

Among these new domain names is the widely publicised Dot London (.london). The Dot London group aim to give Londoners some of the benefits of being linked with the English capital and establish London businesses in their hometown. Dot London has generated a huge buzz so far, with backers such as Deborah Meaden and prime slots on the BBC London news. It’s no surprise that a watertight system would be vital to ensure the right people get hold of the right domain names. Here’s a short guide to securing your dot London web address:

Sunrise Period

The dot London domain name will be subject to a Sunrise period for 90 days prior to general availability release. This period is intended to give trademark holders the right to their web address on dot London. Anyone who can prove a trademarked name, registered with the trademark clearinghouse at ICANN will have first dibs on securing that name as the dot London address.

This Sunrise privilege costs £150 (non-refundable) as well as the £30 registration for one year. The Sunrise period runs from April 29th until July 31st.

Landrush Period

Running alongside the Sunrise period for the dot London domain name is the Landrush period. Landrush refers to a pre-registration type of process, where those who don’t have a trademark but do have a solid right to a name, can get the chance to secure the domain name. Those who qualify for Landrush are those with a London address and a right to the name (for example, it matches their business name) followed by those simply with the London address.

Landrush also costs £150 (non-refundable) plus the £30 annual registration fee. The landrush also runs from April 29th until July 31st.

General Availability

Once the sunrise and landrush period are over (on July 31st), the names will be allocated appropriately and fairly along the terms. If two or more people request the same name and have the same level of ‘right’ to it, then the name will enter an auction phase where the highest bidder will win.

If, after all of that, you wish to register a dot London, you can do so in the usual way you would register a domain name. It costs £30 per year to register the name.

The dot London process is slightly more complicated than other domain names, but its popularity means that it has to be so. Remember to apply through sunrise if you have a trademark, but only through landrush if you have an address within London. This will ensure your best chance of getting the domain name you want with a great .London extension.

For more information on dot London, read London Domain Names.