.coop -- one member. one vote. one domain. | |
Introduced | 2001 |
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TLD type | Sponsored top-level domain |
Status | Active |
Registry | Midcounties Co-operative operates the registry on behalf of DotCooperation LLC |
Sponsor | DotCooperation LLC, a subsidiary of the National Cooperative Business Association |
Intended use | Co-operatives |
Registration restrictions | Only co-operatives and associated organisations may register; eligibility is verified through organizations of co-operatives |
Structure | Direct second-level registrations are allowed; some generic words were reserved by the registry to be awarded to applicants with acceptable proposals for their use |
Documents | ICANN registry agreement |
Dispute policies | UDRP, Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Procedure (CEDRP) |
Registry website | nic.coop |
.coop is a generic top-level domain intended for the use of cooperatives. It was created as a result of ICANN's announcement in late 2000 of a phased release of seven new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) intended in part to take the pressure off the overcrowded .com domain. It was backed by a coalition of interest groups, was developed by the worker co-operative Poptel in the UK and became operational on January 30, 2002.
.coop is a sponsored top-level domain and restricted to those who meet specified criteria: cooperative organizations, wholly owned subsidiaries, and other organisations that exist to promote or support co-operatives. Its sponsor is DotCooperation LLC (also known as dotCoop), which was created as a subsidiary of the American NCBA (National Cooperative Business Association) to operate the TLD. It was the NCBA that funded the lion's share of the costs of creating .coop.
.coop domains are expensive compared to many other domains, costing in the region of $100 per year, depending on the choice of registrar or reseller. Registrations are processed via accredited registrars.
External links
- IANA .coop WHOIS info
- .coop registry
- DynDNS.com - the sole DNS provider for the .coop TLD
- List of .coop accredited registrars