.software
| Status: | Delegated |
| Registry Provider: | Demand Media |
| Registry: | Rightside |
| Registry Backend: | Donuts |
| Type: | Generic |
| Category: | Technology |
| PIC Submitted: | Download Here |
| Priority #: | 650 - Donuts (Over Birch, LLC) |
| nTLDStats | |
| Registrations: | 18,702 |
| Parked Domains: | 8,866 |
| Parked Domain %: | 47.41 % |
| Important Dates | |
| Delegation: | 31 May 2014 |
| General Availability: | 10 December 2014 |
More Information: 
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.software is a gTLD that was proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant was Donuts (Over Birch, LLC) but ownership of the TLD was later transferred to Rightside (United TLD Holdco, Ltd.).[1] Their application succeeded and was delegated to the Root Zone on 31 May 2014, making Rightside the Registry Operator of the string.[2]
Background
Application Details
Many of Donuts' applications, including this one, seem to have been applied for using the same boiler-plate application in which the TLD is defined as a means of providing greater expression on the Internet and will be an open TLD without pre-registration policies. It notes its plans to adhere with all registration policies required by ICANN and its intent to have remediation and takedown policies clearly defined to fit within these requirements. Pre-registration verification will not be used and this as defined as causing "cause more harm than benefit by denying domain access to legitimate registrants." They intend to control abuse through "extensive user and rights protections."[3]
Ownership Transfer to Rightside
Donuts applied for .software through Over Birch, LLC which is a subsidiary of Covered TLD, LLC. Donuts used Covered TLD to apply for 107 of its 307 New gTLD applications, and it is believed that Rightside (through subsidiary United TLD Holdco) has the option to gain an ownership stake in the TLD applications under Covered TLD. Thus there are a number of the 107 TLDs under Covered TLD in which ownership was transferred from Donuts to Rightside.[4]
Contract Signed
On 20 March 2014 Donuts received a Registry Agreement signed by ICANN for .software after passing all the required processes needed to become a Registry Operator for the string. Later Donuts assigned the Registry Agreement to Rightside (United TLD Holdco, Ltd.).[5]
Delegation and Availability
.software was delegated to the Root Zone of the DNS on 31 May 2014, completing the successful application for the string.[2]
References
- ↑ Reveal Day 13 June 2012 – New gTLD Applied-For Strings
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Delegated Strings, ICANN.org Retrieved 3 June 2014
- ↑ ApplicationDetails, gTLDresult.ICANN.orgRetrieved 12 Dec 2012
- ↑ Donuts Assigns Rights to .futbol and .reviews TLDs to Demand Media's Rightside, DomainNameWire.com Retrieved 04 June 2014
- ↑ Registry Agreements, ICANN.org Retrieved 3 June 2014