Co-operative movements to retain exclusive use of .coop domain for the next 10 years

The .coop domain to retain exclusivivity for the co-operative movement for the next 10 years. Dot Cooperation LLC (Dot Coop) renewed it’s contract with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for another 10 years whereby negotiations for renewal began in 2016 and were finalised this year in November end.

Launched in 2001, the domain is managed by DotCooperation LLC (DotCoop), which is jointly owned by the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA) and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). and will continue to be available only to bona fide co-operatives and co-operative organisations.

Every domain name on the Internet is licensed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The ownership negotiations began in 2016; communications officer at DotCoop, Tom Ivey, says the process took over two years due to the changing environment and regulations within domain name industry.

“Since 2012, ICANN has opened up the market and there are over 1,000 namespaces (TLDs) so the standards for operating them have changed,” he said.

“We are in the age of the new internet. In this crowded space online where everyone has the space they want, we needed to safeguard this domain we have. We were one of the first to be added to the internet after .com. It’s important that we managed to secure this space for the co-operative movement.”

“Most domain names out there have no such restrictions, they can be used by everybody. This is fundamental, it means that if a co-op uses this domain it’s like a badge, they are verified, they joined this co-op movement,” added Mr Ivey.