In November 1999, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") - a non-profit group charged by the government with overseeing the domain name system - approved seven new top level domains. Known as gTLD's, they are: ".aero"; ".biz"; ".coop"; ".info"; ".museum"; ".name"; and ".pro." In July 2003, the last of the seven - .pro - is set for launch.
According to the operator of the .pro gTLD, the .pro name is "intended exclusively for professionals who certify that they meet the eligibility requirements for the domain name and undergo a cross-verification process." Each .pro gTLD will be issued with "a digital certificate," which is an online passport for facilitating secure communications and transactions. The operator will initially offer the .pro name to doctors -- .med.pro -- lawyers -- .law.pro--, and certified public accountants -- .cpa.pro.
The .proLive launch in July is for professionals licensed in the United States. The operator of the .pro gTLD has also created a defensive registration service for professionals outside the U.S., permitting them to register and reserve their names until "live" registrations are available in their particular jurisdictions.
On April 23, 2003, the operator opened a "Sunrise Period" to allow holders of nationally registered trademarks issued prior to September 30, 2002 the opportunity to reserve their marks in the .Pro TLD prior to the availability of public registration. During the Sunrise Period, registered mark owners can either block exact trademarks from one profession-specific domain (.proGuard) or block an exact mark across all of the profession-specific domains (.proBlock).