Landrush period

A landrush period is the time during which domain names are available for registration, usually to a closed group (usually through a premium price), to entities that do not own a trademark in the name they wish to register, for example generic terms like loan or car, and thus would not qualify for registration during the sunrise period. Orders may or may not be treated on a first-come-first-served basis. This period follows the sunrise period just after the launch of a new top-level domain or second-level domain during which, for example, owners of trademarks may register a domain name containing the owned mark, but a landrush period precedes a period of general availability, when any qualifying entity can register any name on a first come first-served basis.

As launches occur, gTLDs will follow a cycle of different launch phases. All launch phases start with the Sunrise Period, there is flexibility with the other stages.

The Sunrise period is often a 30-day (or longer) phase during which trademark owners can purchase domain names before they are offered to the general public. This period of time allows for companies to keep the domain name associated with their brand before someone can publicly purchase the domain. Often domains such as info, mobi, pk, and eu are picked up by companies during the sunrise period that proceeds the larger landrush period. In order to participate in the sunrise period, one has to be a registered trademark holder with the Trademark Clearing House. The allowance of time for each registered domain name in the sunrise period is two years. After that, the trademark holder needs to reclaim their domain.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) defines the landrush period as the time between the Sunrise Period and General availability during which applications for a domain name may be received from any interested eligible party.

Registries often have the option of including a landrush period, but this process is not mandatory. In the landrush period registration is open to everyone, but the registration is sold at a higher price than the regular price. Also some domains during a landrush period could be auctioned or on a "first come, first-served" basis.

The only domains not offered to everyone during the landrush period are Premium Domains. Each registry reserves the right to reserve high value or "Premium" domains and to sell or auction those domains at elevated prices.

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Wikipedia