Global registry services provider Afilias today announced that the one-month sunrise period is now open for its socially responsible top-level domain (TLD): .ORGANIC. The sunrise period allows qualified trademark holders to register names immediately; other members of the organic community can register names beginning September 15.

Interest in organic products is growing rapidly worldwide; however, terms like “natural” and “healthy” are often used interchangeably with “organic” on the Internet and elsewhere, causing consumer confusion.

The .ORGANIC domain reduces consumer confusion by provisioning a dedicated, protected place on the Internet for providers of bona fide organic products and services. Unlike open domains like .com and .net, the .ORGANIC TLD limits eligibility to domain owners who have verified their organic credentials. This means consumers can have confidence in sites that have a .ORGANIC address.

“Given the demand for authentic organic products and services, the arrival of the .ORGANIC domain will be welcomed by both consumers and providers of organic goods and services,” said Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President and CMO, Afilias. “For the first time, consumers can now find organic sites on the Internet that are verified and reliable.”

.ORGANIC addresses are only available to verifiably organic farmers, producers, manufacturers, co-packers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and official organic certifiers. Eligibility also extends to other organic-oriented entities such as restaurants and trade organizations that may not be certified but can meet special .ORGANIC criteria tailored to their role in the community.

During the sunrise period—ending on September 5, 2014—registration is limited to eligible trademark holders. To apply, please visit a sunrise authorized registrar. Beginning September 15, all members of the organic community may register at any .ORGANIC authorized registrar.

For more information about .ORGANIC, visit www.get.organic.