Verisign launched its first IDN new gTLD, .コム—the .com you know, now in Japanese—on Dec. 9, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. UTC. We recently submitted updated TLD Startup Information for .コム to ICANN, extending the end date for the .コム Sunrise Period from Jan. 31, 2016, to March 14, 2016, and shifting the dates of the subsequent registration periods. ICANN recently confirmed the following updated registration periods for the .コム TLD*:

Sunrise Period: Dec. 9, 2015 – March 14, 2016

Priority Access Program Period: March 15 – May 15, 2016

Landrush Program Period: May 16 – June 12, 2016

General Registration Period: Start Date June 13, 2016

Trademark Claims Period: June 13 – Sept. 11, 2016

Priority Access Program

The Priority Access Program will last for about 60 days and will be an exclusive registration period for existing registrants of .com domain names as follows:

Registrants of a second-level domain name (in ASCII or IDN script) in the .com top-level domain that registered their domain name prior to the start date of the Priority Access Program Period for .コムon March 15, 2016 at 12:00 a.m. UTC (the “Existing .com Second Level Domain Name”) and that have held the registration of the Existing .com Second Level Domain Name for longer than the Add Grace Period (i.e. the Add Grace Period for .com registry is five calendar days), shall have the exclusive right during the .コム Priority Access Program Period to register the exact match of the Existing .com Second Level Domain Name (the"Matching Second Level Domain Name”) in .コムprovided: (i) such Matching Second Level Domain Name is available for registration in .コム during the .コム Priority Access Program Period; and (ii) such Matching Second Level Domain Name is registered through a registrar that is the same registrar-of-record for the Existing .com Second Level Domain Name.

For example, Bob had registered the domain name bobsdomainname.com on Oct. 26, 2015. During the .コム Priority Access Program Period, from March 15 through May 15, 2016, Bob has the exclusive right to register bobsdomainname.コム, assuming bobsdomainname.コム is available for registration during the .コム Priority Access Program Period, as he registered bobsdomainname.com prior to the start date of the .コム Priority Access Program Period and had held the bobsdomainname.com registration longer than the Add Grace Period. He must register bobsdomainname.コム with the registrar that is the same registrar-of-record for bobsdomainname.com.

For more information about .コム, click here.

Please note that the information in this blog post regarding the registration periods for .コム, including the corresponding dates, is for general information purposes only and is subject to change. For the most current registration periods, corresponding dates and other detailed information regarding .コム, click here.

Written by Manish Dalal, Vice President, Verisign Naming Services Asia