DUBLIN, Ireland, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- dotMobi, the company behind the first and only Internet address created for mobile phones, today announced that qualified trademark owners may apply for .mobi Premium Names starting September 15, 2006.

In cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), dotMobi has developed a Premium Name Application Process for trademark holders. Trademark holders must meet clearly defined criteria to apply to have their name removed from the Premium Name list and successfully register the domain. The Premium Name Application Process can be accessed at the dotMobi and WIPO Web sites (http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/gtld/mobi/).

Among other things, the WIPO process rules for .mobi Premium Names specify that:

* The Applicant is a holder of a national trademark registered prior to July 11, 2005, or applied for before that date but registered before the time of application to WIPO * The trademark has been used by the applicant in good faith for at least five years prior to applying for the domain * A Trademark certificate and other documentary evidence be provided * A short description of why the applicant is entitled to register the Premium Name accompanies the application

"The importance of setting rules for Premium Names reinforces our commitment to help well-established trademark holders build their brand," said Neil Edwards, CEO of dotMobi. "The main objective of the Premium Names list is to ensure content-rich dotMobi sites with new features and services for the mobile community. We also look forward to seeing entrepreneurs participate in the development of content related to the other thousands of Premium Names that will be made available to the general public."

The dotMobi Premium Names list is a compilation of commonly used ("generic") words and phrases which dotMobi has set aside for equitable allocation as an alternate to the traditional "first come, first serve" procedure.

Beginning October 13, 2006, Premium Names will be sold to the general public after the conclusion of the four-week WIPO application process. Names will be distributed in batches through 2008 using both auction and Request for Tender (RFT) processes.

dotMobi's Sunrise Registration period is currently ongoing. Trademark and intellectual property (IP) holders are able to register their trademarks as .mobi domain names until September 22. Beginning September 26, the general public can register highly desirable .mobi domain names through a registrar at a slightly higher price during the dotMobi Landrush period. Starting October 11, .mobi domain names can be registered through a registrar at standard prices.

The list of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) accredited registrars for dotMobi domain names can be found at: http://dotmobi.mobi/registrar.

dotMobi Backed by Industry

Backed by many of the world's leading mobile operators, handset manufacturers and software developers, dotMobi (the informal name of mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd.) was designated as the official worldwide registry for the dotMobi domain by ICANN in July 2005.

For more information on dotMobi domains and registration information, visit http://dotmobi.mobi/. Visit the dotMobi blog at http://blog.mobi/.

About dotMobi

dotMobi (the informal name of mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd.), a joint venture company based in Dublin, Ireland with offices in Washington, DC, is leading the development of Internet usage from mobile phones by switching on the dotMobi domain name. Unique among domain name providers, dotMobi ensures that services and sites developed around dotMobi are optimized for use by mobile devices. On-the-go consumers can have confidence that the Internet site or service will work from their mobile device when using the dotMobi address.

dotMobi is backed by leading mobile operators, network and device manufacturers, and Internet content providers, including Ericsson, GSM Association, Hutchison 3, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, T-Mobile, Telefonica Moviles, TIM and Vodafone. dotMobi is also a sponsor of W3C's Mobile Web Initiative.

CONTACT: Vance Hedderel of dotMobi (mobile Top Level Domain, Ltd.), +1-703-485-5563, vhedderel@mtld.mobi; or Tara Yingst of Edelman, +1-650-762-2942, tara.yingst@edelman.com, for dotMobi.

CONTACT: Vance Hedderel of dotMobi (mobile Top Level Domain, Ltd.),
+1-703-485-5563, vhedderel@mtld.mobi; or Tara Yingst of Edelman,
+1-650-762-2942, tara.yingst@edelman.com, for dotMobi

Web site: http://dotmobi.mobi/
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/gtld/mobi