.pro

.PRO

Introduced	2004
TLD type	Generic top-level domain
Status	Active
Registry	RegistryPro
Sponsor	RegistryPro
Intended use	Business use by qualified professionals
Actual use	Little business use to date, some use by EnCirca ProForwarding registrants.
Registration restrictions	Credentials of applicants are self-certified prior to registration
Structure	Second level .PRO domains are available to all government certified individuals and businesses
Documents	ICANN registry agreement
Dispute policies	UDRP, Qualification Challenge Policy (QCP)
Website	registry.pro

.PRO (derived from professional) is a generic top-level domain in the Domain Name System of the Internet intended for use by qualified professionals.

The domain was originally launched in June 2004 with registrations restricted to lawyers, accountants, physicians and engineers in France, Canada, Germany, UK and the US.

In March 2005, the registrar EnCirca introduced its controversial ProForwarding service which enabled unverified individuals and businesses to register pro domains by proxy for $99. Total registrations reached 6,899 by January 2008.

Following consultation with ICANN, the domain was relaunched in September 2008 with a wider remit to include government certified professionals in all countries.^[1] Registrants are required to self-certify their professional status and agree to terms of use before registration, then subsequently provide detailed license information.

The official domain website describes the eligibility criteria as follows:^[2]

• Applicant provides professional services
• Applicant is admitted to or licensed by a government certification body or jurisdictional licensing entity recognized by a governmental body that regularly verifies the accuracy of its data
• Applicant is in good standing with the licensing authority

The domain registry allows registration of second-level domains and third-level domains in the following second-level domains:^[2]

• Legal professions: law.pro, avocat.pro, bar.pro, recht.pro, jur.pro
• Accountancy: cpa.pro, aaa.pro, aca.pro, acct.pro
• Medical professions: med.pro
• Engineering: eng.pro

As of March 2009, the domains may be registered through 29 accredited domain registrars. The number of registered domains was approximately 36,000 with the majority of domains in the United States (51%), followed by France (20%) and Germany (4%).^[3]

See also

• Top-level domain
• Domain name

References

External links

• Official RSS feed of the .PRO TLD
• Official Facebook page of the .PRO TLD
• Official Twitter account of the .PRO TLD
• Authorized .PRO Registrar Partners
• IANA Delegation Record

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