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DotFree starts taking .free domain preregistrations

Kevin Murphy, November 1, 2010, 14:49:22 (UTC), Domain Registries

The DotFree Group, which plans to apply to ICANN to run .free as a top-level domain, has become one of the first would-be registries to open its doors for preregistrations.
From noon UTC today, the Czech company has made a tool available on its web site enabling users to reserve their desired strings by handing over their contact information.
Of course, there’s no guarantee any preregistration will actually turn into a .free domain – ICANN may turn down DotFree’s application or award the string to another bidder.
While the plan is to offer some .free domains free of charge, DotFree intends to hold tens (or hundreds) of thousands of “premium” strings for auction or paid-for registrations.
In other words, if you try to register any really juicy strings today, you’re out of luck.
DotFree is one of only a few unapproved TLD registries to accept preregistrations.
ICM Registry started taking .xxx preregs a few years ago, but only after it had already received ICANN’s approval (which was, of course, later revoked).
Another wannabe TLD operator, the MLS Domains Association, is charging “multiple listing service” real estate brokers many hundreds of dollars for the opportunity to own their own .mls domain name.
UPDATE: Messing around with the preregistration tool, I’ve noticed that it appears to ban any string that ends with the number 4. Presumably these will be “premium”, due to the “for” pun.

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Comments (12)

  1. kandyjet says:

    amazing i cannot type numbers in to this box http://www.dotfree.com/register/index.php

    • Kevin Murphy says:

      Looks like it is possible to type numbers, just not as the first character.
      It doesn’t seem to like any string with the numeral 4 in it, either.
      How odd.
      Good spot kandyjet.

  2. kandyjet says:

    oops more errors
    Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Can’t connect to local MySQL server through socket ‘/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock’ (11) in /home/dotfreec/public_html/register/framework/webpagebase.php on line 19
    cannot connect

  3. kandyjet says:

    @Kevin Murphy
    “Looks like it is possible to type numbers, just not as the first character.”
    good finding!

  4. kandyjet says:

    @Kevin Murphy
    “It doesn’t seem to like any string with the numeral 4 in it, either.”
    lol, yes yes, you can’t have number 4 at the end of any name it seems. ex: sex4.free , hosting4.free like
    totally band i feel 🙂

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  9. This is a great idea!
    .free will be getting a lot of attention this is a great idea, “.free” easily memorable and suited to many niches.
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  10. john says:

    I also like to register one for me. where would i register .free domain.
    Kind Regards
    john

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