A landrush period is the time during which domain names are available for registration, usually to a closed group (usually through a premium price), to entities that do not own a trademark in the name they wish to register, for example generic terms like loan or car, and thus would not qualify for registration during the sunrise period. Orders may or may not be treated on a first-come-first-served basis. This period follows the sunrise period just after the launch of a new top-level domain or second-level domain during which, for example, owners of trademarks may register a domain name containing the owned mark, but a landrush period precedes a period of general availability, when any qualifying entity can register any name on a first come first-served basis.
Launch phase
As launches occur, gTLDs will follow a cycle of different launch phases. All launch phases start with the Sunrise Period, there is flexibility with the other stages.
Sunrise period
The sunrise period is often a 30-day (or longer) phase during which trademark owners can purchase domain names before they are offered to the general public. This period of time allows for companies to keep the domain name associated with their brand before someone can publicly purchase the domain. Often domains such as info, mobi, and eu are picked up by companies during the sunrise period that precedes the larger landrush period. In order to participate in the sunrise period, one has to be a registered trademark holder with the Trademark Clearing House. The allowance of time for each registered domain name in the sunrise period is two years. After that, the trademark holder needs to reclaim their domain.
Landrush period
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) defines the landrush period as the time between the sunrise period and general availability during which applications for a domain name may be received from any interested eligible party.
Registries often have the option of including a landrush period, but this process is not mandatory. In the landrush period registration is open to everyone, but the registration is sold at a higher price than the regular price. Also some domains during a landrush period could be auctioned or on a "first come, first served" basis.
The only domains not offered to everyone during the landrush period are Premium Domains. Each registry reserves the right to reserve high value or "Premium" domains and to sell or auction those domains at elevated prices.
On average, a landrush period will last about 30 days and, in this period, applications for domain names may be received from any interested and eligible parties before registration is open for general availability.
In 2012 a digital land rush was expected because of a possible creation of new domain names and web addresses. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit, is currently responsible for regulation of domain names, and ICANN predicted a landrush period for the new domain names. ICANN surveyed the public for new possible names, and the organization had a goal of trying to expand new top-level domain names. As new domain names are created, ICANN hopes for many overseers to sell their name to registrars. According to ICANN, the front-runner for a new domain name is ".shop" and the goal is to increase supply and demand for domain names. A landrush period will occur over the creation of new domain names because as the new domain names are created, overseers will sell their domain names, which will cause businesses and individuals to rush to buy new names. This increase in demand causes a landrush period and leads to increase consumption of domain names. In addition to an increase of demand in a landrush period, ICANN hopes to have a greater landrush period than ".jobs", which was a failure.
ICANN's Procedure for Landrush
According to The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in order to participate in a Landrush period applicants must submit an application for a domain name that was not previously allocated, not eligible for allocation, and is not subject of an application that is being currently processed by the auction provider. Also multiple applications for the same domain name will be settled with an auction. In addition, a claims period will be in effect during the entire duration of the Landrush period and the applicant must accept the information contained within a Claim Notice.