cooking to serve up the best in web addresses from April 15 2014

April 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Cooking enthusiasts, professional chefs and restaurateurs will have an online bake-off to remember from April 15 when web addresses within the new .cooking top-level domain will be available for purchase for the very first time.

Designed to create a specific identity on the Internet for all those who are passionate about cooking, .cooking is being introduced onto the web to provide meaning, choice and opportunity to cooking enthusiasts - those with their own cooking recipes and tips - cooking academies, caterers, as well as manufacturers and retailers of cooking utensils and books.

Antony Van Couvering, the CEO of Minds + Machines, the registry operating the new .cooking domain, explained:

“People and businesses on the web want to be identified and found by terms that describe what they do, whether it’s a commercial or private activity. We also want to be easily linked with or connected to those who share similar interests. The .cooking web address ending makes that possible by sending a clear signal to people and search engines that the website behind the name is all about cooking. It’s a great opportunity to get a great, clear, descriptive domain name instead of jostling for a second-best name in an overcrowded space like .com."

How to register

For a 60 day period from April 15 , trademark holders and  members of the public can simply log-on at www.mindsandmachines.com, to apply for their .cooking address of choice (e.g. gourmet.cooking, or janesmith.cooking). At the end of the 60 day period – known as the “Sunrise” for trademark holders, and “Landrush” for the general public – .cooking addresses will be issued, and duplicate applications for the same name will be invited to auction, with trademarks taking precedence.

Antony Van Couvering continued:

“Ahead of our formal launch, we have been excited by the level of interest shown in .cooking addresses from within the food industry as well as from people who are simply passionate about their food. We believe the .cooking domain will be where businesses and individuals who care about cooking will naturally migrate.”

Interesting stats

There are currently:

·         285 country codes such as .uk, .fr, de;

·         22 original generic top-level domains such as .com, .net and .org;

·         Over a 1000 new generic top-level domains will be introduced onto the Internet as a result of ICANN’s gTLD program – of which over 500 will be new generic top-level domains available for public registration and around 500 will be private new top-level domains introduced by brands for their own purposes.

According to wiki.answers there are believed to be:

·         Over 6 billion recipes worldwide;

·         3,113,192 restaurants;

·         156 master chefs.

AboutMinds + Machines Group Limited

Minds + Machines Group Limited is a publicly traded holding company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange focused on the new top-level domain space. Top-level domains, such as .com and .net are regulated by ICANN. ICANN is currently expanding the number of new generic top-level domains from the current 23 to over 1000 through its ‘new gTLD program’. The Company is one of the leading applicants for new gTLDs under this programme.

AboutMinds+Machines’ Registry and Registrar operations

Minds + Machines’ registry operations are provided through its wholly owned registry services provider, Minds + Machines LLC, which works internationally with commercial organisations, cities, not-for-profits and entrepreneurs to secure and operate new top-level domains (TLDs). In addition, the Group wholly owns Minds + Machines Registrar Limited (Ireland) and Minds and Machines Registrar UK Limited, both being registrar businesses through which the public can buy addresses in new and existing top-level domains. Further information on Minds + Machines' registry and registrar operations can be found at www.mm-registry.com and www.mindsandmachines.com respectively.