.coop Charter

The .coop TLD will be established to serve the needs of the international cooperative community ("Community"). It will be managed in accordance with the provisions of this charter ("Charter") and in the interests of the Community.

1. The Sponsor will be responsible for establishing registration requirements for the .coop TLD, provided that registrations shall be granted only to persons or entities that are defined in item 3 below.

2. For the purposes of this Charter, a "cooperative" is an organization meeting the definition and committed to the values and principles set forth in the Statement on the Co-operative Identity adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance ("ICA"), as set forth below and as it may be revised from time to time.

3. Sponsor's policies may permit registration within the Community by the following:

(a) members of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA);

(b) members of ICA;

(d) associations comprised of cooperatives;

(e) organizations that are committed to the seven cooperative principles;

(f) organizations that are controlled by cooperatives;

(g) entities whose operations are principally dedicated to serving cooperatives; and

(h) for no more than 5000 registrants, persons or entities whose use of a .coop domain name would, in the opinion of the DCLLC Board, advance the interests of the cooperative sector in general or would assist in the development of cooperatives worldwide.

4. The Sponsor may establish stricter requirements for registrants according to the requirements of policy-development set forth in the TLD Sponsorship Agreement.

5. The Sponsor will promptly convey to ICANN any modifications that may be made to the definition of "cooperative" in the ICA Statement on the Co-operative Identity.

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From Statement of Co-operative Identity

Definition - A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

Values - Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.

Principles - The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.

1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership - Co-operatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.

2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control - Co-operatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote), and co-operatives at other levels are also organized in a democratic manner.

3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation - Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence - Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.

5th Principle: Education, Training and Information - Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6th Principle: Co-operation Among Co-operatives - Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.

7th Principle: Concern for Community - Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

.coop terms & conditions

Our Privacy policy

Information Collection & Use

We collect the information you provide to us when signing up for, or using, one or more of our services. The information you provide ranges from basic contact information to the technical coordinates of your host servers.

As a domain name registrar, we compile and maintain a publicly accessible registration database that includes basic information about each domain name registered with us, including the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of individuals designated as points of contact for a given domain name.

We may use your information to communicate with you about your account, technical questions you may have about services provided by us, or any other matter relating to those services. We also use information about you to ensure that we:
(i) bill you properly,
(ii) administer your account in accordance with your agreements with us and
(iii) properly perform the services you have requested. Finally, we use the information we collect to provide general information that may be of interest to you, including newsletters, surveys, and information about our service or product offerings.

Third Party Information

By purchasing our services, you obtain the protections of, and consent to the data processing practices described in, this Privacy Policy. When you purchase our services, you also represent to us that you have provided notice to, and obtained consent from, any third party individuals whose personal data you supply to us with regard to: (i) the purposes for which such third party's personal data have been collected, (ii) the intended recipients or categories of recipients of the third party's personal data, (iii) which of the third party's data are obligatory and which data, if any, are voluntary, and (iv) how the third party can access and, if necessary, rectify the data held about them.

Information Disclosure

When you register or reserve a domain name through us, we disclose your domain name and its associated Internet Protocol ("IP") addresses to the .coop registry in order to make your chosen domain name a functional address on the Internet. The .coop registry discloses each registered domain name and its associated IP addresses ("TLD zone files") to TLD server administrators. Consistent with the current rules and policies for the Domain Name System, the .coop registry also discloses the TLD zone files to other interested persons, provided those persons agree, among other things, not to use the TLD zone files for improper purposes, including the transmission of unsolicited commercial email.

As noted above, our domain name registrar unit currently makes certain information about you available to the general public via our domain name registration database look-up and directory services. These services give users access to such data on a query-by-query basis.

Security

The information we receive from or about you is stored on systems designed to prevent the loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction of that information. We encrypt your transmission of sensitive information (e.g., credit card numbers, account passwords).

Information Corrections or Changes

You have the ability to correct or change certain information in our records, such as your address and contact information. The instructions for doing this can be found on our Web site at www.d omein-registreren.nl. You may change this information at any time and as often as necessary. If you need assistance or have questions about correcting information, you can contact us via email at helpdesk@vdx.nl.

Our Registrant Service agreement

Introduction

In order to qualify to register names in the .coop top level Internet domain you are required to enter into two agreements, one with PREZENT, an accredited registrar with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and further accredited to register names in .coop, and with DotCooperation LLC, the sponsor of the .coop top level domain ("Sponsor"). This agreement is between you and PREZENT of New Barclay House, Botley Road, Oxford, OX2 0HP, United Kingdom.

View the Registrant Agreement with Sponsor

In this Registrant Service Agreement ("Agreement"), "you" and "your" refer to each customer of PREZENT and "we", "us" and "our" refer to PREZENT.

You acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by all policies, terms and conditions of Sponsor including the Verification Policy, the Dispute Resolution Policy and the Privacy Policy.

You acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all terms and conditions of this Agreement, as well as any additional rules or policies that are or may be established by PREZENT from time to time.

No Guarantee of Registration or Renewal

As a domain name registrar, PREZENT shall, upon accepting your application to register or renew a domain name, submit an application to the Sponsor on your behalf. No domain name registrations, or renewals shall be deemed effective unless and until we deliver the domain name registration or renewal application you provide us to the .coop registry administrator, as applicable, and that Sponsor accepts your application and activates your domain name registration or renewal.

You acknowledge and agree that PREZENT does not guarantee that you will be able to register or renew a desired domain name, even if our systems indicate that domain name is available. You also understand that PREZENT cannot know with certainty whether or not the domain name which you are seeking to register is simultaneously being sought by a third party, or whether there are any inaccuracies or errors in the domain name registration or renewal process or related databases, including the various WHOIS or other registry databases. You also acknowledge and agree that PREZENT is not responsible for any inaccuracies or errors in the domain name registration or renewal process. You further acknowledge and agree that PREZENT or Sponsor may elect to accept or reject your application for registration or renewal for any reason at its sole discretion, such rejection including, but not limited to, rejection due to a request for registration or renewal of a prohibited domain name. You also acknowledge and agree that PREZENT is not liable or responsible in any way for any errors, omissions or any other actions by any third party including Sponsor arising out of or related to your application for and registration of, renewal of, or failure to register or renew a particular domain name.

Fees, Payment & Term of Service

As consideration for the services you have selected, you agree to pay PREZENT the applicable service(s) fees set forth on our Web site at the time of your selection. All fees are due immediately and are non-refundable. PREZENT may take all remedies available to collect fees owed. Unless otherwise specified, each PREZENT service is for a two-year initial term and renewable thereafter for successive terms of one year or more. Any renewal of your services with us is subject to our then current terms and conditions and payment of all applicable service fees at the time of renewal and in the case of domain name re-registration, our acceptance of your domain name re-registration in our capacity as a registrar for .coop names and acceptance by Sponsor in their capacity as the registry for .coop names.

You agree to pay all value added, sales and other applicable taxes related to the service(s) provided to you hereunder. All payments of fees for the service(s) provided by shall be made in a suitable currency. All sums due and payable that remain unpaid will accrue interest as specified by PREZENT from time to time without prejudice to any other right or remedy of PREZENT. In the event that PREZENT does not specify an applicable rate of interest, interest shall accrue monthly on any amounts overdue at the rate of 3% above the base rate of Barclays Bank Plc as applying from time to time to run from the due date for payment until receipt by PREZENT of the full amount.

In the event of a charge back by a credit card company (or similar action by another payment provider allowed by us) or other non-payment by you in connection with your payment of the applicable service fee, you acknowledge and agree that the domain name registration for which such fee has not been paid shall be transferred to PREZENT as the entity that has paid the applicable fee to the registry, and that we reserve all rights regarding such domain name registration including, without limitation, the right to deal with the domain name as the full beneficial and legal owner including the right to make the domain name registration available to other parties for purchase. We will reinstate any such domain name registration solely at our discretion, and subject to our receipt of the applicable fee and our then-current reinstatement fee as specified from time to time.

ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, EVEN IF YOUR SERVICE IS SUSPENDED, CANCELLED OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE THEN-CURRENT SERVICE TERM. However in limited circumstances fees may be refunded by PREZENT in its absolute and sole discretion. PREZENT reserves the right to change fees, surcharges, renewal fees or to institute new fees at any time at its sole discretion, without prior notice to you provided that no additional fees shall be payable for services already paid for in full by you.

You are solely responsible for ensuring the services are renewed. PREZENT SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE RENEWAL OR ANY ATTEMPT TO RENEW THE SERVICES AS DESCRIBED HEREIN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY FAILURE OR ERRORS IN RENEWING OR ATTEMPTING TO RENEW THE SERVICES. The foregoing limitation of liability is in addition to any other limitations of liability set forth in this Agreement.

Eligibility & Privacy

As further consideration for the service(s), you agree to:

provide certain current, complete and accurate information about you as required by the application process;

meet all eligibility requirements mandated by Sponsor for registration of a .coop name, as set forth in Attachment A hereto; and

maintain and update this information as needed to keep it current, complete and accurate.

We rely on accurate information provided by you to send you important information and notices regarding your account and our services, and to monitor whether .coop names are being used appropriately. In the event you are found not to be entitled to register a .coop domain name for failure to meet Sponsor eligibility requirements, you acknowledge and agree that the domain name may not be registered (and, if already registered, will be withdrawn). You release PREZENT from any and all liability stemming from withdrawal of any domain name. Withdrawn .coop names will be returned to the pool of names available for registration.

Our [Privacy Policy] incorporated herein by reference sets forth your and our rights and responsibilities with regard to your personal information. We will not process the personal data that we collect from you in a way incompatible with the purposes and other limitations described in our Privacy Policy and we will take reasonable precautions to protect your personal data from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or accidental destruction. Subject to the requirements of our Privacy Policy, in order for us to comply the current rules and policies for the domain name system, you hereby grant to PREZENT the right to disclose to third parties through an interactive publicly accessible registration database the following mandatory information that you are required to provide when registering or reserving a domain name:

the domain name(s) registered by you;

your name and postal address;

the name(s), postal address(es), e-mail address(es), voice telephone number and where available the fax number(s) of the technical and administrative contacts for your domain name(s);

the Internet protocol numbers of the primary nameserver and secondary nameserver(s) for such domain name(s);

the corresponding names of those nameservers;

the original creation date of the registration;

the expiration date of the registration.

Additional Information Maintained

In addition to the information you provide, we maintain records relating to any domain name application received by PREZENT, as well as any domain name registered through, administered, or renewed by PREZENT. We also maintain records relating to other services that we provide to you. These records may include, but are not limited to:

The original creation date of a domain name registration, renewal, or request for service;

The submission date and time of a registration or renewal application to us and by us to the registry;

Communications (electronic or paper form) constituting submissions, forwarding, modifications, or terminations of service and related correspondence between you and us;

Records of your account, including dates and amounts of all payments and refunds;

The IP addresses of the primary nameserver and any secondary nameservers for the domain name;

The corresponding names of those nameservers;

The name, postal address, email address, voice telephone number, and where available, fax number of the zone contact for a domain name;

The expiration date of a domain name registration; and

Information regarding all other activity between you and us regarding your use of the services.

Applicable Policies

You agree to adhere to the .coop policies set forth in Attachment A hereto, including but not limited to the requirement that third-and-higher-level domain names within your second level domain may only be used internally by you (absent a written license from Sponsor).

Modifications to Agreement

Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, you agree, during the term of this Agreement, that we may:

revise the terms and conditions of this Agreement (and its Appendices);

change part of the services provided under this Agreement at any time.

Any such revision or change will be binding and effective immediately upon posting of the revised Agreement or change to the service(s) on PREZENT web sites, or upon notification to you by email or postal mail. You agree to periodically review our Web sites, including the current version of this Agreement available on our Web sites, to be aware of any such revisions. If you do not agree with any revision to the Agreement, you may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing us with notice by e-mail or postal mail addressed as follows, Attention: The General Manager, PREZENT, New Barclay House, Botley Road, Oxford, OX2 0HP, United Kingdom. Email: helpdesk@vdx.nl . Notice of your termination will be effective on receipt and processing by us. Any fees paid by you if you terminate your Agreement with us are non-refundable but will be refunded in certain circumstances at the sole and absolute discretion of PREZENT, but you will not incur any additional fees. By continuing to use PREZENT services after any revision to this Agreement or change in service(s), you agree to abide by and be bound by any such revisions or changes. We are not bound by nor should you rely on any representation by any agent, representative or employee of any third party that you may use to apply for our services.

Modifications To Your Account

In order to change any of your account information with us, you must use the Account Number and the Password that you selected if you opened your account with us through our online application process. Please safeguard your Account Number and Password from any unauthorized use. In no event will PREZENT be liable for the unauthorized use or misuse of your Account Number or Password.

Domain Name Dispute Policy Modifications

You agree that we, in our sole discretion, may modify our dispute policy. We will post any such revised policy on our web site at least thirty (30) calendar days before it becomes effective. You agree that, by maintaining the reservation or registration of your domain name after modifications to the dispute policy become effective, you have agreed to these modifications. You acknowledge that if you do not agree to any such modification, you may terminate this Agreement. If you terminate your Agreement with us fees paid by you are non-refundable but will be refunded in certain circumstances at the sole and absolute discretion of PREZENT.

Domain Name Disputes

You agree that, if your use of our domain name registration services is challenged by a third party, you will be subject to the provisions specified in the Sponsor's dispute policy in Attachment B and as found at www.nic.coop as it may be modified at the time of the dispute. You agree that in the event a domain name dispute arises with any third party, you will indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth below in this Agreement. If we are notified that a complaint has been filed with a judicial or administrative body regarding your use of our domain name registration services, you agree not to make any changes to your domain name record without our prior approval. We may not allow you to make changes to such domain name record until (i) we are directed to do so by the judicial or administrative body, or (ii) we receive notification by you and the other party contesting your registration and use of our domain name registration services that the dispute has been settled. Furthermore, you agree that if you are subject to litigation regarding your registration and use of our domain name registration services, we may deposit control of your domain name record into the registry of the judicial body by supplying a party with a registrar certificate from us.

Notices & Announcements

You authorize us to notify you as our customer of information that is necessary for maintenance of your registration. If you do not wish to receive bulk email notices or announcements please send us an email at helpdesk@vdx.nl .

Limitation of Liability

You agree that our entire liability with respect to any PREZENT service(s) provided under this Agreement and/or for any breach of this Agreement is solely limited to the amount you paid for such service(s). PREZENT and its contractors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages resulting from the use or inability to use any of the PREZENT services or for the cost of procurement of substitute services. Because some countries do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states, our liability is limited to the extent permitted by law. We disclaim any and all loss or liability resulting from, but not limited to: (1) loss or liability resulting from access delays or access interruptions; (2) loss or liability resulting from data non-delivery or data mis-delivery; (3) loss or liability resulting from natural disasters; (4) loss or liability resulting from the unauthorized use or misuse of your Account Number or Password; (5) loss or liability resulting from errors, omissions, or misstatements in any and all information or service(s) provided under this Agreement; (6) loss or liability relating to the withdrawal of your domain name for failure to meet Sponsor eligibility requirements; (7) loss or liability resulting from the development or interruption of your Web site; (8) loss or liability that you may incur in connection with our processing of your application for our services, our processing of any authorized modification to your domain name record or your agent's failure to pay any fees, including the initial registration fee or re-registration fee; or (9) loss or liability as a result of the application of Sponsor's dispute policy.

Indemnity

You agree to release, indemnify, and hold PREZENT, and our contractors, agents, employees, officers, directors, shareholders, affiliates and assigns, harmless from all liabilities, claims, damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable legal fees and expenses relating to your use of the PREZENT services, including without limitation infringement or dilution by you, or someone else using our service(s) from your computer, of any intellectual property or other proprietary right of any person or entity, or a violation of any of our operating rules or policies relating to the service(s) provided. When we are threatened with suit or sued by a third party, we may seek written assurances from you concerning your promise to indemnify us; your failure to provide those assurances may be considered by us to be a material breach of this Agreement.

Breach

You agree that your failure to abide by any provision of this Agreement, any PREZENT or Sponsor operating rule or policy (including policies set forth in Attachments A and B hereto), or your willful provision of inaccurate or unreliable information as part of the application process, or your failure to update your information to keep it current, complete or accurate, or your failure to respond for over fifteen (15) calendar days to inquiries from us concerning the accuracy of the details associated with your domain name registration may be considered by us to be a material breach and that we may provide a written notice, describing the breach, to you. If within ten (10) calendar days of the date of such notice, you fail to provide evidence, which is reasonably satisfactory to us, that you have not breached your obligations under the Agreement, then we may delete the registration or reservation of your domain name and/or terminate the other PREZENT service(s) you are using without further notice. We will not refund any fees paid by you if we terminate your Agreement due to your breach. Any failure by PREZENT to enforce your strict performance of any provision of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of our right to subsequently enforce such provision or any other provision of this Agreement.

Representations & Warranties

You agree and warrant that: (i) the information that you provide to us during the application process to register your domain name or to apply for other PREZENT service(s) is, to the best of your knowledge and belief, accurate and complete, and that any future changes to this information will be provided to us in a timely manner according to the modification procedures in place at that time, (ii) to the best of your knowledge and belief neither the registration of your domain name nor the manner in which you intend to use (or permit others to use) such domain name will directly or indirectly infringe the legal rights of a third party or contravene PREZENT or Sponsor policies, (iii) you have all requisite power and authority to execute this Agreement and to perform your obligations hereunder, (iv) you have selected the necessary security option(s) for your domain name registration record, (v) you are not registering the domain name for an unlawful purpose, (vi) you will not knowingly use the domain name in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, and (vii) you are of legal age to enter into this Agreement. You agree that your use of our service(s) is solely at your own risk. You agree that all of our services are provided on an "as is," and "as available" basis.

Disclaimer of Warranties

WE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT OUR SERVICE(S) WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE SERVICE(S) WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR FREE; NOR DO WE MAKE ANY WARRANTY AS TO THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICE(S) OR AS TO THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH OUR SERVICE. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT ANY MATERIAL AND/OR DATA DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF OUR SERVICE IS DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OF SUCH MATERIAL AND/OR DATA. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY REGARDING ANY GOODS OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED THROUGH ANY OF OUR SERVICES OR ANY TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH SUCH SERVICES. NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM US SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY MADE HEREIN. TO THE EXTENT JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Severability

You agree that the terms of this Agreement are severable. If any term or provision is declared invalid or unenforceable, that term or provision will be construed consistent with applicable law as nearly as possible to reflect the original intentions of the parties, and the remaining terms and provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Entirety

You agree that this Agreement, the rules and policies published by us, the dispute policy and the privacy statement are the complete and exclusive agreement between you and us regarding our services. This Agreement, our rules and policies, the dispute policy and the privacy statement supersede all prior agreements and understandings, whether established by custom, practice, policy or precedent.

Transfer & Assignment

You may transfer your domain name registration to a third party of your choice, subject to the eligibility procedures and conditions found at www.coop , incorporated herein by reference. Your assignee must independently apply for registration of this domain name, be found to be eligible, and enter a registration contract with PREZENT and Sponsor. Your rights under this Agreement are not assignable and any attempt by your creditors to obtain an interest in your rights under this Agreement, whether by attachment, levy, garnishment or otherwise, renders this Agreement voidable at our option.

Governing Law

You agree that this Agreement and any disputes hereunder shall be governed in all respects by and construed in accordance with the laws of England. You and we each submit to exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England.

Agreement to be Bound

By applying for a PREZENT service(s) through our online application process or by using the service(s) provided by PREZENT under this Agreement, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to be bound by all terms and conditions of this Agreement and any pertinent rules or policies that are or may be published by Sponsor.

Attachment A

[Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy]

Attachment B

[DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy]

Attachment C

[Rules of Procedure for DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy]

Our Dispute Resolution Policy

Our Basic Philosophy: First Come, First Served

When an eligible cooperative claims a Domain Name, they are doing so guided by the desire to claim the name they have considered, planned for and perhaps committed to within their organization. Cooperatives that select and register their names before others have shown a willingness to support .coop and its goals for the cooperative community. The basic premise in dealing with questions about name registration in this regard is that of first come, first served.

Whilst our goal is to support the fair, balanced and efficient approval of eligibility and access to .coop Domain Names, the experience of other TLDs suggests that disputes will arise - in some cases because of trademark issues and in other cases because of concerns within the cooperative community about the eligibility of specific organizations to register a .coop name.

ICANN's Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has long recognized that disputes will arise over Internet domain name registration. Experience has led to the development of a general policy which provides an avenue to fairly address and resolve naming disputes. The disputes that will arise are generally classified as registrations made in "bad faith." ICANN's guidelines defining "bad faith" are, as follows:

circumstances indicating that you have registered or you have acquired the domain name primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the complainant who is the owner of the trademark or service mark or to a competitor of that complainant, for valuable consideration in excess of your documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the domain name; or

you have registered the domain name in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that you have engaged in a pattern of such conduct; or

you have registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or

by using the domain name, you have intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to your web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of your web site or location or of a product or service on your web site or location.
(NOTE: please see www.icann.org/udrp for the policy in its entirety.)

A trademark holder can initiate mandatory administrative proceedings by filing a complaint with an ICANN approved dispute resolution service provider. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has been selected to provide this service by dotCoop (see www.wipo.org)

dotCoop will cancel, transfer, or otherwise make changes to domain name registrations as rendered by a WIPO ruling. dotCoop's Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy (CEDRP)

Under its license from ICANN, dotCoop has been given the responsibility to require that organizations registering a .coop domain name be eligible to register the name. The dotCoop CEDRP defines the general policy on the handling of disputes based on eligibility. The dotCoop CEDRP is provided as Attachment A of this document.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has been selected to provide this service by dotCoop (see www.wipo.org). dotCoop will cancel, transfer, or otherwise make changes to domain name registrations as rendered by a WIPO ruling.

dotCoop's DCDRP

DotCoop has combined both the UDRPLLC and CEDRP into a unified policy called the dotCoop DCDRP with associated procedures. The DCDRP must also provide for a means whereby a complainant may "dispute" the right of another to use or register a specific domain name. The DCDRP is included by inference in the dotCoop Registration Agreement

In all matters related to disputes, dotCoop will follow the formal guidelines established by ICANN as they relate to disputes and dispute resolution. However, because dotCoop believes disputes over name selection will be minimal within the cooperative community, its policies will be directed towards facilitating informal solutions to disputes, thus minimizing costly and time consuming dispute resolution hearings or legal proceedings.

dotCoop Dispute Levels: Informal & Formal Disputes

It is the role of dotCoop to work to avoid disputes that can escalate to the level of costly and time-consuming formal dispute resolution if at all possible without undermining ICANN and dotCoop policies.

Disputes will be handled within the following levels:

Level 1

Applicant applies for a Domain Name and it is unavailable. The applicant refers to the "WHOIS" directory and determines who has registered the name. The applicant can contact the registrant and arrange for transfer under terms established between the two parties. dotCoop is not involved in these negotiations. There is no dispute.

Level 2

Applicant applies for its own trade name, registered trademark, service mark or name to which it has a legitimate claim. The name is not available. The applicant refers to the "WHOIS" directory and determines who has registered the name. The applicant contacts the owner and arranges for transfer under terms established between the two parties. dotCoop is not involved in these negotiations. There is no dispute.

Level 3

If applicant and registrant cannot establish a transfer agreement, the applicant may contact dotCoop to file a Dispute Report at helpdesk@vdx.nl . The Dispute Report lists the identification of both the applicant and the registrant and details the dispute.

DotCoop reviews the claim and contacts both parties in writing informing each that a dispute has been lodged and that, based on ICANN policy, it may represent a dispute under the UDRP or CEDRP process. DotCoop details the process and provides information on the dispute procedure. Any correspondence related to the dispute will be kept on file by dotCoop.

The registrant of the name in dispute, as a condition of its continued claim on the Domain Name, is asked to participate in the UDRP or CEDRP process. If the registrant does not respond to a formal inquiry from dotCoop on the Dispute Report within 30 days, the applicant may file a formal complaint under the appropriate ICANN dispute policy.

Neither dotCoop nor ICANN will be party to any administrative procedure or lawsuit that may arise at any time. If an informal solution cannot be reached, then the dispute will be escalated to Level 4.

Level 4

If an agreement cannot be reached between the parties directly, dotCoop provides information on the final steps to be taken for dispute resolution, provide all information on the dispute that is available and terminates any further direct involvement and contact with the parties in dispute, other than to facilitate any subsequent decision made by an administrative proceeding or court of law.

The parties may choose to move ahead with the dispute or the applicant may choose to end the dispute. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has been selected by dotCoop to provide dispute resolution services to .coop domain name holders. WIPO conducts a formal, independent Administrative Proceeding in which the two parties present their respective views of a conflict to a neutral and impartial third party - the WIPO Panel. The Panel hears the parties' claims in conformity with ICANN's UDRP www.icann.org/udrp, the CEDRP (Attachment A), ICANN's Rules, and WIPO's Supplemental Rules. After both parties have had a chance to make their case, the Panel will issue a decision that is binding on the parties.

dotCoop will make any changes, transfers or adjustments as have either been agreed to by both parties or ruled upon by formal dispute resolution bodies. Direction to take such action must be provided to dotCoop in writing from officers of both organizations in dispute or by the presiding officer of the formal body that has made a binding decision in the dispute.

dotCoop reserves the right to assess additional fees against the parties in the dispute based so as to cover the cost of lengthy or time consuming involvement in the dispute.

Attachment A: Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy

This Eligibility Policy is to be incorporated in all agreements with registrants concerning domain-name registrations in the Sponsored TLD (the "Registration Agreement"). "You" and "your" refer to the registrant. "Us," "our" and "we" refer to dotCoop.

Purpose. This Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy (the " Eligibility Policy") is incorporated by reference into your Registration Agreement, and sets forth the terms and conditions in connection with disputes over the registration and use of an Internet domain name, registered by you in the Sponsored TLD. The proceedings under Paragraph 4 of this Policy will be conducted according to the Rules for Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy Rules (the "CEDRP Rules"), which are available at www.icann.org/udrp/cedrp-rules.html , and the selected administrative dispute resolution service provider's supplemental rules. For the purposes of this Policy, the term "Registered Name" means a domain name registration in the Sponsored TLD.

Your Representations. By applying to register a domain name within the Sponsored TLD (a "Registered Name"), or by asking us to maintain or renew a Registered Name, you hereby represent and warrant to us that, to your knowledge, the registration of your Registered Name conforms to the eligibility requirements set forth in the Sponsored TLD Charter (the "Eligibility Requirements").

Cancellations. We will cancel Registered Names upon our receipt of a decision of a CEDRP Provider requiring such action in any administrative proceeding to which you were a party and which was conducted under this Policy or a later version of this Policy. (See Paragraph 5(e) below.) We may also cancel a Registered Name registration in accordance with the terms of your Registration Agreement or other legal requirements.

Mandatory Administrative Proceeding. This paragraph sets forth the types of disputes for which you are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding under this Policy. These proceedings will be conducted before a CEDRP Provider that has been approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN"). A list of CEDRP Providers is available at www.icann.org/udrp/cedrp-providers.html

Applicable Disputes. You are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding in the event that a third party (a "Complainant") asserts to the applicable CEDRP Provider, in compliance with the CEDRP Rules that your Registered Name does not meet the Eligibility Requirements; in the administrative proceeding, the Complainant must prove this element.

Registered Name Disputes: Evidence of Registration in Violation of the Eligibility Requirements. For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a), if the Panel of the CEDRP Provider finds that your Registered Name does not meet the Eligibility Requirements, then such finding shall be evidence that your Registered Name violated the Eligibility Requirements. If the Panel finds that your Registered Name violated the Eligibility Requirements, the Panel shall exercise the remedy set forth in Section 5(e).

Registered Name Disputes: How to Demonstrate Your Rights to and Legitimate Interests in the Registered Name in Responding to a Complaint. For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a), when you receive a complaint, you should refer to the CEDRP Rules in determining how your response should be prepared.

Procedure.

Selection of CEDRP Provider. The Complainant shall select the CEDRP Provider from those on the list of CEDRP Providers available at www.icann.org/udrp/cedrp-providers.html by submitting the complaint to that CEDRP Provider. The selected CEDRP Provider will administer the proceeding.

Initiation of Proceeding and Process and Appointment of the Panel. The CEDRP Rules state the process for initiating and conducting a proceeding and for appointing the panel that will decide the dispute (the "Panel").

Fees. All fees charged by a CEDRP Provider in connection with any dispute before a Panel shall be paid in accordance with the CEDRP Rules.

Our Involvement in Administrative Proceedings. We do not, and will not, participate in the administration or conduct of any proceeding before a Panel. In addition, we will not be liable as a result of any decisions rendered by the Panel.

Remedy. The remedy available to a Complainant pursuant to any proceeding before a Panel shall be limited to the cancellation of your Registered Name.

Notification and Publication. The CEDRP Provider shall notify us and ICANN of any decision made by a Panel with respect to a Registered Name. All decisions under this Policy will be published in full over the Internet, except when a Panel determines in an exceptional case to redact portions of its decision.

All Other Disputes and Litigation. All other disputes between you and any party other than us regarding your Registered Name that are not brought pursuant to the mandatory administrative proceeding provisions of Paragraph 4 shall be resolved between you and such other party through any court, arbitration or other proceeding that may be available.

Our Involvement in Disputes. We will not participate in any way in any dispute between you and any party other than us or the operator of the Sponsored TLD registry regarding the registration and use of your Registered Name. You shall not name us as a party or otherwise include us in any such proceeding. In the event that we are named as a party in any such proceeding, we reserve the right to raise any and all defences deemed appropriate, and to take any other action necessary to defend ourselves.

Maintaining the Status Quo. We will not cancel, transfer, activate, deactivate, or otherwise change the status of any Registered Name under this Policy except as provided in Paragraph 3 above.

Changing Registrars During a Dispute. You may not transfer your Registered Name to another registrar during a pending administrative proceeding brought pursuant to Paragraph 4 or for a period of fifteen (15) business days (as observed in the location of our principal place of business) after such proceeding is concluded.

Policy Modifications. We reserve the right to modify this Policy at any time with the permission of ICANN. We will post our revised Policy at www.nic.coop at least thirty (30) calendar days before it becomes effective. Unless this Policy has already been invoked by the submission of a complaint to a CEDRP Provider, in which event the version of the Policy in effect at the time it was invoked will apply to you until the dispute is over, all such changes will be binding upon you with respect to any Registered Name dispute, whether the dispute arose before, on or after the effective date of our change. In the event that you object to a change in this Policy, your sole remedy is to cancel your Registered Name, provided that you will not be entitled to a refund of any fees you paid to us. The revised Policy will apply to you until you cancel your Registered Name.

Attachment B: DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (DCDRP)

1. Purpose. This DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "dotCoop Policy") has been adopted by DotCooperation LLC ("dotCoop"), the Sponsoring Organization for the .coop TLD, is incorporated by reference into your Registration Agreement, and sets forth the terms and conditions in connection with a dispute between you and any party other than dotCoop over the registration and use of a .coop domain name registered by you. Proceedings under Paragraph 4 of this Policy will be conducted according to the Rules of Procedure for DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules of Procedure") (Attachment C) and the supplemental rules of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) who is the authorized provider of dispute resolution services for .coop (the "Provider").

2. Your Representations. By applying to register a domain name, or by asking us to maintain or renew a domain name registration, you hereby represent and warrant to us that (i) the information that you provide to us during the application process to register your domain name is, to the best of your knowledge and belief, accurate and complete, and that any future changes to this information will be provided to us in a timely manner according to the modification procedures in place at that time, (ii) to the best of your knowledge and belief neither the registration of your domain name nor the manner in which you intend to use (or permit others to use) such domain name will directly or indirectly infringe the legal rights of a third party or contravene our policies, (iii) you have all requisite power and authority to execute this Agreement and to perform your obligations hereunder, (iv) you have selected the necessary security option(s) for your domain name registration record, (v) you are not registering the domain name for an unlawful purpose, (vi) you will not knowingly use the domain name in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, and (vii) you are of legal age to enter into this Agreement. It is your responsibility to determine whether your domain name registration infringes or violates someone else's rights.

3. Cancellations, Transfers, and Changes. Subject to the eligibility restrictions set forth in Attachment A to the Registration Agreement, we will cancel, transfer or otherwise make changes to domain name registrations under the following circumstances:

subject to the provisions of Paragraph 7, our receipt of written or appropriate electronic instructions from you or your authorized agent to take such action;

our receipt of an order from a court or arbitral tribunal, in each case of competent jurisdiction, requiring such action; and/or

our receipt of a decision of a Panel requiring such action in any administrative proceeding to which you were a party and which was conducted under this Policy or a later version of this Policy adopted by DotCoop.

We may also cancel, transfer or otherwise make changes to a domain name registration in accordance with the terms of your Registration Agreement or other legal requirements.

4. Mandatory Administrative Proceeding. This Paragraph sets forth the type of disputes for which you are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding. These proceedings will be conducted before a three-person panel (the "Panel"), one member of which will be an individual drawn from a list maintained by the Provider of panelists with expertise in cooperative matters.

5. Applicable Disputes. You are required to submit to a mandatory administrative proceeding in the event that a third party (a "complainant") asserts to the Provider, in compliance with the Rules of Procedure, that

Eligibility Claim: you are not an eligible registrant for a .coop domain name;

Trademark Claim:

your domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the complainant has rights;

you have no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name; and

your domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

In the administrative proceeding, the complainant must prove that either element (a) or all three elements of (b) are present.

Ineligibility Claim: Evidence of Ineligibility. For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a), the Panel may consider any evidence presented by the complainant supporting its claim that you are not eligible to register within the .coop TLD.

Ineligibility Claim: How to Demonstrate Your Rights to and Legitimate Interests in the Domain Name in Responding to an Ineligibility Complaint under Paragraph 4(a). When you receive a complaint, you should refer to Paragraph 5 of the Rules of Procedure in determining how your response should be prepared. If the Panel finds, based on its evaluation of all evidence presented, that your organization falls within one of the following seven categories, you will have demonstrated your rights or legitimate interests to the domain name for purposes of Paragraph 4(a):

member of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA);

member of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA);

association of cooperatives;

cooperative that is committed to the seven cooperative principles (voluntary and open membership; democratic member control; member economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community) and whose status as a cooperative has been verified by a designated verification partner of dotCoop;

company that is an affiliate of a cooperative (a) falling within categories (i) or (ii) above or (b) whose status has been verified in accordance with (iv);

entity whose operations are dedicated to serving cooperatives, as determined by dotCoop or as verified by a designated verification partner of dotCoop; or

a registrant whose use of a .coop domain name, in the opinion of the DotCoop Board of Directors, would advance the interests of the cooperative sector in general or would assist in the development of cooperatives worldwide.

Trademark Claim: Registration and Use in Bad Faith. For the purposes of Paragraph 4(b)(iii), the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by the Panel to be present, shall be evidence of the registration and use of a domain name in bad faith:

you have registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or

Trademark Claim: How to Demonstrate Your Rights to and Legitimate Interests in the Domain Name in Responding to a Complaint. When you receive a complaint, you should refer to Paragraph 5 of the Rules of Procedure in determining how your response should be prepared. Any of the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by the Panel to be proved based on its evaluation of all evidence presented, shall demonstrate your rights or legitimate interests to the domain name for purposes of Paragraph 4(b)(ii):

before any notice to you of the dispute, your use of, or demonstrable preparations to use, the domain name or a name corresponding to the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services, or as part of the operations of a cooperative; or

you have been commonly known by the domain name, even if you have acquired no trademark or service mark rights; or

you are making a legitimate non-commercial or fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark or service mark at issue.

Initiation of Proceeding and Process and Appointment of Administrative Panel. The Rules of Procedure state the process for initiating and conducting a proceeding and for appointing the Panel.

Consolidation. In the event of multiple disputes between you and a complainant, either you or the complainant may petition to consolidate the disputes before a single Panel. This petition shall be made to the first Panel appointed to hear a pending dispute between the parties. This Panel may consolidate before it any or all such disputes in its sole discretion, provided that the disputes that are being consolidated are governed by this Policy or a later version of this Policy adopted by dotCoop.

Fees. All fees charged by the Provider in connection with any dispute before a Panel pursuant to this Policy shall be paid by the complainant.

Remedies. The remedies available to a complainant pursuant to any proceeding before a Panel shall be limited to requiring the cancellation of your domain name or the transfer of your domain name registration to the complainant, subject to our eligibility requirements.

Notification and Publication. The Provider will notify us of any decision made by a Panel with respect to a domain name you have registered with us. All decisions under this Policy will be published in full over the Internet.

Availability of Court Proceedings. The mandatory administrative proceeding requirements set forth in Paragraph 4 shall not prevent either you or the complainant from submitting the dispute to a court of competent jurisdiction for independent resolution before such mandatory administrative proceeding is commenced or after such proceeding is concluded. If a Panel decides that your domain name registration should be cancelled or transferred, we will wait ten (10) business days (as observed in the location of our principal office) after we are informed by the Provider of the Panel's decision before implementing that decision. We will then implement the decision unless we have received from you during that ten (10) business day period official documentation (such as a copy of a complaint, file-stamped by the clerk of the court) that you have commenced a lawsuit against the complainant in a jurisdiction to which the complainant has submitted under Paragraph 3 of the Rules of Procedure. (In general, that jurisdiction is either the location of our principal office or of your address as shown in our Whois database.) If we receive such documentation within the ten (10) business day period, we will not implement the Panel's decision, and we will take no further action, until we receive (i) evidence satisfactory to us of a resolution between the parties; (ii) evidence satisfactory to us that your lawsuit has been dismissed or withdrawn; or (iii) a copy of an order from such court dismissing your lawsuit or ordering that you do not have the right to continue to use your domain name.

6. All Other Disputes and Litigation. All other disputes between you and any party other than us regarding your domain name registration that are not brought pursuant to the mandatory administrative proceeding provisions of Paragraph 4 shall be resolved between you and such other party through any court, arbitration or other proceeding that may be available.

7. Our Involvement in Disputes. We will not participate in any way in any dispute between you and any party other than us regarding the registration and use of your domain name. You shall not name us (or PREZENT or any .coop registrar or reseller) as a party or otherwise include us in any such proceeding. In the event that we are named as a party in any such proceeding, we reserve the right to raise any and all defences deemed appropriate, and to take any other action necessary to defend ourselves.

8. Transfers During a Dispute. You may not transfer your domain name registration to another holder except as permitted under your Registration Agreement. Additionally, you may not transfer your domain name registration to another holder (i) during a pending administrative proceeding brought pursuant to Paragraph 4 or for a period of fifteen (15) business days (as observed in the location of our principal place of business) after such proceeding is concluded; or (ii) during a pending court proceeding or arbitration commenced regarding your domain name. We reserve the right to cancel any transfer of a domain name registration to another holder that is made in violation of this subparagraph.

9. Policy Modifications. We reserve the right to modify this Policy at any time. We will post our revised Policy at www.nic.coop at least thirty (30) calendar days before it becomes effective. Unless this Policy has already been invoked by the submission of a complaint to the Provider, in which event the version of the Policy in effect at the time it was invoked will apply to you until the dispute is over, all such changes will be binding upon you with respect to any domain name registration dispute, whether the dispute arose before, on or after the effective date of our change. In the event that you object to a change in this Policy, your sole remedy is to cancel your domain name registration with us, provided that you will not be entitled to a refund of any fees you paid to us. The revised Policy will apply to you until you cancel your domain name registration.

Attachment C: Rules of Procedure for DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
(the "Rules of Procedure")

(As Approved by DotCoop)

Administrative proceedings for the resolution of disputes under the DCDRP shall be governed by these Rules and also the Supplemental Rules of the Provider administering the proceedings, as posted on its web site.

Definitions
In these Rules:
Complainant means the party (who is a registrant in the .coop TLD, or is eligible to register in the .coop TLD) initiating a complaint concerning a .coop domain-name registration.
DotCoop means DotCooperation LLC, the sponsoring organization for the .coop TLD.
Mutual Jurisdiction means a court jurisdiction at either (a) Washington, D.C. or (b) the domain-name holder's address as shown for the registration of the domain name in dotCoop's Whois database at the time the complaint is submitted to the Provider.
Panel means a three-person administrative panel appointed by a Provider to decide a complaint concerning a .coop domain-name registration.
Panelist means an individual appointed by a Provider to be a member of a Panel. At least one Panelist will be an individual drawn from a list maintained by the Provider of panelists with expertise in cooperative matters that have been designated by dotCoop.
Party means a Complainant or a Respondent.
Dispute Policy means the DotCoop Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy that is incorporated by reference and made a part of the Registration Agreement.
Provider means the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Registration Agreement means the agreement between dotCoop and a domain-name holder.
Respondent means the holder of a .coop domain-name registration against which a complaint is initiated.
Reverse Domain Name Hijacking means using the Dispute Policy in bad faith to attempt to deprive a registered domain-name holder of a domain name.
Supplemental Rules means the rules adopted by the Provider administering a proceeding to supplement these Rules. Supplemental Rules shall not be inconsistent with the Dispute Policy or these Rules and shall cover such topics as fees, word and page limits and guidelines, the means for communicating with the Provider and the Panel, and the form of cover sheets.

Communications

When forwarding a complaint to the Respondent, it shall be the Provider's responsibility to employ reasonably available means calculated to achieve actual notice to Respondent. Achieving actual notice, or employing the following measures to do so, shall discharge this responsibility:

sending the complaint to all postal mail and facsimile addresses (A) shown in the domain name's registration data in dotCoop's Whois database for the registered domain name holder, the technical contact, and the administrative contact and (B) supplied by dotCoop to the Provider for the registration's billing contact; and

sending the complaint in electronic form (including annexes to the extent available in that form) by email to:

the email addresses for those technical, administrative, and billing contacts;

postmaster@< the name domain contested> and if the domain name (or "www." followed by the domain name) resolves to an active web page (other than a generic page the Provider concludes is maintained by a registrar or ISP for parking domain-names registered by multiple domain-name holders), any email address shown or email links on that web page;

sending the complaint in electronic form (including annexes to the extent available in that form) by email to any email address the Respondent has notified the Provider it prefers and, to the extent practicable, to all other addresses provided to the Provider by Complainant under Paragraph 3.

Except as provided in Paragraph 2(a), any written communication to Complainant or Respondent provided for under these Rules shall be made

by telecopy or facsimile transmission, with a confirmation of transmission; or

by postal or courier service, postage pre-paid and return receipt requested; or

electronically via the Internet, provided a record of its transmission is available

Any communication to the Provider or the Panel shall be made by the means and in the manner (including number of copies) stated in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.

Communications shall be made in the language prescribed in Paragraph 11. Email communications should, if practicable, be sent in plaintext.

Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, or decided by a Panel, all communications provided for under these Rules shall be deemed to have been made:

if delivered by telecopy of facsimile transmission, on the date shown on the confirmation of transmission; or

if by postal or courier service, on the date marked on the receipt; or

if via the Internet, on the date that the communication was transmitted, provided that the date of transmission is verifiable.

Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, or decided by a Panel, all time periods calculated under these Rules to begin when a communication is made shall begin to run on the earliest date that the communication is deemed to have been made in accordance with Paragraph (e) above.

Either Party may update its contact details by notifying the Provider and dotCoop.

Any communication by

a Panel to any Party shall be copied to the Provider and to the other Party;

the Provider to any Party shall be copied to the other Party; and

a Party shall be copied to the other Party, the Panel and the Provider, as the case may be.

It shall be the responsibility of the sender to retain records of the fact and circumstances of sending, which shall be available for inspection by affected parties and for reporting purposes.

In the event a Party sending a communication receives notification of non-delivery of the communication, the Party shall promptly notify the Panel (or, if no Panel is yet appointed, the Provider) of the circumstances of the notification. Further proceedings concerning the communication and any response shall be as directed by the Panel (or the Provider).

The Complaint

A person or entity meeting DCLLC's eligibility standards for registration in .coop may initiate an administrative proceeding by submitting a complaint in accordance with the Dispute Policy and these Rules to the Provider.

The complaint shall be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not available for annexes) in electronic form and shall:

Request that the complaint be submitted for decision in accordance with the Dispute Policy and these Rules;

Specify the grounds on which Complainant meets dotCoop's eligibility standards for registration in .coop;

Provide the name, postal, and email addresses, and the telephone and telefax numbers of the Complainant and of any representative authorized to act for the Complainant in the administrative proceeding;

Provide the name of the Respondent (domain-name holder) and all information (including any email addresses) known to Complainant regarding how to contact Respondent or any representative of Respondent, including contact information based on pre-complaint dealings, in sufficient detail to allow the Provider to send the complaint as described in Paragraph 2(a);

Provide the names and email addresses of three candidates to serve as one of the Panelists (these candidates may be drawn from the Provider's list of panelists)

Specify the domain name(s) that is/are the subject of the complaint;

Specify the eligibility claim or trademark(s) or service mark(s) on which the complaint is based. For trademark claims, describe the goods or services, if any, with which the mark is used;

Describe, in accordance with the Dispute Policy, the grounds on which the complaint is made including, in particular,

(for eligibility claims) the basis for Complainant's belief that Respondent is ineligible to hold a .coop domain name;

(for trademark claims) the manner in which the domain name(s) is/are identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and

(for trademark claims) why the Respondent (domain-name holder) should be considered as having no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name(s) that is/are the subject of the complaint; and

(for trademark claims) why the name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith

(The description shall comply with any word or page limit set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.)

Specify, in accordance with the Dispute Policy, the remedies sought;

Identify any other legal proceedings that have been commenced or terminated in connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s) that are the subject of the complaint;

State that a copy of the complaint, together with the cover sheet as prescribed by the Provider's Supplemental Rules, has been sent or transmitted to the Respondent (domain-name holder), in accordance with Paragraph 2(b);

State that Complainant will submit, with respect to any challenges to a decision in the administrative proceeding cancelling or transferring the domain name, to the jurisdiction of the courts in at least one specified Mutual Jurisdiction;

Conclude with the following statement followed by the signature of the complainant or its authorized representative:
<"Complainant"> agrees that its claims and remedies concerning the registration of the domain name, the dispute, or the dispute's resolution shall be solely against the domain-name holder and waives all such claims and remedies against (a) the dispute-resolution provider and panelists, except in the case of deliberate wrongdoing, (b) dotCoop, (c) PREZENT, (d) any registrar for the .coop TLD, (e) any reseller for the .coop TLD, and (f) the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, as well as their directors, officers, employees, and agents." "Complainant certifies that the information contained in this Complaint is to the best of Complainant's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Complaint is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that the assertions in this Complaint are warranted under these Rules and under applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good-faith and reasonable argument."; and

Annex any documentary or other evidence, including a copy of the Dispute Policy applicable to the domain name(s) in dispute and any trademark or service mark registration upon which the complaint relies, together with a schedule indexing such evidence.

The complaint may relate to more than one domain name, provided that the domain names are registered by the same domain-name holder.

Notification of Complaint

The Provider shall review the complaint for administrative compliance with the Policy Dispute and these Rules and, if in compliance, shall forward the complaint (together with the explanatory cover sheet prescribed by the Provider's Supplemental Rules) to the Respondent, in the manner prescribed by Paragraph 2(a), within three (3) calendar days following receipt of the fees to be paid by the Complainant in accordance with Paragraph 19.

If the Provider finds the complaint to be administratively deficient, it shall promptly notify the Complainant and the Respondent of the nature of the deficiencies identified. The Complainant shall have five (5) calendar days within which to correct any such deficiencies, after which the administrative proceeding will be deemed withdrawn without prejudice to submission of a different complaint by Complainant.

The date of commencement of the administrative proceeding shall be the date on which the Provider completes its responsibilities under Paragraph 2(a) in connection with forwarding the Complaint to the Respondent.

The Provider shall immediately notify the Complainant, the Respondent, and dotCoop of the date of commencement of the administrative proceeding.

The Response

Within twenty (20) days of the date of commencement of the administrative proceeding the Respondent shall submit a response to the Provider.

The response shall be submitted in hard copy and (except to the extent not available for annexes) in electronic form and shall:

Respond specifically to the statements and allegations contained in the complaint and include any and all bases for the Respondent (domain-name holder) to retain registration and use of the disputed domain name (This portion of the response shall comply with any word or page limit set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.);

Provide the name, postal, and email addresses, and the telephone and telefax numbers of the Respondent (domain-name holder) and of any representative authorized to act for the Respondent in the administrative proceeding;

Provide the names and email addresses of three candidates to serve as one of the Panelists (these candidates may be drawn from the Provider's list of panelists)

Identify any other legal proceedings that have been commenced or terminated in connection with or relating to any of the domain name(s) that are the subject of the complaint;

State that a copy of the response has been transmitted to the Complainant, in accordance with Paragraph 2(b); and

Conclude with the following statement followed by the signature of the Respondent or its authorized representative: "Respondent certifies that the information contained in this Response is to the best of Respondent's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Response is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that the assertions in this Response are warranted under these Rules and under applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good-faith and reasonable argument."; and

Annex any documentary or other evidence upon which the Respondent relies, together with a schedule indexing such documents.

At the request of the Respondent, the Provider may, in exceptional cases, extend the period of time for the filing of the response. The period may also be extended by written stipulation between the Parties, provided the stipulation is approved by the Provider.

If a Respondent does not submit a response, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall decide the dispute based upon the complaint.

Appointment of the Panel and Timing of Decision

The Provider shall maintain and publish a publicly available list of panelists and their qualifications.

The Provider shall appoint, within five (5) calendar days following receipt of the response by the Provider, or the lapse of the time period for the submission thereof, three panelists as described in (c) below. As set forth in Paragraph 19, the fees for a Panel shall be paid entirely by the Complainant.

The Provider shall endeavor to appoint one Panelist from the list of candidates provided by each of the Complainant and the Respondent. In the event the Provider is unable within five (5) calendar days to secure the appointment of a Panelist on its customary terms from either Party's list of candidates, the Provider shall make that appointment from its list of panelists. The third Panelist shall be appointed by the Provider from a publicly-available list of candidates with expertise in cooperative issues (designated by dotCoop).

Once the entire Panel is appointed, the Provider shall notify the Parties of the Panelists appointed and the date by which, absent exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall forward its decision on the complaint to the Provider.

Impartiality and Independence

A Panelist shall be impartial and independent and shall have, before accepting appointment, disclosed to the Provider any circumstances giving rise to justifiable doubt as to the Panelist's impartiality or independence. If, at any stage during the administrative proceeding, new circumstances arise that could give rise to justifiable doubt as to the impartiality or independence of the Panelist, that Panelist shall promptly disclose such circumstances to the Provider. In such event, the Provider shall have the discretion to appoint a substitute Panelist.

Communication Between Parties and the Panel

No Party or anyone acting on its behalf may have any unilateral communication with the Panel. All communications between a Party and the Panel or the Provider shall be made to a case administrator appointed by the Provider in the manner prescribed in the Provider's Supplemental Rules.

Transmission of the File to the Panel

The Provider shall forward the file to the Panel as soon as the last Panelist is appointed.

General Powers of the Panel

The Panel shall conduct the administrative proceeding in such manner as it considers appropriate in accordance with the Dispute Policy and these Rules.

In all cases, the Panel shall ensure that the Parties are treated with equality and that each Party is given a fair opportunity to present its case.

The Panel shall ensure that the administrative proceeding takes place with due expedition. It may, at the request of a Party or on its own motion, extend, in exceptional cases, a period of time fixed by these Rules or by the Panel.

The Panel shall determine the admissibility, relevance, materiality and weight of the evidence.

A Panel shall decide a request by a Party to consolidate multiple domain name disputes in accordance with the Dispute Policy and these Rules.

Language of Proceedings

Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, or specified otherwise in the Registration Agreement, the language of the administrative proceeding shall be the language of the Registration Agreement, subject to the authority of the Panel to determine otherwise, having regard to the circumstances of the administrative proceeding.

The Panel may order that any documents submitted in languages other than the language of the administrative proceeding be accompanied by a translation in whole or in part into the language of the administrative proceeding.

Further Statements

In addition to the complaint and the response, the Panel may request, in its sole discretion, further statements or documents from either of the Parties.

In-Person Hearings

There shall be no in-person hearings (including hearings by teleconference, videoconference, or web conference), unless the Panel determines, in its sole discretion and as an exceptional matter, that such a hearing is necessary for deciding the complaint.

Default

In the event that a Party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with any of the time periods established by these Rules or the Panel, the Panel shall proceed to a decision on the complaint.

If a Party, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, does not comply with any provision of, or requirement under, these Rules or any request from the Panel, the Panel shall draw such inferences therefrom as it considers appropriate.

Panel Decisions

A Panel shall decide a complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted and in accordance with the Dispute Policy, these Rules and any rules and principles of law that it deems applicable.

In the absence of exceptional circumstances, the Panel shall forward its decision on the complaint to the Provider within fourteen (14) days of its appointment pursuant to Paragraph 6.

The Panel's decision shall be made by a majority.

The Panel's decision shall be in writing, provide the reasons on which it is based, indicate the date on which it was rendered and identify the name(s) of the Panelist(s).

Panel decisions and dissenting opinions shall normally comply with the guidelines as to length set forth in the Provider's Supplemental Rules. Any dissenting opinion shall accompany the majority decision. If the Panel concludes that the dispute is not within the scope of Paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, it shall so state. If after considering the submissions the Panel finds that the complaint was brought in bad faith, for example in an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking or was brought primarily to harass the domain-name holder, the Panel shall declare in its decision that the complaint was brought in bad faith and constitutes an abuse of the administrative proceeding.

Communication of Decision to Parties

Within three (3) calendar days after receiving the decision from the Panel, the Provider shall communicate the full text of the decision to each Party and dotCoop. DotCoop, or its agent, shall immediately communicate to each Party and the Provider the date for the implementation of the decision in accordance with the Dispute Policy.

The Provider shall publish the full decision and the date of its implementation on a publicly accessible web site.

Settlement or Other Grounds for Termination

If, before the Panel's decision, the Parties agree on a settlement, the Panel shall terminate the administrative proceeding.

If, before the Panel's decision is made, it becomes unnecessary or impossible to continue the administrative proceeding for any reason, the Panel shall terminate the administrative proceeding, unless a Party raises justifiable grounds for objection within a period of time to be determined by the Panel.

Effect of Court Proceedings

In the event of any legal proceedings initiated prior to or during an administrative proceeding in respect of a domain-name dispute that is the subject of the complaint, the Panel shall have the discretion to decide whether to suspend or terminate the administrative proceeding, or to proceed to a decision.

In the event that a Party initiates any legal proceedings during the pendency of an administrative proceeding in respect of a domain-name dispute that is the subject of the complaint, it shall promptly notify the Panel and the Provider.

Fees

The Complainant shall pay to the Provider its fee, in accordance with the Provider's Supplemental Rules, within the time and in the amount required.

No action shall be taken by the Provider on a complaint until it has received from Complainant the fee in accordance with Paragraph 19(a).

If the Provider has not received the fee within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the complaint, the complaint shall be deemed withdrawn and the administrative proceeding terminated.

In exceptional circumstances, for example in the event an in-person hearing is healdheld, the Provider shall request the complainant for the payment of additional fees, which shall be established in agreement with the complainant and the Panel.

Exclusion of Liability

Except in the case of deliberate wrongdoing, neither the Provider nor a Panelist shall be liable to a Party for any act or omission in connection with any administrative proceeding under these Rules.

Amendments

The version of these Rules in effect at the time of the submission of the complaint to the Provider shall apply to the administrative proceeding commenced thereby. These Rules may not be amended without the express written approval of dotCoop.

Amended: 18 March 2003

Please see www.icann.org/udrp to review policy in full detail. For information on WIPO, click on www.wipo.org.

Our Verification policy

Verification: a special value for .coop registrants

.Coop is a restricted top level domain (TLD) that is only open for registration to cooperatives and related organizations. DotCoop, the sponsor of the TLD is required by its contract with ICANN to ensure that registrants meet the defined Eligibility Requirements and that the domain retains its value to registrants with these restrictions. Verification is the process of assuring that all organizations wishing to register a .coop TLD name are eligible. It should be noted that .coop assumes no responsibility for trying to determine if the domain names that are registered are "appropriate" to the registrant. Registrants have no restrictions on the names that they can register, although a registration of a particular name can be challenged using the process defined in the Dispute Policy. But in terms of .coop, the sole verification is to determine the eligibility of the registrant.

Eligibility Criteria

While hundreds of thousands of organizations worldwide operate as cooperatives, the definition of a cooperative varies across regions of the world, from country to country and from culture to culture. In order to standardize the definition for .coop verification purposes, the following eligibility criteria were included in the ICANN Charter for .coop:

Members of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA);

Members of ICA;

Organizations formed as and/or considered cooperatives under applicable local law;

Associations comprised of cooperatives;

Organizations that are committed to the seven cooperative principles;

Organizations that are controlled by cooperatives;

Entities whose operations are principally dedicated to serving cooperatives; and,

For no more than 5000 registrants, persons or entities whose use of a .coop domain name would, in the opinion of the DCLLC Board, advance the interests of the cooperative sector in general or would assist in the development of cooperatives worldwide.

Verification Responsibilities

In order to address varying standards as well as communication issues that could arise in dealing with global domain name registration, dotCoop has a verification process that uses input from outside sources to assist in verification. Verification Sponsors are organizations or individuals that are supplied by the registrant that can supposedly confirm the eligibility of the registrant for the domain name. Verification Partners are organizations that dotCoop has contracted with in locations around the world that agree to be contacted by dotCoop for verification assistance for registrations from particular countries.

This assistance is very useful in dealing with varying criteria around the world, but DotCoop has sole responsibility for verification of registrants. Although registrars collect the data to assist in the verification process and dotCoop uses the Verification Partners and Verification Sponsors to provide information on eligibility, this is not meant to imply that any organization playing the role of Verification Partner or Sponsor is guaranteeing the validity of the registration or has been in any way delegated the responsibility of verifying the eligibility of the registrant. This responsibility always remains with dotCoop and any Verification Partner or Sponsor plays a role only in providing a mechanism for .coop to make an assessment of eligibility.

Verification Process

DotCoop relies on a combination of technical and operational processes to support verification of registrants. As part of the registration process, .coop accredited registrars must secure from each registrant contact information for two Verification Sponsors. This information is passed to the registry at the time that the initial registration of a name is made by a registrant. Since a registrant is typically only verified once, the Verification Sponsor data is not updated once registration is complete.

As a registrant is added to the registry system, a statistical sampling of registrants is selected for verification. This selection is done by the registry maintenance system and the registrants selected for verification through this process are automatically placed in a "Pending" status until their eligibility can be verified. Based on the country location of the registrant, the system will generate a message to the appropriate Verification Partner requesting verification assistance on the registrant. The Verification Partner has a certain amount of time to respond to the request. DotCoop also receives a notification and will seek to verify the registrant independently as well. Using information from its own review as well as input from the Verification Partner, dotCoop will make a determination of eligibility. [See Verification Procedures for specific details.]

DotCoop also actively reviews registrations on a daily basis and does random "spot checks" of registrations that have inconsistent or incomplete information. In addition, dotCoop will initiate a review of a registrant based on inquiries from potential Complainants who are questioning the eligibility of a particular registrant. In these cases, dotCoop does an eligibility check and then, if the information is not conclusive, will manually place the registrant Under Investigation. This process will then trigger the same type of notification to the Verification Partner, requesting information on the registrant.

From that point on, the process is the same whether the registrant was selected by statistical sampling or by "spot checking." At all times, the registrant is immediately notified if they are being reviewed for eligibility and are given the option to provide information directly to dotCoop to prove their eligibility for registration.

If the registrant does not respond to inquiries via email or telephone contact and the Verification Partners and Sponsors that are supplied are not able to provide confirmation of eligibility, then dotCoop will revoke the domain name and the domain name can then be registered by someone else. When a domain is revoked because of eligibility, no refund is made and no grace periods apply. The registrant agrees to this when submitting their registration as it is a part of the dotCoop Registration Agreement which is integral to the agreement that they accept with their registrar.

Verification Procedures

The following is a detailed explanation of the system-supported verification process that is part of the dotCoop Verification Process. This process is exclusive of any specific processes for collecting Verification Sponsor information that may be implemented by individual registrars. Please contact the registrar about information on their processes.

Statistical Verification

Registrations of names by a new registrant are statistically selected based on the Country information contained on the registration transaction that is received by the registry. This sampling is not related to the registrar that submitted the registration. Verifications do not imply that the registration is suspect - it is just part of the verification process to check for compliance with the eligibility requirements of the TLD. The registration is marked "Pending."

An e-mail is sent to the Registrant alerting them that eligibility for registration is being reviewed and that they will be notified within five (5) days of the result of the process. It is also noted that dotCoop may contact the Sponsors that they noted in their registration for verification of eligibility. They are instructed to contact dotCoop at helpdesk@vdx.nl with specific questions on the process.

At the same time, an e-mail is sent to the appropriate Verification Partner providing the information about the registrant, including the contact information for the Verification Sponsors. Verification Partners have signed agreements that all information on registrants, including the names that are being registered, is confidential. Verification Partners are asked to respond within the time specified in their agreement with a recommendation based on the information they have about the registrant or that they can elicit from the Verification Sponsors.

Based on the recommendation for the Verification Partner and additional research performed by dotCoop, plus any response that may have been provided by the registrant, a preliminary determination of eligibility is made by dotCoop.

If the registrant is eligible, then the registrant is Verified and the domain names can then be activated.

If dotCoop cannot confirm the registrant as eligible, then the registrant is sent another e-mail that notifies them that they have 30 days in which to provide information to help confirm their eligibility. First, they should supply other Verification Sponsors that might be able to provide verification confirmation. Secondly, they can fax or e-mail various documents that would demonstrate their co-operative status such as:

A copy of the organization's bylaws,

A copy of the organization's most recent annual report or the most recent past two years of audited financials

Financial statements provided to members over the past five years,

A listing of the organization's board of directors with contact information,

A sample of the organization's membership application forms and/or membership materials,

Promotional, sales or informational material that reference the organizations status as a cooperative,

A list of members of the applicant.

A copy of the cooperative act in the country of origin or other legal definition of a cooperative of the jurisdiction in which the applicant operates and to which it conforms.

If dotCoop does not get a response to the e-mail request for information within the 30 days, an attempt is made to contact the registrant via telephone. Both valid e-mail and telephone numbers are required at time of registration. If these are not provided, then it is a breach of the registration agreement with dotCoop.

If additional information is supplied, then dotCoop will re-evaluate the eligibility decision. Again, if it is decided that the registrant is eligible, then the name(s) can be activated and the registrant is marked as Verified. An e-mail that provides a confirmation of this finding is sent to the registrant.

If the registrant is still determined by dotCoop to be ineligible, then the name is revoked with no refund of registration fees irregardless of any other grace period. An e-mail notifying the registrant of the revocation is sent to the e-mail addressed supplied at the time of registration.

Once the registrant is revoked, the registrant record is marked as deleted and the names that were registered by that registrant are available for registration by others.

Manual Verification

Registrations can be selected for verification after they have been accepted into the registry system even if they have not been selected for verification by the statistical sampling process of the system. These registrations are called Manual or "Spot Check" verifications. The registry can do a manual verification for any reason but typically these are related to incomplete or inconsistent date in the registration. The registry can also do a manual verification in response to a query concerning eligibility of a registrant from a third-party. An example of this is when a co-op wants to register a name that is already registered by someone else. The third party may not be able to tell from the .coop whois whether the registrant is an eligible organization and may bring this concern to the attention of dotCoop. In any case of manual verification, dotCoop does a preliminary determination using immediately available information before taking any action on the system. If, after a reasonable effort is made using the information provided at the time of registration, eligibility cannot be confirmed. dotCoop will mark the registrant as "Under Investigation."

An e-mail is sent to the Registrant alerting them that eligibility for registration is being reviewed and that they have 30 days to provide information to support their eligibility. They are instructed to contact dotCoop at helpdesk@vdx.nl with specific questions on the process. They are also asked to immediately submit any of the documents noted in 6 above (Statistical Verification) to assist in a rapid confirmation of their eligibility.

If the registrant is eligible, then the registrant is Verified and there is no further action required.

If dotCoop cannot confirm the registrant as eligible, then the registrant is sent another e-mail that notifies them that they have 30 days in which to provide information to help confirm their eligibility. They will again be reminded of the need to supply information and contacts that will confirm their eligibility.

If additional information is supplied, then dotCoop will re-evaluate the eligibility decision. Again, if it is decided that the registrant is eligible, the registrant is marked as Verified and no further action is needed. An e-mail that provides a confirmation of this finding is sent to the registrant.

Once the registrant is revoked, the registrant record is marked as deleted and the names that were registered by that registrant are available for registration by others.

Penalties for Falsification of Registration Application

Each .coop registrant must actively accept the Registration Agreement of the registrar where they purchase their .coop domain. The dotCoop Registration Agreement is part of whatever agreement is provided by the registrar for .coop domains from that registrar and clearly notes that no refunds will be provided for registrants that are not eligible for .coop domains.

Pre-verification of Eligibility

DotCoop is happy to pre-verify any organization that requests that service. This means that we will confirm that you are eligible before you register any names so that you can be assured that you will not lose your registration fee. There is no charge for this service at this time. Requests for pre-verification should be submitted to helpdesk@vdx.nl . You may still be selected for Statistical Verification but dotCoop will be able to quickly confirm your eligibility.

Appealing a Denial of Eligibility

Registrants may appeal denial of eligibility. Eligibility appeals are governed by the Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Process as described in the Dispute Policy and in the .coop TLD Agreement with ICANN. Organizations for which .coop applications have been denied, shall have 30 days from the time of the denial to initiate an eligibility dispute. Once a dispute is initiated, the registration will be continued until the Dispute is settled based on the processes defined in the Dispute Policy which is part of the dotCoop Registration Agreement. DotCoop will abide by the results of the Dispute Resolution Process and implement any decisions as directed from that process.

Verification Fees

Verification Fees are included in the registration fee for .coop domains. dotCoop will not pay any charges for COD mail or other similar charges related to delivery of verification information to prove eligibility.

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