ICANN created .pro as a third-level extension in 2000, meaning it would follow the domain root and an additional extension, e.g. XBiz.com.pro. Later ICANN allowed the .pro to be grandfathered as a second-level, or standard, extension, provided it had already been registered as a third-level extension.
The domain registrar Encirca has begun selling .pro as a standard extension in a move an ICANN spokesperson said "violates the spirit of name restrictions." No proof of profession is required to acquire .pro from the Boston-area company, and it has also offered the extension worldwide rather than limiting availability to the four nations approved by ICANN: The United States, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Despite ICANN’s opposition, an Encirca employee who chose to remain anonymous told XBiz that the company plans to continue selling the extension “until specifically ordered not to.” ICANN can choose to revoke Encirca’s authority to sell that, or any other, extension.
In other ICANN news, the standard extensions .jobs and .travel will be made available later this year provided registrants can prove their associations with the human resources or travel industries.
