pro (derived from professional) is a generic top-level domain in the Domain Name System of the Internet intended for use by qualified professionals.The domain was originally launched in June 2004 with registrations restricted to lawyers, accountants, physicians and engineers in France, Canada, UK and the US.In March 2005, the registrar Encirca introduced its controversial ProForwarding service which enabled unverified individuals and businesses to register pro domains by proxy for $99. Total registrations reached 6,899 by January 2008.Following consultation with ICANN, the domain was relaunched in September 2008 with a wider remit to include government certified professionals in all countries.[1] Registrants are required to self-certify their professional status and agree to terms of use before registration, then subsequently provide detailed license information.The official domain website describes the eligibility criteria as follows:[2]Applicant provides professional servicesApplicant is admitted to or licensed by a government certification body or jurisdictional licensing entity recognized by a governmental body that regularly verifies the accuracy of its dataApplicant is in good standing with the licensing authorityThe domain registry allows registration of second-level domains and third-level domains in the following second-level domains:[2]Legal professions: law.pro, avocat.pro, bar.pro, recht.pro, jur.proAccountancy: cpa.pro, aaa.pro, aca.pro, acct.proMedical professions: med.proEngineering: eng.pro
As of March 2009, the domains may be registered through 29 accredited domain registrars. The number of registered domains was approximately 36,000 with the majority of domains in the United States (51%), followed by France (20%) and Germany (4%).[3]
