.ME in the News
.ME Domain Crosses 100,000 Milestone
05.08.2008
New personalized domain is the hot new destination for Web addresses
Podgorica, Montenegro – August 5, 2008 – The .ME Registry announced today it has registered more than 100,000 domain names. This milestone comes a little more than two weeks after opening for live, real-time registrations by the general public and less than four months after opening its doors.
“We believe the huge demand for .ME reflects the public’s interest in having a personal connection with the Web,” said Predrag Lesic, the registry’s executive director. “From interesting topics, to organization names, to brands, .ME sites give personality to the content on the Web sites associated with them.”
More than 100 registrars currently offer .ME domains through their registration platform. .ME has seen its greatest interest among English speaking countries including the United States (71%), the United Kingdom (6%), Canada (4%), and Australia (2%).
| Rank | Country Code | Country | Percentage |
| 1 | US | United States | 71% |
| 2 | GB | United Kingdom | 6% |
| 3 | CA | Canada | 4% |
| 4 | AU | Australia | 2% |
| 5 | IL | Israel | 1% |
| 6 | DE | Germany | 1% |
| 7 | FI | Finland | 1% |
| 8 | AE | United Arab Emirates | 1% |
| 9 | SE | Sweden | 1% |
| 10 | NL | Netherlands | 1% |
More than a thousand auctions are currently open for popular .ME domains, with the highest bid over $32,000. Auctions for .ME have been extremely popular, with some of the top completed auctions to date being:
| Name | Final Bid |
| lasvegas.me | $15,105 |
| chatwith.me | $15,035 |
| picture.me | $10,240 |
| baidu.me | $10,005 |
| onlinecasino.me | $10,005 |
| tag.me | $10,005 |
| secure.me | $10,005 |
There are still many active Land Rush auctions[1] taking place at http://Auctions.Domain.Me, including:
| Name | Current Bid |
| insure.me | $33,505 |
| hug.me | $14,505 |
| surprise.me | $8,455 |
| brand.me | $8,115 |
| entertain.me | $7,600 |
“The number of individuals participating in .ME auctions, combined with the high values of the sales indicates brand owners and investors clearly understand the domain’s potential,” added Lesic. “We are pleased by this success since proceeds from the auctions go to further Internet development in Montenegro.”
Information on the release of premium .ME names via auction is expected in the coming months.
The registration process for .ME began in May with the Sunrise period for trademark holders. Land Rush for the general public to register names began in June. In total more than 30,000 applications were received in the Sunrise and Land Rush periods.
A list of registrars offering .ME domains is available at www.Domain.ME.
[1] The rules for Land Rush domains with multiple applications can be found http://www.domain.me/index.php?page=21.