Dolly is Truly the queenof.country

SANTA MONICA, California and DUBLIN, September 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Dolly Parton, the legendary Queen of Country, has registered queenof.country, dolly.country, and dollyparton.country and has agreed to be part of the .country pioneer program, which provides domain names to musicians, businesses, and organizations before the release of .country domain names to the general public on September 15, 2014.  

The launch of the .country top-level domain by registry operator Minds + Machines, in association with Uniregistry, is part of a revolutionary restructuring of the Internet's naming system by ICANN, the Internet's governing body, as it looks to create choice, relevance, name availability and affordability to individuals, communities and businesses across the US and the globe.

Ms. Parton, in agreeing to be a .country pioneer, will assist in the launch of .country by using her new domain names and by providing her name, image and other assistance. Members of the .country pioneer program receive their choice of domain names ahead of general release in exchange for their help in marketing the new top-level domain.  

Luke Myszka, Digital Strategist for CTK Management/Dolly Records, added:

"We are honored and thrilled to have Dolly Parton be a part of the ground-breaking launch of the .country TLD (top level domain) with dolly.country! It's wonderful to have our artists on the cutting-edge of the digital marketplace, and we look forward to participating in this partnership for years to come."

Other names reserved by Dolly Parton in .country include 9to5.country, dollywood.country, and queenof.country.

Antony Van Couvering, CEO of Minds + Machines, the registry operator for .country, commented:

"Dolly Parton was my first introduction to country music, and I've been a fan ever since. She's a big reason we started .country, so I couldn't be more thrilled that she's signed on as a pioneer. Dolly gets it: .country is part of of a massive transformation of the Internet, and she wants to be part of it. With new top-level domains being supported by the likes of Amazon, Google, and L'Oréal, we look forward to a natural tipping point when we all will be adopting domain endings that identify us with a particular interest, location or activity."

Frank Schilling, founder of Uniregistry, said:

"Uniregistry is proud to be working with Minds + Machines, to bring the .country top level domain name to artists and fans of country music world-wide. We are thrilled to see Dolly Parton, a timeless legend, be the first to claim her .country name, and we look forward to serving many other artists in future!"

Country music fans are widely recognized as loyal, diverse, and growing, with over 100 million country fans worldwide and over 20 million going to country music concerts a year. In the United States, country music is the No. 1 radio format.

Domain names in .country will be available to all on 15 September 2014. The estimated retail cost will typically start at around $25 a year. To register a name within .country, go to http://www.mindsandmachines.com/country or http://www.uniregistry.com, or contact any leading registrar. The .country top-level domain is a joint venture by Minds + Machines and Uniregistry.

AboutMinds + Machines

Minds + Machines Group Limited is a publicly traded operating company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Further information on Minds + Machines' registry and registrar operations can be found at http://www.mm-registry.com and http://www.mindsandmachines.com, respectively.

About Uniregistry 

Further information on Uniregistry can be found at http://www.uniregistry.com.

SOURCE Minds + Machines