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    • .bz

    Country-code top-level domainsDNSSEC

    Overview

    .bz is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Belize. It is administered by the University of Belize and marketed both for entities connected with Belize and for wider commercial use. Registrations are available at the second level and at third level beneath common second-level labels.

    Key facts:

    • Registry: Belize Network Information Center (managed/operated in association with the University of Belize)
    • Sponsor: University of Belize
    • Type: Country code top-level domain (ccTLD)
    • DNSSEC: enabled

    History

    • Introduced / implemented: September 3, 1991.
    • Administration: Managed by the University of Belize (registry services provided by Belize Network Information Center / University Management Ltd as noted in registry details).
    • Marketing and dispute: At one point an American company marketed .bz as standing for "business" and initiated legal action related to the introduction of .biz (Economic Solutions, Inc. v. ICANN). The registry has also promoted .bz outside Belize with the "meaning business" positioning.
    • IDN support: Internationalized domain names with a wide assortment of non-ASCII characters are available.

    Usage and Audience

    • Intended use: Entities connected with Belize.
    • Actual use: A mix of Belize-related sites and registrations by entities outside Belize; marketed commercially for the notion of "business."
    • Common audiences and uses:
      • Businesses and commercial sites seeking a ".bz" / "business" branding
      • Local Belizean organizations, government and educational institutions (second-level labels exist for these purposes)
      • Regional/trade use: some adoption in Italy (Bolzano, province abbreviation BZ) and use in Italian domain hacks (including use with .bz.it)
      • Technical/communities: servers for the open-source game BZFlag often use .bz hostnames
    • Risk: possible typosquatting or confusion with .biz has been noted.

    Registration Rules

    • Eligibility: Anyone can register a .bz domain (no country-residency restriction stated).
    • Restrictions: None specified.
    • Name length: Domain names must be between 3 and 63 characters.
    • Structure:
      • Registrations permitted directly at the second level (example: example.bz).
      • Third-level registrations are also used beneath second-level labels (e.g., .com.bz, .edu.bz, .gov.bz, .net.bz, .org.bz), though such labels are not mandatory.
    • Internationalized domain names: Supported (non-ASCII characters available).
    • Dispute policy: UDRP applies.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • Branding: .bz has been promoted as shorthand for "business," which has driven some non-Belize commercial registrations.
    • Geographic signal: Because many registrations are held by entities outside Belize, .bz may be used for broader branding rather than strictly as a geographic identifier.
    • Confusion and risk: Historical marketing and similarity to .biz mean there is potential for confusion or typosquatting between .bz and .biz.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • Legal action: An American company marketed .bz as "business" and pursued legal action against ICANN relating to the .biz domain (Economic Solutions, Inc. v. ICANN).
    • Regional use: Adoption in Italy related to the Bolzano (BZ) abbreviation and use with .bz.it subdomains.
    • Community example: Servers for the open-source game BZFlag commonly use .bz hostnames.
    • Common second-level labels in use (not required): .com.bz, .edu.bz, .gov.bz, .net.bz, .org.bz.

    Operator

    University of Belize

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       BZ

organisation: University of Belize
address:      Stann Creek Street Extension
address:      P.O. Box 340
address:      Belmopan
address:      Belize

contact:      administrative
name:         Juan Carlos Namis
organisation: University Management Ltd
address:      115 Barrack Road
address:      Third Floor
address:      Belize City
address:      Belize
phone:        +501 223 1607
fax-no:       +501 223 2242
e-mail:       hostmaster@belizenic.bz

contact:      technical
name:         Juan Carlos Namis
organisation: University Management Ltd
address:      115 Barrack Road
address:      Third Floor
address:      Belize City
address:      Belize
phone:        +501 610 5124
fax-no:       +501 223 2242
e-mail:       jcnamis@belizenic.bz

nserver:      A0.CCTLD.AFILIAS-NST.INFO 199.254.59.1 2001:500:25:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      A2.CCTLD.AFILIAS-NST.INFO 199.249.116.1 2001:500:44:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      B0.CCTLD.AFILIAS-NST.ORG 199.254.60.1 2001:500:26:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      B2.CCTLD.AFILIAS-NST.ORG 199.249.124.1 2001:500:4c:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      C0.CCTLD.AFILIAS-NST.INFO 199.254.61.1 2001:500:27:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      D0.CCTLD.AFILIAS-NST.ORG 199.254.62.1 2001:500:28:0:0:0:0:1
ds-rdata:     22882 8 2 088ad52a5e8e9adf54345cb21753a54f71bfb8e2674f08b02b64ab53f45eab9f

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.belizenic.bz

created:      1991-09-03
changed:      2020-11-23
source:       IANA

    Registrars