Selling '.md' Is Just What The Doctor Ordered For Muldova

Add the former Soviet nation of Muldova to the list of Internet profiteers. Through Domain Name Trust Inc. (DNT), Fort Myers, Fla., the country is selling rights to use the .md Web site designation that it was assigned by a U.S. Dept. of Commerce contractor. Not surprising, doctors and drug companies are most interested in the designation. Muldovan site registrations soared from 200 to 10,000 in the past year alone. DNT charges $299 annually for each .md address. In exchange for the rights to use its country code, Muldova receives 10% of this registration fee. Since the selling began in May, Muldova has earned $200,000, which it says it will use to upgrade the nation's national Internet system.