New gTLDs: a goog read

This is a recent article, entitled "Food for thought on the new TLD business

models", written by Loic Damilaville.

I strongly suggest the reading of this publication for new comers to the new gTLD world, entrepreneurs wishing to launch a new domain name extension or, Trademarks starting to wondering about securing - and using - their .BRAND personalized domain name extension:

• Unequal business models;
• Brand TLDs (or .BRAND);
• Sponsored (or Community) TLDs;
• GeoTLDs (geographic Top-Level Domains);
• Pure generics:
• generic domains that can only reach a small customer base;
• "open" generics, with terms used worldwide, which are lucky enough to address a global target or at least one that is very broad. 

• The consequences in terms of marketing strategies;
• Exclusive TLDs versus mass TLDs;
• Bad pricing never pays;
• Rights holders and domainers, two false friends;
• Convincing investors;
• "Success" or failure is not related to volume but to the relevance of the strategy with respect to market conditions.

Read the publication on the AFNIC website.

2 new features added to the Trademark Clearinghouse

Two new features were added to the Trademark Clearinghouse:

1. Update a Valid POU to a Verified Trademark Record: it allows trademark holders/agents to update the POU documents through the Mark details page in case the current POU documents submitted no longer reflect the validity of the trademark.
2. "Invalid" Trademark Record - Extra correction: this new functionality is accessible directly through the TMCH web interface for trademark holders with a prepaid account and agents. It gives the possibility to modify either the trademark name or the trademark registration number (not both).

To learn more: check the TMCH News.

.AMAZON : Approved !

This is what the paragraph from the latest "Approved Board Resolutions | Special Meeting of the ICANN Board" says on consideration of Amazon Corporation’s proposal on ACTO member states continuing concerns (.AMAZON New gTLD Application):

Resolved (2019.05.15.13), the Board finds the Amazon corporation proposal of 17 April 2019 acceptable, and therefore directs the ICANN org President and CEO, or his designee(s), to continue processing of the .AMAZON applications according to the policies and procedures of the New gTLD Program. This includes the publication of the Public Interest Commitments (PICs), as proposed by the Amazon corporation, for a 30-day public comment period, as per the established procedures of the New gTLD program.

What's of interest to me
I did a copy-paste of the below because that is what is happening next...at least that is what the paper says. The future will tell about reality:

The April 2019 proposal included, in addition to the creation of a joint Steering Committee, the following commitments:

1. “Not use as domain names in each .AMAZON TLD those terms that have a primary and well-recognized significance to the culture and heritage of the Amazonia region;
2. Provide nine domain names in each .AMAZON TLD to be used for non-commercial purposes by ACTO and its member states to enhance the visibility of the region; and
3. Block from all use up to 1500 domain names in each .AMAZON TLD that have a primary and well recognized significance to the culture and heritage of the Amazonia region”

The Amazon corporation also notes in its proposal that its TLDs would be “highly-restricted .BRANDs” and that “Amazon would only register domain names that align with its global brand strategy so that the .AMAZON TLDs are strongly affiliated with the reputation of the Amazon brand, which should eliminate concerns of ACTO and its member states that third parties will abusively use the TLDs.”

Finally, the Amazon corporation stated that it would host the nine domain names noted above and would make use of “proactive security controls paired with reactive and detective controls to offer the most comprehensive approach to security” related to the “provisioning and configuration of .AMAZON domains.”

Read the full story.

Numbers from the Trademark Clearinghouse

The Trademark Clearinghouse issued a new statistical report:

• 45,154 Trademark record submitted;
• 43% submitted for multiple years;
• 84% registered by Trademark Clearinghouse agents;
• 82% are verified;
• 117 countries covered;
• 131 jurisdictions.

Check the report

Is it time for a .ROTHSCHILD new gTLD?

This article follows the finding of this publication, announcing the signing of an overall agreement for the use of the Rothschild brand in order to continue growing the family's various businesses.

The Rothschild Name

One would not necessarily know about it but there is a long story around the Rothschild name: branches from the same family have been fighting for the use of their own name. Have a look at www.rothschild.com to understand...who's who; but whatever has happened in the past, there a new chapter of this story. The good news is that the family has come to an agreement for the use of its name.

An agreement which matches with the use of a .BRAND

This powerful family has come to an internal agreement for the use of its own name so...isn't it time to look ahead and investigate which tools could strongly strengthen the Rothschild name for the next century? A ".BRAND" new gTLD could be one of them and here is an idea of...how to start a use of it.

Short reminder
a ".BRAND" new gTLD is a personalized domain name extension which allows to register domain name ending i the name of the brand. For example here, the Rothschild family would be able to create domain names ending in ".rothschild", instead of, for example, ".com".

Which benefit?

Both families work in the business of banking, but not only; and what's of interest when talking about creating personalized domain names is "generic keywords". When operating a .BRAND (dotBrand) domain name extension, the owner instantly acquires the ownership of the generic domain names he creates: no need to ask anyone, no authorization to have from a third party (but the other branch of the family in our case) and also...no domain name is already registered since the family would be the only one allowed to create them. SEO specialists probably understand that last sentence.

Which unique keywords are used by both families?

This is rather easy to find when taking a look at each family's main front page:

1. ROTHSCHILD & CO :
1. Global Advisory
2. Wealth and Asset Management
3. Merchant Banking
2. EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD :
1. Private Banking
2. Asset Management
3. Private Equity
4. Corporate Finance

There are many more (Wine, Philanthropy, Art, etc...) but this is the main idea: structuring businesses behind simple keywords to point to them online and clarify who does what behind a same name. Domain names ending in ".com" don't offer that option.

Challenging
Now the family has come to an agreement for the use of its name, and would such a project to create its "mega brand" make sense for the family, some question would need to be answered: which internal domain name policy to allow a branch the use of a generic domain name such as bank.rothschild for example? Which kind of application: community or trademark? What about the project itself; which use of this specific extension: just domain names? What about emails: how to ensure that emails dedicated to Asset Management are sent to the right family?

Exciting isn't it?

;-)

Milestone: 14,000 .BEST registrations !

The .BEST new gTLD Registry hits 14,000 domain name registrations: that's 1,000 more per month! Last month, the registry hit a new milestone with a total of 13,000 registrations.

To grab your ".best" domain name for less than €2, check www.go.best.