4 Sunrise Periods are starting today (30 December)

Donuts Inc. has four Sunrise Periods starting today

1. .LEGAL
2. .COACH
3. .MONEY
4. .MEMORIAL

Check out the official Trademark Clearinghouse Calendar: http://sunrise.clearinghouse.org/.

Night Clubs have joined the .CLUB

“New generic Top-Level Domains”, “new gTLDs”, “new G’s” or just call them “new domain name extensions”, are one of the hot subjects of the moment on Internet. They are these new identifiers it has become possible to give a domain name for a better recognition. New domain names ending in “.club” now cover night life and Night Clubs seem to have adopted this new identifier.

New domain names for everyone

Specific industries like the building one are concerned with domain names ending in “.build”. Major cities and locations also have their specific domain names: residents and companies located in London can register a domain name ending in “.london”, the French Brittany has its domains ending “.bzh” and New Zealand created “.kiwi” domain names. Endorsed communities and Brands also have participated in these projects: AXA, the insurance company, has acquired the right to create its own domain names ending in .”axa”.

What are Registries?

Nic.club is the domain name of the company in charge of allowing the creation of domain names ending in “.club”, instead of “.com”. To understand well how these new domain names work, let’s imagine a pyramid on top of which is the ICANN: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is the actual authority for domain names and there is one worldwide to allow the creation of new domain name extensions.

Then right below is the list of “Registries”, there is one per domain name extension: there is one for “.com” domain names as well as one for “.club”.

Below the Registries you find the “Registrars”: they are the companies where end-users buy domain names. Registrars need to be “accredited” to selling domain names and they are more than a thousand.
Down the pyramid, you find end users: those who buy domain names: it is you and I and we are called “Registrants”.

If the “Trademark Clearinghouse (tmch)” is not part of that pyramid, it remains in an important hierarchical position because of its uniqueness: the TMCH is the only official procedure for Registrants to submit their Trademark datas in the process of registering a domain name.

A high level of interest for new domain names

On the list of new Registries launched in 2012, more than 450 have been launched already and this equals to more than 3.5 million domain names. On that list of 450 new extensions, the “.CLUB Registry” is the second most popular one in terms of registrations and the most popular in terms of use, since it does not give domain names away: people pay to acquire them.

Clubs have adopted .club domain names

If most new domain names can already be found in search engine results, they are still difficult to find. The case of Night Clubs is an interesting one: most night clubs - to have an online presence - seemed to be using old fashion domain names until recently but taken as an example, a search for a night club located in Boston will also show results using .club domain names: it is the case for the “Machine Night Club” when searching for “night club boston” (without inverted comas).

Google offers to list domain names according to their extension of reference: digging in the life of Night Clubs...there are thousands of them already!

Night Clubs have adopted .CLUB domain names

Extract: If most new domain names can already be found in search engine results, they are still difficult to find. The case of Night Clubs is an interesting one: most night clubs - to have an online presence - seemed to be using old fashion domain names until recently but taken as an example, a search for a night club located in Boston will also show results using .club domain names: it is the case for the “Machine Night Club” when searching for “night club boston” (without inverted comas).

Read the complete article here : http://www.prlog.org/12408476-night-clubs-have-joined-the-club.html.

Clubs can register their .CLUB domain names with Uniregistry.

French want to .VOTE but they won't ;-)

This is an extract of my latest article on the .VOTE new gTLD, enjoy.

Extract: "There is a certain buzz at the moment around this domain name: the sunrise Period will open from January 13, 2015 through February 12, 2015. As usual, interested Registrants, will be able to register in the Trademark Clearinghouse and the .VOTE will also be available in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese with a second extension: the .VOTO. Also: ".VOTE will be not be open to the general public, but rather is intended for political candidates, political action committees (PACs), political committees, and other verifiable registrants". More details about the application can be found here".

Read the complete article on gTLD.club

French want to .VOTE but they won't

We also use the word "vote" in French: it means the same as in English and we write it the exact same way.

French don't vote
France has a problem because people don't vote anymore, and of course, the actuel economical crisis does not help. A few figures extracted from Wikipedia:

• European Elections:
• In 2009, the level of abstention reached 60% (almost),
• 56,5% in 2012.
• Presidential Elections:
• 20,52% in 2012 (first round);
• I already imagine what it is going to be in 2017 after François Hollande celebrates the success of his first mandate and tries to be re-elected.

The .VOTE new gTLD

Prior to the launching of the ICANN new gTLD program, the .VOTE Top-Level Domain was an idea that I heard about many times (around 2010-11). A few friends and I agreed that it made sense to launch such a TLD for the reason explained above but also because it could be useful, it makes sense if it offers non-voters to vote from home, regulated domain names ending in .VOTE could increase the level of trust voting online. A domain name ending in ".vote" offers precision.

Reducing the level of abstention
Voting from home on a secured .VOTE domain name could allow more voters to participate and reduce the level of abstention. It is the number one reason that I see for such domain names.

The .VOTE new gTLD application
There is a certain buzz at the moment around this domain name: the sunrise Period will open from January 13, 2015 through February 12, 2015. As usual, interested Registrants, will be able to register in the Trademark Clearinghouse and the .VOTE will also be available in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese with a second extension: the .VOTO. Also: ".VOTE will be not be open to the general public, but rather is intended for political candidates, political action committees (PACs), political committees, and other verifiable registrants". More details about the application can be found here.

The bad news
If I find that .VOTE is a very good idea, I find it sad that French and other countries won't be able to have access to these domain names. Unfortunately, ".VOTE domains are restricted and available to be registered only in the United States by verified political campaigns".

I believe the reason of this is the one written in the application ("Due to the complexity of accommodating election laws around the world, initially .VOTE will be rolled out only in the U. S.") I believe another reason could be this one (I love this article): The applicant's jurisdiction is in the United States of America.

This could change in the future because an new gTLD application can be modified and in the sentence in parenthesis above it says "initially".

Would I vote from home if the French Government allowed/offered me to? I sure would.

Nicolas: are you reading this ;-)

Sunrise Period for .NRW is starting today

"Die neue Top-Level-Domain .nrw vereint Nordrhein-Westfalens buntestes und lebendigstes Lebensgefühl künftig unter einem digitalen Dach".

Extract from the .NRW application: "The goal of the .NRW top-level domain is to establish itself as the recognized choice for registrants who want to market and promote themselves and their websites to, and reach, the Internet-using public, for business, political, personal or any other purpose, through an association with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia; and, as the recognized top level domain name for Internet consumers to look for, to know which people, businesses, information sources or other online resource associates themselves with North Rhine-Westphalia or are trying to communicate with them.

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populated and, at the same time, most densely populated state in Germany, with 17,8 million inhabitants. 36% of Germany’s large cities (29 out of 80) are located in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest GDP--543 billion in 2010--in Germany and therefore is one of the economic and industrial centers of the nation (http:⁄⁄www.nrwinvest.com⁄NRW_at_a_glance⁄index.php). This number accounts for more than 20% of Germany’s total GDP. North Rhine-Westphalia’s purchasing power also ranks amongst the highest in Germany, which makes it a highly desirable place for business".

• SUNRISE PERIOD START: Tuesday, 16 December, 2014 (All day)
• SUNRISE PERIOD END: Saturday, 14 February, 2015 - 23:45

Source: http://sunrise.clearinghouse.org/.

Register your .NRW domain name with LexSynergy.

Le TOP 10 des nouveaux gTLDs (in French)

Extract: Il existe un “Top 10” des nouvelles extensions Internet: il s’agit des dix Registres qui autorisent la commercialisation de nouveaux noms de domaine au réseau des bureaux d’enregistrement accrédités. Dans le cas de ce Top 10, nous parlons des dix Registres qui créent le plus de noms de domaine.

Source: http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/expert/59417/le-top-10-des-nouveaux-gtlds.shtml.

Most of domain names available in this Top 10 are available at Uniregistry.

Happening now: Name Collision

Sunrise Period: December 10th 2014 – January 9th 2015

New gTLDs concerned:

• audio
• berlin
• blackfriday
• christmas
• cologne
• gift
• guitars
• hamburg
• hiphop
• hiv
• juegos
• koeln
• link
• luxury
• melbourne
• onl
• photo
• pics
• rich
• ruhr
• sexy
• tattoo
• wang.

Read more about the Name Collision:
http://www.trademark-clearinghouse.com/content/name-collision.

.CPH in Round 2 of the ICANN new gTLD program?

Extract: dotCPH is an initiative to buy and secure the .CPH gTLD to represent the danish city Copenhagen..

Source: http://round2-projects.registries.tel/.

Register your "Round 1" new domain names with Uniregistry.

Sunrise Period starts for .CRICKET - .PARTY & .SCIENCE

With Cricket comes equality, integrity and the opportunity of success, and this is something we seek to emulate within .cricket. Despite the countless resources available for those interested in cricket, we know that choice is often restricted and we hope to change this with the new .CRICKET generic TLD (Top Level Domain).

All new gTLDs have to hold a Sunrise Period, and having a verified trademark entry in the Clearinghouse is the minimum requirement to participate in this priority-registration period. Registering in first priority is an easy 3 step process. Check the TMCHcalendar to learn more about Sunrise Periods' dates.

Source: http://www.trademark-clearinghouse.com/gtld-calendar.

Scientists will soon be able to register their .SCIENCE domain name with Uniregistry.

Sunrise Period starts today for .RIO

Timeline:

1. SUNRISE PERIOD START: Friday, 5 December 2014;
2. SUNRISE PERIOD END: Sunday, 4 January 2015;
3. CLAIMS NOTIFICATION: Monday, 5 January 2015.

More information: http://sunrise.clearinghouse.org/

Reminder:

• Submit your trademark data into the Trademark Clearinghouse;
• New .RIO domain names can be requested here.

Sunrise Period for .SYDNEY new gTLD

• SUNRISE PERIOD START: Thursday, 4 December, 2014 (All day);
• SUNRISE PERIOD END: Tuesday, 3 February, 2015 - 23:45;
• CLAIMS NOTIFICATION PERIOD START: Tuesday, 17 February, 2015;
• CLAIMS NOTIFICATION PERIOD END: Monday, 18 May, 2015;
• LIMITED REGISTRATION #1:
• Thu, 4 December '14
• Fri, 13 February '15
• LIMITED REGISTRATION #2:
• Thu, 4 December '14
• Fri, 13 February '15

MORE INFO: http://nic.sydney
GTLD WEBSITE: http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au

Source: http://sunrise.clearinghouse.org/

Register your .SYDNEY domain names with Com Laude.

Largest New gTLDs by Zone Size on Day 60 of Their General Availability Period

Download the complete report from Verisign

New .VIN domain names: what about accents?

Extract: If accents are a strong added value when it comes to selling wine, we believe - for sure - that combination of signs including accents are part of that list of reserved names. An example for "Béarn": will the "Bearn" (with no accent) Geographical Indication be protected as well as "Béarn" with an accent? If bearn.wine and bearn.vin are reserved, what about béarn.wine and béarn.wine?
In this case, that is two names reserved in two fifferent extensions.

Source: http://www.gtld.club/2014/11/new-vin-domain-names-what-about-accents.html.

New .VIN domain names: what about accents?

What exactly is that "reserved list of names" Fadi Chehadé refers to in his letter dated October the 22nd? If we already have an idea, we wonder if they considered protecting more than just "accents". The name of Hogan Lovells was mentionned in the last Safebrands "RINDD" and their input on this question is welcome if they are the company to be working on that list.

What about accents?
One could think that English website owners would register their domain name ending in .WINE and those in French in .VIN. In a world where things would be black or white I would agree, but we live in a world where everything is grey so potential Registrants will probably register their domain name in the two extensions.

We use accents in French and for this reason, you won't see a French bottle of wine sold in an English speaking country where accents would be taken away from the sticker, in particular when the name of a wine Geographical Indication adds to promoting the Trademark on the bottle.

If accents are a strong added value when it comes to selling wine, we believe - for sure - that combination of signs including accents are part of that list of reserved names. An example for "Béarn": will the "Bearn" (with no accent) Geographical Indication be protected as well as "Béarn" with an accent? If bearn.wine and bearn.vin are reserved, what about béarn.wine and béarn.vin?
In this case, that is two names reserved in two fifferent extensions.

Spaces do not exist in domain names...
The same case figure applies to Geographical Indications using multiple keywords. What about protecting "Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet" and "Banyuls grand cru"? You noticed that hyphens and spaces were added to the problem and if "Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet.wine" is offered to be reserved in the .Wine  and .Vin extensions, what about:

1. BienvenuesBâtard-Montrachet.wine;
2. BienvenuesBâtardMontrachet.wine;
3. BienvenuesBatardMontrachet.wine;
4. Bienvenues-BâtardMontrachet.wine;
5. BienvenuesBatard-Montrachet.wine;
6. ...

This is a long list, even longer if spaces between letters need to be replaced by "something". Is the "hyphen" to replace spaces? In this case a GI such as "Banyuls grand cru" should require to reserve:

1. Banyulsgrandcru.wine;
2. Banyuls-grandcru.wine;
3. Banyulsgrand-cru.wine;
4. Banyuls-grand-cru.wine;
5. The same name in the .VIN Top-Level Domain.

For this last example, this means reserving eight names for two extensions: eight domain names for one single wine Geographical Indication...

What about plurals?
One Wine Geographical Indication wouldn't want to see reserved all of these combinations and take the risk to have someone register a "BienvenueBâtard-Montrachet.wine", getting rid of the "s" in "Bienvenues") or adding one to a "Banyulsgrandcrus.wine" when it does not take any.

If these examples look like paranoia...they remain real ones: plural is a factor to consider in the protection of Wine Geographical Indications and if it wasn't, why then champagnes.fr (with an "s") is redirected to champagne.fr (with no "s")?

What about a GI using accents, spaces, hyphens and an apostrophy in the same name?
I will let readers play with the "Chambertin-Clos de Bèze", "Côtes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire" and "Duché d’Uzès" examples.

:-)

The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH)
The TMCH could be an alternative to these coming problems. For any Brand interested in .WINE and .VIN Sunrise Periods, I would suggest to register: "abused labels in which the trademark is simply included could be submitted to the Clearinghouse as long as they meet all the eligibility requirements".

Is everyone satisfied?
The more domains will be reserved, the more it will probably cost to use them since they will require to be "unlocked" (taken out of the reserved list of names to be registered). If we agree that protection has a cost, it is possible that I am wrong and that such mechanism to register these domain names is a smooth and cheap process.
In this case I believe both parties are satisfied: wine Geographical Indications are protected from bad behaviors and .WINE and .VIN Registries have an existing list of domain name already promoted with potential buyers coming.

But...where is that list?

"My Favorite Strings" - .CLUB Holiday Song

Register your .CLUB domain name with Uniregistry.

The ICANN new gTLD program: an introduction to a v2 of the Internet?

Extract: A week ago I was discussing the alternative of an European Internet root with an ex-ICANN Board member. The idea that I like to develop in these discussions is to offer end-users a modern and cheaper naming system. Note that it does not mean the ICANN root is a bad one, it means that a new and better one could cohabit with the (now old) existing one.

Source: http://www.gtld.club/2014/11/a-version-2-of-internet.html.

A "version 2" of the Internet ?

A week ago I was discussing the alternative of an European Internet root with an ex-ICANN Board member. The idea that I like to develop in these discussions is to offer end-users a modern and cheaper naming system. Note that it does not mean the ICANN root is a bad one, it means that a new and better one could cohabit with the (now old) existing one.

One will wonder what this article has to do with new gTLDs but considering the creation of an Internet "version 2", offers website and brand owners many advantages. Starting from scratch allows to avoid all mistakes made with domain names. Brands and domain name owners already know what they would like to get rid of with .COM domains and new gTLDs: an alternative root would allow that.

Alternative Roots do not make sense...unless...
As usual, discussing this subject often ends with a "come on, it is a non-sense" (in particular when you discuss this with a member of the actual Internet Governing body) or "many initiatives exist already, none works" or again: "users won't understand and they will see more costs first".

If I agree that an alternative root governed by a private company is not the good way to do it or has no chance to work, I believe a new alternative root Governed by an "International Body" starts to make sense. Here is why.

What exactly is an Alternative Root?
To make it simple, what we call an "alternative root" is the same as what ICANN does, unless it could be governed by someone else with different rules: it is the network on which ICANN works. If this network already makes Internet to function properly, thank to ICANN, a body such as the European Commission could build its own network (with servers hosted in every member state) and create its own naming system (instead of "www.brand.com", we could reasonably imagine that a Brand would want to use a simple "brand" as its name and get rid of what is not necessary around it: "www" for example). A classification created by the INTA could replace Top-Level Domains.
This Internet "version 2" would be Governed differently with its own rules (instead of ICANN's). Protection mechanisms and the equivalent of new gTLDs would be studied seriously, Singular VS Plurals of a TLD (its equivalent) would not be allowed... anyway: who wants .HOTEL and .HOTELS domain names?

Why does it make sense now?
Such opportunity does not only make sense because Angela Merkel says so (also read here), but because there are many more advantages to start again with a blank copy and learn from mistakes of the ICANN new gTLD program.

The ICANN new gTLD program
The ICANN new gTLD program is a good idea and took long to launch. Now it is launched, some mistakes will remain and cannot be modified anymore. The problem with many of these issues is that they will keep bothering end-users for long...and they cost a lot. The more new domain name extensions launch, the more the level of infringement increases and as a brand, I cannot afford to protect myself from infringement registering all domain names or blocking someone to register my name in a different extension. Who can afford to be protected anyway?

It is easy to criticize the ICANN new gTLD program but could these mistakes have been avoided?
The list is long and one will wonder if the actual situations would have been different if these questions below had been asked to end-users and new gTLD applicants:

• OK if ICANN allows to launch similar domain name extensions in different languages with different rules and with different launch dates and at different prices?
• OK to pay each time for the same domain name in each of these extensions to block a third party from doing it?
• Does it matter if your risk of infringement increases the more new domain name extensions are launched: do you mind paying for this?
• OK to pay for the Trademark Clearinghouse?
• OK to allow singular and plural versions of a domain name extension?
• Do you see a problem if a Registry becomes a Registrar?
• Do you agree for the domain name you are interested in to go to an auction if someone else is interested in it?
• OK if it cost you to pay up to $1,000 a year for one single domain name?
• OK with .SUCKS new gTLD?
• OK with .SEX, .PORN and .ADULT if porn websites remain on .COM domain names?
• OK if ICANN changes the accreditation procedure after you have applied for your domain name extension (and paid for it)?
• OK if persons involved in ICANN operations have personal interests in certain TLDs?
• OK to protect "Olympics games" and a few other lucky ones at the root level? What about other brands?
• OK to protect wine Geographical Indications on all new TLDs and prior to launching the ICANN new gTLD program?

To all of these questions, I believe the answer would have been a "NO", except for the last one.

Wine Geographical Indications

The example of protecting wine Geographical Indications is a good one: shouldn't such issue have been solved prior to launching the ICANN new gTLD program and not after?

A new Internet root allows to start from scratch and learn from these errors
Of course launching a new European Root has a technical cost. There is one too for listening to end-users (and avoid service providers to "think it all" according to their interest). Building a new naming system requires to involve the INTA but end-users must be listened to first.
Copying the ICANN root and think that it will be enough to block a country from spying on another one is not true but if the security aspect of an Internet root is important, the real opportunity in Angela Merkel's suggestion is to give Brands and Website owners an alternative which is not based on...paying.

What would you choose?
If you had the choice between using a version of the Internet:

1. where pornography was uncontrolled, where receiving daily spam was natural, where the risk for brands to be squatted existed, where infringement was accepted, where parked domains for sale with useless content was a business, where it took weeks to take down a website showing child pornography, where the governing body didn't listen to end-users ... and;
2. where access to the network was controlled, where brands paid once to be protected, where the naming system allowed to enter a keyword to find a results, where pornography was located at a specific place, where spam did not exist and the sender of an email could be identified, where the governing body had legal power to act, where end-users were asked the question on how to improve the Internet ...

Does option two look like it is wonderland? Not necessarily if it required to log-in to a version 2 of the Internet prior to surfing: I personally see no problem with this.

How do you make this happen and what do you get in return?
Two versions of the Internet can cohabit: one on the old ICANN Root, the other on a new European Root. As a brand, I would want to exist on a controlled version of the Internet for many reasons:

• Credibility is important. When a website is identified, the consumers' level of trust increases;
• If the price to exist on an European Internet allows anyone worldwide to come visit my website, I see no reason not to use such new address on my visit cards;
• I see an advantage to create content on a version of Internet where I know there won't be confusion with a similar website using my domain name with a mistype "to generate traffic";
• No spam? I take it;
• One place to pay for my name? I take it. Even better if it is a way for our broke Governments to earn money;
• One single directory? I want to be there and pay for this;
• As a parent...I am able to offer my kids a safe place to surf;
• ...

Search Engines now control the Internet: wouldn't that be a problem for a second root?
Let's say they are two (three?) American one to control browsing on the Internet. I am confident that they would adapt to a new root, this is just a matter of an upgrade. Wouldn't they want to, I would download a browser promoted by a strong governing body if it were to develop one in exchange of guarantees that:

1. it worked;
2. it was strongly governed and able to take fast action against bad behaviors.

I am sure there are many Geeks in Europe able to develop such a browser for a strong governing body. A a brand and website owner, I would agree to change "for better" if this "Internet version 2" allowed anyone to visit my website and share electronic messages with me.

So you think you can participate in ICANN decisions ?

Extract: "Come on...you're not going to talk about Project dotVinum again? We tried to "participate" in ICANN decisions in April 2013 the 3rd, providing solutions to protect wine Geographical Indications. We wrote to ICANN, who published our letter, and its subject was "Hints and Solution for the Protection of Wine Geographical Indications in the ICANN New gTLD Program". Guess what we offered as a solution in this letter: we offered to protect lists of names....

Source: http://www.gtld.club/2014/11/everyone-can-participate-in-icann.html.

Soon, register your .WINE domain name with SafeBrands.

Everyone can participate in ICANN decisions ? Come on...

I participated in the French RINDD today in Paris: RINDD stands for "Rencontres Internationales des Noms de Domaine". The translation would be "The International Domain Name Conference". This event is organized once a year by SafeBrands, an International French Registrar. Many participants were there: the ICANN, Law Firms, Donuts, other new gTLD applicants, back-end Registries and many experts of all kinds...

Round Tables and debates

There were round tables on several subjects and it was particularly appreciated to hear Donuts, applicant for hundreds of new gTLDs, to answer questions in French, and sometimes, direct ones. I was kind enough not to ask publicly how much they paid for the .WINE new gTLD.

If I am always interested in hearing participants like Mathieu Weill and listen to his figures about the new gTLD market, the potential of new gTLDs, his open questions on the possible success and failures of new gTLD initiatives, new business models...there is one subject which really pisses me off, it is when I hear someone say that "everybody can participate in ICANN decisions". 

"Everybody can participate in ICANN decisions"

I have the chance to belong to one of the ICANN group named the NCUC, which has a "real voting power in ICANN’s policy making and Board selection, the NCUC develops and supports positions that favor noncommercial communication and activity on the Internet". NCUC stands for "Noncommercial Users Constituency": a group anyone can join to represent ... non-commercial end users (the only "real" end users to me).

I joined that group because I believed it could block things like Plural and Singular domain name extensions to coexist. I admit I failed in participating enough to block this from happening: domain names ending in .hotel and .hotels (with an "s") will always be confusing for end users.

No: you can't participate in ICANN decisions

...but you can try...

A good example to give is this letter sent by the ICANN CEO to French Ministry Axelle Lemaire regarding protecting wine Geographical Indications and which says: "The parties involved are now working on devising a mechanism which would offer protections to a reserved list of names, which would be contractually protected through ICANN’s registry agreement".

Come on...you're not going to talk about Project dotVinum again?

We tried to "participate" in ICANN decisions in April 2013 the 3rd, providing solutions to protect wine Geographical Indications. We wrote to ICANN, who published our letter, and its subject was "Hints and Solution for the Protection of Wine Geographical Indications in the ICANN New gTLD Program". Guess what we offered as a solution in this letter: we offered to protect lists of names...

So what?

Not only ICANN never answered us, which probably shows that we are not as honorable as Axelle Lemaire, but we are pretty much surprised that it is our solution that the ICANN CEO now uses as one to unlock the situation for both .WINE and .VIN new gTLDs.

It is a pity that so many years were wasted and that ICANN never called us: Project dotVinum for wine Registries was launched in 2011, introduced to the French Ministère de l'Agriculture and a few of other wine institutions.

We also find funny that the Law Firm in charge of "finding solutions" has come to that conclusion and we are happy to have "shown the way".

So, can you participate in ICANN decisions? Check by yourself. Note that we are not naive neither...we know how it works...and on .WINE, it works behind the scene: end users are not welcome to play.

More coming on ethic? ;-)

gTLD.club moves to the Blogger platform (authors: read this)

From Wordpress to Blogger

Almost a year ago I launched gTLD.club: a club for authors interested in new gTLDs to write about the subject of their choice. I started this project on the already very popular Wordpress.com platform but I am more familiar with the Blogger platform which I find easier to use and more efficient for what I do.

Reason for this move

• Blogging requires to be able to post fast and minimize the number of clicks for the post to be published. I find Blogger faster.
• Wordpress does not allow to play much, at least on the .COM platform, and it is expensive too. The .ORG platform allows to download Wordpress and install it on a hosted account at any registrar but again, it requires far too many clicks, a Registrar, a minimum technical knowledge and more passwords. Blogger is free and requires to write a post, and that's it.
• Many authors did not write on gTLD.club because the process required to create...a blog on Wordpress: on Blogger, the author's email is needed, and that's it.

Authors: please read this

Changing from a platform to another means that authors have to register again to be granted access to gTLD.club. This is the bad thing about migrating to another platform. Dear Authors, you are welcome to request a new invitation to be able to post again.

Your design is ugly

I know that but since I am no web designer, it will remain like this. I focus on content when I read, not on design...and anyway: gTLD.club was ugly on the Worpress platform too ;-)

Translate please

Everybody does not read English nor French and even if no one likes automatic translation tools, it can be interesting to be able to understand an article when it is not in your own language so I added "Google Traduction" to this Blog because I write in both languages.

Old articles
Old articles will remain on the old platform.

New .WINE and .VIN are now Political Tools

The more I follow the .WINE & .VIN opera, the more I start to believe that the idea is either to kill both new gTLD applications to free space in Round 2 of the ICANN new gTLD program or make this subject a political tool “only” to increase Europe’s presence in ICANN decisions.

Flying high above the sky

If there still is a wish from the European Commission to help .WINE and .VIN to become the strongest identity European wines could ever have on Internet, I would like to understand why the situation is still blocked:

1. There is a list of protected domains the ICANN CEO is trying to offer for protection: I have few doubts this one won’t go through;
2. There is a protection mechanism that the EU is trying to have set-up but which seems to be part of the reason why the situation is blocked. The strange thing about this new measure is that there is one existing already and it is called the Trademark Clearinghouse: if a wine Geographical Indication is registered into this database AND the corresponding domain name(s) registered, then there is no lack of protection;
3. …the recent communication from Philippe Armand Martin, at the French Assemblée Nationale, says one thing: the fact that a possible decision relies on the next European Council dated November the 27th 2014 is a clear proof that the French Government understands nothing (or very few) about new gTLD procedures (and by the way, .COFFEE new gTLD was launched already). If the idea is to block .WINE and .VIN because, we – European (French ?) – “missed the train”, then I would suggest to consider: not building a new root but a complete new Internet Governed and by us with European rules, because thinking this council will change anything is a mistake. It is like thinking the WTO can affect this situation. This ever lasting situation shows again how inefficient and slow, we, European, can be. In his speech, I particularly like Jean-Louis Roumegas’s offer “to open a global discussion on this issue”.
   As it is built, the ICANN new gTLD program offers no solution but to slow down the process. What the ICANN is doing participating in slowing down this process is already against its own rules: according to my understanding of the ICANN new gTLD applicant Guidebook (also called the “AGB”), this problem should have been solved a long time ago.

Whatever decision is taken in November the 27th, the ICANN Board does not have to approve it just to please European Member States and a few American Organizations who think wine GIs and/or their equivalent should be protected.

Someone will cry

There is still zero reason why both applications should not proceed: my understanding of the the ICANN CEO’s personal contribution to this issue is that ICANN will then have to face the reaction of both parties if it approves .WINE & .VIN or not. In both cases, someone will cry so who should that be: Donuts for investing so much time and money to find out that ICANN changes the rules again for the benefit of the European Commission (EC), or the European Commission for wasting so much time in trying to protect wine GIs and finding out in the end that very few was changed?

So what really is the problem then?

The real actual problem is that ICANN needs to find a solution to demonstrate that its methodology to apply for a domain name extension is finalized and can face a situation such as the .WINE one; AND it needs to please the party which thinks that it is being fooled. If I could almost agree that the methodology is finalized, I believe there is no solution to please the EC with its requests.

Note that it would help quite a lot if it was clear about what the EC wants and as for now, the negotiation between parties involved has not been made public.

What happens next

.WINE and .VIN are a GO “as they are

If the ICANN Board says OK to .WINE and .VIN, no matter what the European Commission thinks, then the ICANN confirms its position as an American organization who does not really care about the rest of the world, no matter what Axelle Lemaire thinks.

.WINE and .VIN are no GO

ICANN confirms that its methodology to apply for a new gTLD has a breach and I believe it then should have to answer Donuts on the reason why it blocked the company from succeeding after following the ICANN new gTLD applicant guidebook procedure.

A deadline please?

If no one, even ICANN, can give a dead line, the next step comes after the 27th and it is quite possible that the ICANN Board, sole entity to be able to say “yes” or “no”, says: “let’s give parties involved a little more time to find a solution. I personally hope this is not the answer but according to me, the ICANN wants to please the European Commission and avoid…a lawsuit.

My fear here is that the “no dead line situation” has been accepted by all parties and it looks like it is easier for ICANN to remain this way instead of taking the risk to act. Unfortunately and according the the AGB, there can’t be a Round 2 if this situation is not solved so let’s expect something to happen…someday.

Sublime et Hilarant (.Vin & .Wine)

Extrait: "Je suis tout à fait d’accord avec l’analyse, et avec les conclusions, que vous proposez. Simplement j’avais une question plus large : y a-t-il déjà eu une intervention européenne pour remettre en cause ce système qui donne à la justice californienne le dernier mot ?

Existe-t-il un travail international entrepris, soit dans le cadre des discussions transatlantiques, soit dans le cadre d’une organisation telle que l’ONU, pour élaborer un droit international sur le sujet des noms de domaines ?

Cela pose en effet le problème de la soumission au droit d’un des États des États-Unis, et même pas du droit fédéral, et un autre problème qui est celui d’ouvrir à la spéculation l’acquisition des noms de domaines, ce qui ouvre la voie à toutes sortes de dérives. Il va se créer un marché complètement indépendant de toute législation nationale, il faut mener une réflexion globale sur ce sujet".

M. Jean-Louis Roumegas.

Source: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/europe/c-rendus/c0167.asp#P150_37913.

"NO COMMENT"

Le bon .VIN Californien

Extract:

Les nouvelles extensions Internet apparaissent peu à peu sur Internet et de nombreux nouveaux sites Web voient le jour. Terminé les noms de domaine qui se terminent en .COM, c’est à présent au tour des .BERLIN, des .CLUB et des .INTERNATIONAL de se faire un nom.

Pourtant, si ces noms tardent à se faire connaître, il existe deux nouvelles extensions, en instance de validation, dont on parle beaucoup. Il s’agit des deux candidatures déposées à l’ICANN - l’organisme de gouvernance des noms de domaine - pour le vin: des noms de domaine qui se termineront en .VIN et en .WINE. Le site Web de Nicolas changera probablement, nous l’espérons, pour un .VIN.

A lire sur le JDN: http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/expert/59029/qu-il-est-bon-ce--vin-californien.shtml.

Qu'il est bon ce .VIN californien

Les extensions du Vin seront Californiennes

Les nouvelles extensions Internet apparaissent peu à peu sur Internet et de nombreux nouveaux sites Web voient le jour. Terminé les noms de domaine qui se terminent en .COM, c’est à présent au tour des .BERLIN, des .CLUB et des .INTERNATIONAL de se faire un nom.

Pourtant, si ces noms tardent à se faire connaître, il existe deux nouvelles extensions, en instance de validation, dont on parle beaucoup. Il s’agit des deux candidatures déposées à l’ICANN - l’organisme de gouvernance des noms de domaine - pour le vin: des noms de domaine qui se termineront en .VIN et en .WINE. Le site Web de Nicolas changera probablement, nous l’espérons, pour un .VIN.

Lire cet article sur le Journal Du Net.

The .WINE new gTLD Rumor (more on .wine and .vin new gTLDs)

Extract: "It appears that .WINE was recently won in a private auction : if two applications from the three existing ones are soon withdrawn, it means that this pending situation could come to end. Note that at this point, it does not really matter how much was spent to win this Top-Level Domain nor it matters who won the auction because some problems remain to be solved: the protection of wine Geographical Indications…and a few other things that I won’t be explaining here. Regarding how much was spent for .WINE, the new gTLD history will tell.

The recent letter from Fadi Chehadé shows that the wine applications issues evolve in the right direction. After two years listening to the GAC, it appears that the ICANN CEO is taking this situation seriously and the wine worldwide community is (probably) thanking him for this".

Read my complete article on gTLD.club: http://gtld.club/2014/11/04/the-wine-new-gtld-rumor/.

Are you the member of a wine club? Register your mywine.CLUB domain name with Uniregistry.

A profitable Registry (the .LUXURY new gTLD)

Do new Registries need to sell a lot of domain names to be profitable?

They do but in very specific cases, they don’t need to. Read about the .LUXURY example.

Most of the new Registries sell at a low price to encourage Registrars (the reselling network) to promote the Registry’s new domain names. Then accredited Registrars sell these domains at a higher price to their clients: the end users (or Registrants).

I like to dig and noticed that the .LUXURY new gTLD is already very profitable with only 1,216 registered domain names. Yes…you read well: there are 1,216 .luxury domain names registered. It is very few compared to the successful .CLUB Registry who has reached 127,725 registrations.

I did not even check if there were Premium domain names or a Pioneer Program but the asked price at the Registrar level gives enough information to know about the Registry’s revenue.

Are expensive domain names the key to success?

GoDaddy sells .LUXURY domain names at the price of $799.99 and Uniregistry at even a lower price than this at $688.88. An average price for a new domain name is between $20 and $30 a year, sometimes more and sometimes it is even less than $10. Paying $700 a year is just…very different!

Looking at the presentation of the one page Registry’s official website, one thing is learnt: it looks like a family business and it is possible that most of the Registry’s activity is sub-contracted to an external service provider so costs are reduced. But whatever it costs, I made a simple calculation.

The calculation

Let’s imagine that every Registrant interested in a .LUXURY domain name bought it at the cheapest price on the market ($688 with Uniregistry), it means this would already have generated $836.608 for 1,216 domain names. How do other new Registries selling their domain names below $30 feel about this when it requires $100.000 per year to run a Registry and $25.000 in ICANN fees (when below 50,000 registrations)?

The conclusion

New .LUXURY domain names are open to all, just like the majority of all other new domains. Selling domain names is difficult, in particular when there are so many new domain name extensions launching at the same time. A good idea to make a Registry profitable in Round two of the ICANN new gTLD program could be to:

1. Get the best community endorsement for a targeted group who is already waiting to buy these domain names, or;
2. Follow the .CLUB example with a generic and multilingual string to submit your application and sell at a low price with a communication budget, or;
3. Follow the .LUXURY example and sell at a high price.

To submit an application in round two of the ICANN new gTLD program (with a cheap back-end Registry who already has references), you can contact me at Jovenet Consulting.

Fadi Chehadé mentions "a list" in his letter to Honorable Axelle Lemaire on .WINE & .VIN

"C'est la consécration" ;-)

The letter, made public last night, mentions "a reserved list of names". I personally want to congratulate parties in charge of protecting Wine Geographical Indications for reaching out to this conclusion.

Even if we did not have the chance to be thanked the same way as Honorable Axelle Lemaire in 2013 for informing ICANN about these exact same solutions, we are happy to read that these past two years were not wasted for nothing and that an agreement is to be found.

We also want to suggest ICANN (and Axelle Lemaire) to read our article dated April 22, 2013.

Extract of the letter: "The parties involved are now working on devising a mechanism which would offer protections to a reserved list of names, which would be contractually protected through ICANN’s registry agreement, along with a set of rules around how those names could be distributed to parties that have interests in and the rights to them".

Sources:

1. The letter (to be downloaded): https://www.icann.org/resources/correspondence/chehade-to-lemaire-2014-10-22-en;
2. Geographical Indications and Appellations of Origin are easy to protect: stick to the official databases: http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130403_hints_and_solution_for_the_protection_of_wine_geographical_gtld/;
3. Official letter sent by Project dotVinum to ICANN in 2013: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/2013-2014-01-24-en;
4. Why Donuts should do both .WINE and .VIN new gTLDs: http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130422_why_donuts_should_win_all_wine_new_gtld_applications/.

Wine Geographical Indications might be able to register their domain names with Uniregistry (in a close future).

A profitable Registry (.LUXURY new gTLD)

Extract: I like to dig and noticed that the .LUXURY new gTLD is already very profitable with only 1,216 registered domain names. Yes…you read well: there are 1,216 .luxury domain names registered. It is very few compared to the successful .CLUB Registry who has reached 127,725 registrations.

I did not even check if there were Premium domain names or a Pioneer Program but the asked price at the Registrar level gives enough information to know about the Registry’s revenue.

Read the complete article on gTLD.club ans register your .CLUB & .LUXURY domain names with Uniregistry.

The .CLUB Registry is an example to prepare “Round2” of the ICANN new gTLD program

Extract: With lessons learnt from the first Round, what does a new applicant need to know to prepare for the coming Round? Which example should he follow to increase his chances of success?

Many new gTLD applicants had some good ideas but none of them knew that they would be so many to have these exactly same ideas so how did .CLUB proceed to appear as different, compared to other Registries?
Source: http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141027150303-1289629-the-club-registry-an-example-to-follow-for-round2-of-the-icann-new-gtld-program. (what a long URL).

Register your .CLUB domain name with Uniregistry.

The .Club TLD is becoming a “community of communities”

Colin Campbell

Colin Campbell has been an internet pioneer since 1993.

Our team recently dotClub leads the new Top Level Domain Revolution – in my view, it is by far the most successful. Eat.Club was recently sold for $20,000! I expect over the next 3 years, there will be over 1 million Clubs signed up to dotClub. Colin recently joined the CEO Registry and the Florida.CEO Community. Colin’s Identity page details his considerable achievements.

ColinCampbell.CEO

Colin’s work on .Club has seen the growth of a new Top Level Domain that features collaboration. The .Club TLD is becoming a “community of communities”, with broad application, from Soccer.Club, to the SFEntrepreneurs.Club.

MyDomains.Club

To learn more about .Club, visit ColinCampbell.CEO and watch his video. You can register a Club Domain at MyDomains.Club

I have also tweeted and posted about Colin’s success on Linkedin.

*If you are a CEO Registry Member involved in something inspiring let us know and we will share your good work with the global CEO network.

And finally, if you are not already a member of the CEO Registry – you can Sign Up here

Best,
Jodee Rich

The CEO Registry
Powered by PeopleBrowsr

Name.Space : Originator of new gTLDs since 1996.

Name.Space : https://rally.org/namespace

L'avantage d'un .LAGUIOLE au second cycle d'appel à candidatures?

Déposer un dossier de candidature pour un .LAGUIOLE au second cycle d’appel à candidatures en, disons, 2017, permettrait au village de devenir propriétaire de l’extension Internet .LAGUIOLE et de décider de la commercialisation des noms de domaine ou non.
La suite sur gTLD.club: http://gtld.club/2014/10/20/un-laguiole-au-second-cycle-dappel-a-candiatures/.

Membre d'un club de coutellerie? Le .CLUB est pour vous chez Uniregistry.

Une extension Internet .LAGUIOLE

Nous connaissons les noms de domaine qui se terminent en ".fr" et en ".com" mais savez-vous qu'il est possible de créer une extension Internet dédiée à Laguiole en tant que localisation géographique, et autoriser ainsi la création de noms de domaine qui se termineront en ".laguiole"? 

Sauvez Laguiole!
C’est avec un certain amusement que je relis cet article intitulé “Laguiole, à couteaux tirés” (source: http://www.lepoint.fr/art-de-vivre/laguiole-a-couteaux-tires-23-04-2014-1815318_4.php)

Pourtant, si je fais entièrement confiance à tous les Conseils en PI de la planète pour tenter de récupérer la marque “Laguiole”, il est une solution que le village n’a peut être pas encore envisagée.

Le ".laguiole": un TLD Géographique?
Je vous l’accorde, la solution à $185.000 plus les frais de préparation de dossier (de procédures de contestation aussi probablement) sont les premiers contre-arguments. Pourtant le dossier est défendable et permettrait au village de reconquérir l’intégralité de son territoire sur Internet…et notamment, celui des autres produits que la coutellerie estampillés “LAGUIOLE”.

Déposer un dossier de candidature pour un .LAGUIOLE au second cycle d’appel à candidatures en, disons, 2017, permettrait au village de devenir propriétaire de l’extension Internet .LAGUIOLE et de décider de la commercialisation des noms de domaine se terminant en .LAGUIOLE (au lieu de .COM)…ou non.

Ainsi, c’est le village qui déciderait:
de l’utilisation qui peut être faite de couteau.laguiole, de paris.laguiole, etc…
de qui pourrait être les titulaires de ces noms de domaine.

A bon entendeur?

Today : GAC Briefing to the ICANN Community - Protection of Geographic Names in gTLDs

Note this is about the future Round.

This session is to inform and exchange with the community about considerations regarding protection of geographic names in future new gTLD application rounds.

http://la51.icann.org/en/schedule/wed-gac-geographic-names

More on .WINE and .VIN at ICANN51

CENTR issued a guide for ICANN51 in which a date is given where interested parties in the .WINE question can learn more about how this wonderful story will probably end.

"This is not a large part on the GAC’s agenda at ICANN Los Angeles, but it is a very sensitive topic and likely to reflect wider divisions between governments on human rights issues at the United Nations. The session, scheduled for Tuesday, 14 October, 9:30-10:00, is not labeled a GAC-specific session, but an ICANN-wide session. It is, however, organized by the GAC. As with the issue of geographic indicators raised by .WINE and .VIN, the introduction of human rights into the ICANN sphere deepens links between public policy issues discussed in international intergovernmental forums and the forums that primarily focus on technical Internet governance. 

These interactions will increase the need to harmonize or coordinate between these different forums, and GAC members, as participants in both intergovernmental forums and ICANN, may have an important role to play in connecting those two worlds. How the GAC manages this session, therefore, could be an indication of how the GAC intends to approach that role in the near future".

Download the guide here: https://centr.org/CENTR-Guide_for_ICANN51

CENTR is an association of Internet Country Code Top Level Domain Registries such as .uk in the United Kingdom and .es in Spain. Full Membership is open to organisations, corporate bodies or individuals that operate a country code top level domain registry.

Les élus du vin mobilisés avant la prochaine session de l’ICANN

Philippe A. Martin, député coprésident de l’Association Nationale des Elus de la Vigne et du vin (ANEV), accompagné par les députées Catherine Quéré et Fanny Dombre Coste, respectivement Présidente et Vice-présidente du groupe d’études Viticulture de l’Assemblée Nationale, ont été reçus par Denis Tersen, directeur de cabinet du Ministère de l’Economie Numérique mercredi 8 octobre. Ils souhaitaient s’assurer de la poursuite de la mobilisation de la France sur ce dossier qui inquiète de nombreux vignerons.
A lire sur gTLD.club

Why .CHAT could be all that .TEL wanted to be and more

Almost everyone that has been working in the domain name industry for a while has a story about .TEL. It was introduced in 2005 and went live in 2009 with a flurry of publicity. It was a grand concept aiming to revolutionize the way in which people keep in touch. Unlike traditional domain names, the purpose of a .TEL domain name is to help manage and exchange contact information about people and corporate entities.

Read the article on gTLD.club

Neelie KROES answered me (.WINE & .VIN)

A kind answer received today from Neelie Kroes to my questions. I think the last paragraph is interesting. I understand there won't be any initiative from the EU to build its own Internet. You will also enjoy my little note at the end of this post.

Dear Mr Guillon,

Paragraph 1 = CUT

".... Our position remains firm: The two new gTLDs should be put on hold until there are sufficient safeguards to protect EU Geographical indications, either through a satisfactory negotiated solution in the ICANN context or until there is a clear and universal interpretation in international law (e.g.; WIPO and TRIPS) on geographical indications.

In fact, there is little doubt that ICANN is aware of the serious public policy concerns the EU have in relation to this issue. The European Commission has repeatedly pointed out our apprehensions, in letters, in GAC and in direct contacts with ICANN board and staff. The president of the European Parliament has written to ICANN and EU Member States have expressed similar concerns, including direct involvement of the "CUT". There is also support for our point of view among the US wine industry and from several US congressmen.

Following ICANN's own multistakeholder approach to manage the DNS, we have also tried to find a solution which respects the legitimate interests of the European wine sector by supporting direct negotiations between rights holders of Geographical indications and the applicants of .wine and .vin. So far these negotiations have not resulted in any agreement.

We have subsequently engaged with ICANN through the Cooperative Engagement Process, embedded in ICANN's own by laws, hoping that an ICANN lead process would be conducive to a final and mutually satisfactory solution. In parallel, the European and American wine industry have done the same.

The European Commission remains committed to a unfragmented , open, and internet and aims to improve the transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of its governance. It is therefore not our objective to start building an European Internet but to maintain and strengthen the rule of law on a single network or networks.

Sincerely yours".

Note about this answer:

In April the 3rd, Project dotVinum (for Wine Registries) wrote ICANN a letter entitled "Hints and Solution for the Protection of Wine Geographical Indications in the ICANN New gTLD Program" to witch we never received any answer neither from "someone in charge of the question" nor the ICANN Board.

With this answer, I notice that stakeholders may have better chances to be heard by the European Commission rather than the ICANN. Do you follow me here.   :-)

Round 2 of the ICANN new gTLD program

Estimated Timelines of the ICANN new gTLD program' second Round.

A few things to note:

1. .WINE and .VIN application issues are not solved yet and the second Round cannot start if nothing has happened (expect something to happen in Los Angleles when ICANN meets with  -  I hate to write it - the GAC);
2. We appreciate ICANN's precision in the title: they are "estimated Timelines";
3. It is ICANN so do not expect any of these timelines to be respected.

Download the complete Draft Work Plan here.

So you want to apply for a new gTLD?

New domain names are now on the market and you start to realize that you may have missed the train by not submitting your own new gTLD application. So why not get your part of the cake and consider applying for your own new Top-Level Domain in the second Round of the ICANN new gTLD program? Why not become a “Registry” and sell domain names…to the world?

Read my article on gTLD.club

What is the RDS and what are RDS contacts?

RDS stands for "Registration Directory Service"

More videos here:

1. How might the Next Generation RDS benefit individual registrants?
   Click here;
2. How would the RDS address WhoWas, Reverse Whois, and other advanced query needs?
   Clicke here;
3. What is the RDS minimum public data set?
   Click here;
4. How would the Next Generation RDS impact Registrars and Registries?
   Click here;
5. What makes the Next Generation RDS fundamentally different?
   Click here.

Can't register that .CLUB domain name? Read this then.

Anyone facing the registration of a domain name wants a good domain name, in the case of a club, you don’t want a .COM, you want to name your Club with a .CLUB. If pet.club does not seem available but might be, how to investigate further and where to go to ensure whether the domain name is free to register ?

Read my complete article on LinkedIn.

2nd Round gTLDs: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

This is an article from Alex Tajirian, DomainMart

The essay outlines the advantages (good) and threats (bad) that can make or break a gTLD, and the eternal fact that some applications will doom themselves to failure (ugly):

1. The Good;
2. The Bad;
3. The Ugly.

Read Alex's article on gTLD.club

ICANN’s multiple delays: a bit of a problem!

The problem

One of the applicant sent a letter to ICANN informing that 6 months had elapsed and, according to the ICANN FAQs on this procedure, it should have taken less than four months.

ICANN wrote back but the answer is shocking. A paragraph of the letter states: “While the evaluation panel is aware of these timelines, given the impact of a CPE result on all members of the contention set, final reports will not be rushed simply to meet the timeline.”

Read my article on gTLD.club

Free .WEBCAM domain names

AlpNames offers free .WEBCAM domain names for one year with this coupon: NEWSGTLDS100
The offer is valid until December 2014.

To register a .WEBCAM domain name, use AlpNames.com

Note to my readers: this is a limited offer so as long as it works...it works.

Positioning Your Brand in the New .ANYTHING World

More here - Register your new domain name with AlpNames.

I wrote to Neelie KROES (.wine / .vin)

With no more information related to .WINE and .VIN from ICANN, I thought the EC would have more information so I wrote to Neelie KROES,

This is the message I received:

Thank you for your e-mail. It has been registered and you will receive a reply asap, within 15 working days. We ask your understanding for this delay, which is due to the  large number of messages that we receive daily. Please feel free to send a follow up message if your request incurred further delays.

    Cabinet of Mrs Neelie Kroes

    Vice-President responsible for the Digital Agenda
    Mail Registry Unit

Let's see what happens. Let's see if something happens.

Coming soon: Kari.Design. Read why new domain names can be just great

I am often asked that same question: “why would I use a new domain name?” and “why would I change my domain name? And I keep answering the same thing but recently I found a new argument.

Read my short post on gTLD.club

:-)

Why use a new domain name ?

The same question 

I am often asked the question: “why would I use a new domain name?” or “why would I change my domain name? And I keep answering the same thing:

• …because there is a lot more precision in using a new domain name;
• …it is new and novelty attracts the eye;
• …there is a very strong identity advantage in showing your clients that they are at the right place when visiting your website;
• …the business you are related to appears in your domain name;
• …Google shows the domain name extension in the result of a search;
• etc, etc.

Recently I found a new argument.

Kari Södö is a Virtual Artist

I am not Finish but I believe Södö must be the family name of Kari and I also believe that it is a good idea to register the family name as a domain name. I registered guillon.name a long time ago. Kari decided to register sodo.info.

Oh…you noticed ?

I did a few checks, starting with the .com domain name, the .net and a few others and I confirm that changing domain name can be a good idea, in particular in these early stages of the ICANN new gTLD program: it is possible to register a great – and short – domain name.

A new argument

When the domain name means something different or when it is the diminutive of something else in a different language, it can get confusing. In our case, changing domain name can be the opportunity to start from scratch and get rid of the confusing domain. Then this one will be redirected to the new one: sodo.info could be redirected to a new domain name and keep a good SERP (Search Engine Results Page). There are many ways to do this in an efficient way.

No matter whether the search engine positioning was good or not because what matters first is what the domain name means when you read it for the fist time. In the case of sodo.info, I understand it is the introduction of M. Södö, a Virtual Artist.

.DESIGN is a new gTLD to be launched “soon”

There are many new domain names but the one to come to my mind first for a Virtual Artist would be .ART or .DESIGN. If these two are not available yet, I would suggest to look at any Accredited Registrars for a new one. I personally find that kari.design would be a good match.

Limitations of .Brand Search Engines

Based on the success of these niche engines, some TLDs pundits have argued for the viability of search engines for companies that have registered their .Brands. Imagine a Search.Nike or Search.Apple.

Read the complete article on gTLD.club:
http://gtld.club/2014/09/01/limitations-of-brand-search-engines/

Do you know who this guy is?

Well, if you don't click here.