NOMULUS

I remember reading the list of freshly published new gTLD applications on the ICANN website in 2012. Checking the list, I found a .AND new gTLD: a prohibited string since "and" is an ISO 3 code, the kind of 3 letters TLD prohibited by the new gTLD applicant guidebook. The application came from Google and since then I thought: who in the world has enough money but Google to submit a $185,000 application for something that is prohibited? At the time, it really pissed me off because I lacked so much money to participate in this first round of the ICANN new gTLD program alone.

Today: Google announces "Nomulus"
Reading between the lines of this blog post, I have questions:

• who is going to take advantage of this? Registrars for future new gTLD applicants?
• what about existing back-end registry providers? Isn't this going to cause trouble for round 2 of the ICANN new gTLD program?
• Doesn't this mean that prices are going to drop?
• Isn't the future of launching a new gTLD the same as we register a domain name today? ;-)
• Is Ben McIlwain going to receive a lot of emails in the next few days?
• Is Google going to announce its new gTLD offer for Round two of the ICANN new gTLD program?
• Do I want to do the promotion of his offer?

Google demonstrates here, once again, its capacity to understand the market. I then predict more .BRAND new gTLD applications in Round 2. Kudos Google.

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs related to FINANCE;
• New gTLDs related to the LAW;
• New gTLDs related to COLORS.

Tonight's new gTLD Newsletter:
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What you missed in our previous Newsletter:

1. New ICANN report reveals China’s drive to become a dominant player in new gTLDs;
2. 6,000 .LAW domains registered in a year;
3. Donuts will cut off sham .DOCTORS;
4. Great results from attending dmexco 2016: partners from Radix, Boston Ivy, Rightside, .CLUB, .SHOP and .TUBE registries and many more were on hand to share information and create awareness about their domains to marketers, advertisers and other digital media professionals. Read the full story;
5. NewG talk #8 : see how much an extension depends on China. In this respect, .WANG and .REN are almost exclusive for Chinese buyers;
6. Rotary Clubs start to use ".club" domains: http://rotaryecb.club/;
7. Re-renewal rates on new TLDs higher than original renewals;
8. .COM Registrations Continue to Rise, Unphased by New gTLDs;
9. A recent study commissioned by ICANN reveals despite introduction and growth of new gTLDs, .COM and other legacy TLDs have remained steady and rising.

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