Thursday, December 31, 2020

New gTLD Reports from December were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Revocation Reports for .CEB and .LUPIN

Two new gTLDs were just revoked. The two dotBrand Top-Level Domains are:

  1. .CEB
  2. .LUPIN
Read the Revocation Report for .CEB here. The .LUPIN is available here.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The .MOSCOW new gTLD

Two Top-Level Domains were just updated on the TLD startup information page from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The two TLD concerned are:

  1. The .MOSCOW new gTLD;
  2. The .xn--80adxhks IDN new gTLD.
It is unclear which date changed but the Trademark Claims seems to have changed to January the 4th of 2022 (how exciting).


For more details, check this page for .MOSCOW and this one for .xn--80adxhks

Monday, November 30, 2020

New gTLD Reports from November were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Sunday, November 15, 2020

3 new Sunrise Periods coming for .HAIR - .SKIN and .BEAUTY new gTLDs

3 old new gTLD properties of L'Oréal were acquired by serial entrepreneur and are now relaunched. The Top-Level Domains concerned are:

  1. .HAIR
  2. .BEAUTY
  3. .SKIN

"Parce que je le vaux bien"

The official ICANN websites just announced that all 3 Sunrise Periods will start on 1 Decembre 2020 and end on February the fifth, 2021. There is a Trademark Claims Period and an Early Access Period.

For more, check the .HAIR sunrise details, other new gTLDs have the exact same dates.

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Official: the .FORUM new gTLD

This publication follows our previous post about the .FORUM new gTLD.

The update is dated November the fourth and it appears that the start date for the Sunrise Period has changed to the 16 of November 2020.

The general availability starts on March the second, 2020.  

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

.BEST to reinforce partnership with Backend

The .Best Registry today announced that is reinforcing its strategic partnership with Backend Registry provider before launching THE.Best social commerce innovation.

"As we are now close to the Best social commerce app launch, we have decided to strengthen our backend operations to support our .Best domains distribution from the Best app” said Cyril FREMONT, Chief Executive Officer of the .Best Registry and THE.Best social commerce".

.Best Registry will be the first Top-Level Domain to distribute .Best domains from the Best app. 

THE.Best social commerce onboarding already started with social media early-adopters: Cyril.Best, Hotels.Best, Adrien.Best, Julian.Best, Alexandra.Best, Christophe.Best, Joao.Best, Pizzas.Best, Sonia.Best, Miami.Best, Foodlover.Best, Fashionista.Best, Jesuis.Best, Cars.Best, Foodvegas.Best, Chaussures.Best, Jean.Best, Fabrice.Best, Heloise.Best, Stephane.Best, Luxe.Best, Music.Best, Games.Best, Kevin.Best, Emilyinparis.Best, Hotels.Best, Watch.Best, Trailer.Best, Djs.Best, Luxury.Best, Foodparis.Best, Wines.Best, Show.Best, Book.Best, Laptops.Best, Spas.Best, Karim.Best, Maillotdefoot.Best, Parisien.Best, Foodnyc.Best, Steven.Best, Valerie.Best, Foodla.Best, Restaurants.Best, …

About .Best (Top-Level Domain): .Best (THE BEST SAS) is the Registry Operator for .Best domain names and already counts +100K .Best live domains registered in 180 countries.

.Best mission is to develop THE.Best social commerce as a new rewarded social media solution for 4B social media users and a new promotion and e-commerce opportunity for brand & business owners.

 .Best Websites:

Saturday, October 31, 2020

UPDATE: the .RUGBY new gTLD

I am so excited to announce that the .RUGBY new gTLD is (finaly) announcing something new. ICANN just updated its "Sunrise Claims Periods" page and there is an updated dated October the 31st (today).

Here is what is of interest to me:

  • Trademark Claims open on the 1st of February 2021;
  • The Community Priority Period closes on the 31st of January 2021.
There are more details here.

New gTLD Reports from October were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Thursday, October 22, 2020

.BOOK - .FASHION and .BOT new gTLDs

Three Sunrise Periods were updated:

  1. The .BOT new gTLD;
  2. The .FASHION IDN new gTLD (.xn--bck1b9a5dre4c) from Amazon : the Japanese language characters that mean “fashion” in English;
  3. The .BOOK IDN new gTLD (.xn--rovu88b) from Amazon : the Japanese language characters that mean “book” in English.
For these three strings, the Trademark Claims will open on the fourth of November 2021 and will close on the fourth of February 2020.

For details, see here for .BOT - .FASHION and .BOOK

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

New gTLD Project John Wolley WANTS YOU !

2023 is not so far away and to be set up before the next round of new gTLD starts, I look for (a) partner(s) interested in financing new gTLD innovation. 

What is project John Wolley?

The project is a combination of local directories operated behind a single domain name extension: "domain names as a service". In more simple words, project John Wolley is a Universal Directory with plenty of great ideas inside to make this project both a "solidaire" and a lucrative one.

Are welcome:
  • Accredited Registrars,
  • Existing Registries,
  • Backend Registry providers,
  • Financial Institutions,
  • Experienced Entrepreneurs willing to invent something new.
For a detailed explanation of the project (under NDA), contact Jean Guillon.

Countries interested (as of today):
  • United States of America
  • Bulgaria
  • France
  • Luxembourg
  • Belgium
  • United Kingdom
  • Germany
  • Mexico

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Just terminated: the .LUPIN dotBrand new gTLD

The .LUPIN new gTLD was terminated by its owner and this is what the termination of registry agreement says:
"As you are aware, “.Lupin” TLD was never technically or operationally activated or used by Lupin in any manner. Hence, pursuant to the Registry Agreement (RA) for .LUPIN gTld between ICANN and Lupin Limited dated 07 NOV 2014; we hereby notify our intention to not renew the Registry Agreement beyond the period for which the last payment was made by Lupin and that the Registry Agreement be treated as terminated. You are requested take the termination on record and return to us all information / data belonging to Lupin Ltd."

Read the Termination of Registry Agreement here (PDF download). 

Read the ICANN Notice of Registry Operator Request for Termination of Registry Agreement for  .lupin TopLevel Domain here. (PDF download)

 

Friday, October 16, 2020

The .BEST new gTLD and THE.BEST Social Network (update)

As you might probably know, THE.Best social media has now made an important shift to become an innovative social commerce app where social media users can not only review but also promote their best products and services.

Cyril Fremont, CEO of the .BEST new gTLD wrote a few lines to explain in details the new social commerce direction that he is now taking according to the .Best mission : "Turn every social media user into a .Best seller".

Why social commerce ?

Social commerce is one of the hottest trends in social media today, and it seems to have an even bigger impact in 2020.

30% of online shoppers say they would are likely to buy direct from a social media network like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.

Instagram data tells us that 70% of shoppers look at Instagram for product discovery: https://www.facebook.com/business/instagram/shopping

Instagram is actually transforming its business model to enable social browsers to buy directly from instagrammers.

In China, Social Shopping via videos is currently performing extremely well. There are efforts from short video apps like Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese sister) that match merchants with content creators for promotion. During the coronavirus lockdown, millions of consumers relied on live videos to check out products and posed questions to merchants remotely, a practice that has won endorsement from local governments as a way to drum up domestic consumption. In just Q1 this year, more than 4 million live shopping sessions took place in China; but that's not only a natural evolution of social media, E-commerce platforms are also evolving to social commerce.

Chinese e-commerce giant and pioneer of shoppable videos Alibaba is looking to recruit over 100,000 international influencers this year – rising this number to 1 million influencers by 2023 – to help brands sell more across the globe through the group’s international retail platform, AliExpress, which claims to have 180 million annual active consumers: https://twitter.com/FremontCyril/status/1315938584525000705

To be 100% clear about THE.Best vision: https://twitter.com/FremontCyril/status/1315704910068023296
  • WEB 1.0 from 2000 to 2010 was the rise of e-commerce platforms (amazon, alibaba, ...)
  • WEB 2.0 from 2010 to 2020 was the rise of social media platforms (facebook, instagram, twitter, ...)
  • WEB 3.0 starting 2020 will be the rise of social commerce.

What about social media user motivations in 2020 ?

There are actually almost 4B active social media users (+10% YoY): https://twitter.com/FremontCyril/status/1315594932875415552

Social media statistic uncovers that an average of 3 hours are spent per day per person on social networks and messaging.

But more importantly: 54% of social browsers use social media to research products (Source GlobalWebIndex). More and more buyers are joining social media networks and looking for reviews and product recommendations. Here is the summary of social media users motivations in 2020 :
  • Social Media Browsers : Research products. (Ex : +350 MAU on Pinterest )
  • Social Media Creators : Monetize their content (Ex : 39% active influencers on Instagram)
  • Business Owners : Promote their products. (Ex : 80M Facebook Business pages)
  • Brand Owners : Protect their trademarks. (Ex : 7M Registered Trademarks)

What about THE.Best social commerce value for social media users?

  • Social Media Browsers : THE.Best provides an open social commerce app that let social media browsers discover (feed), research, find and review the best products/services in any category (hotels, high-tech, beauty, fashion, ...)
  • Social Media Creators : THE.Best provides a unique curating solution that help content creators monetize their audience promoting the best products.
  • Business Owners : THE.Best provides an innovative digital solution that help business owners promote their Best products through influencers.
  • Brand Owners : THE.Best provides a dual digital protection for official trademark owners : https://www.brands.best.

What is THE.Best secret sauce and unique curating innovation for social media creators ?

Curating content is adding your voice (and value) to an existing handpicked collection of content. Gathered from a variety of sources, around a specific topic, that you publish and share with your social community. Many brands already use content curation on their owned and operated websites and blogs to promote industry news stories, but social media is the marketing platform where curation happens most. Social media content curation takes place when a marketer filters through all of the interesting content online and shares the best news, video, images, etc. he/she finds online on a company’s social networks.

In THE.Best social commerce app, each post is a commodity, so that curating content means promoting other products. So that, THE.Best social commerce app enables content creators monetize their social media audience by curating best products on a dedicated .Best social commerce website. Every social media user can build its own .Best social commerce website just by curating other best products and services. By promoting others products, social media users win rewards for each click coming from their .Best social commerce website.

What about Brand & Business owners ?

As a Brand and Business owners, THE.Best content curation helps you promote your best products from thousands of social commerce websites. Brand and Business owners can achieve data-driven marketing at a scale with minimum effort.

How content curation is important for social networks ?

Internal content curation is the growth key of most social media platforms :
  • Twitter has its Tweet/Retweet content curation,
  • Pinterest has its Pin/Board content curation,
  • THE.best has its Best(product)/.Best(websites) content curation.

What's THE.Best plan ?

THE.Best Social Network new social commerce features (promoting your best products) will be available by next week for influencers, vip, business and brand owners through a new apple store (testflight) and google play app version.

THE.Best unique product curation features will be available by end of 2020 with the new social commerce website template.

Thursday, October 15, 2020

The .FORUM new gTLD is here

The ICANN just announced the Sunrise Period for the .FORUM new gTLD.

WHEN

  • Starts: 15 November 2020
  • Ends: 15 December 2020

WHAT THE APPLICATION SAYS

Fegistryʹs mission for .forum is to create a recognizable, viable, and profitable extension to bring together individuals and companies who are passionate about self-identifying with forum.

There are thousands of forums on the Internet and a registrant can create a website that identifies itself directly in the TLD. It seems fitting, as ICANN opens up an unprecedented and innovative program to expand how we use and identify with the Internet, that use cases like .forum should be allowed as well. 

We are creating the opportunity for internet users to identify websites that operate as forums by looking just at the TLD. By owning a domain in the .forum community it creates a win-win for most companies because they don’t need to identify to the left of the dot they are a forum.

It is our goal to be a financially successful company, solvent throughout our launch and profitable within our first year of operations. We believe this is an eventual reality and that our projections and financial analysis included in this application demonstrate this.

We hope to grow at a rate that allows us to continually improve our registry offerings, and increase benefits for both our customers and employees.

Our commitments and projections at this time are focused on conservative estimates of our revenue in order to best prepare for a TLD market with the possibility of 100,000+ TLDs in the next decade.

We don’t expect the demand for domains under our TLD to be big. Perhaps up to 10,000 registrations by the end of year 3, however we do have investors and a technical team that will stand behind the company if projections are higher than we anticipate.

For more, check the details here.

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Will it be .WEB or .WED ?


Well, it seems that it won't be .WED since the Notice of Registry Agreement Termination by ICANN is now written and the TLD is being terminated.

Yes, there is a .WEB on its way and it is a strong barrier to launching a .WED but it does not absolutely mean that a future launching  of the .WEB (probably by Verisign) could not be transformed as an advantage to develop .WED (previously, that TLD stood for "wedding").

My opinion on this

I can hardly believe that the people behind .WED did not make it to sell their TLD because when I emailed asking for a price I got an error in return ! The details were provided by ICANN (...)

When a TLD is failing, you don't make an offer, you ask for a price. These guys just let the full TLD project fail because they didn't know how to handle the situation. Note that this is a good lesson to learn: when "you don't know", please ask those who do because there always is a solution and a SWOT analysis is just one of them. And actually, THERE ARE BUYERS around.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

New gTLD Reports from September were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

News from the .BASKETBALL new gTLD


The "Fédération Internationale de Basketball" (FIBA) just updated us with some noticeable info:

  1. The Trademark claims period will open on the First of February 2021;
  2. The Limited Registration Period (LRP#4), which started yesterday on the 21st of September, will end on the 31st of January 2021.
This is at least what the ICANN website says.

Number of domain names registered in total (as of today): 324

Saturday, September 12, 2020

The .CONTACT new gTLD: some fresh news

The .CONTACT new gTLD was delegated in 2015 and a date was finally announced for its Sunrise Period.

Donuts Inc (Dog Beach, LLC), owner of this domain name extension, announced that the Sunrise Period will start on the 29th of September 2020, and end on the 28th of November 2020.

From what I understood from this project, there should be "a little more" than just registering a domain name when you go for your ".contact". Also, the TLD Marketing asset kit from Donuts offers nothing for this string so...can that be a sign that the .CONTACt new gTLd will be different from other TLDs? Let's wait and see what comes out.

More details here.

Monday, August 31, 2020

New gTLD Reports from August were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Monday, August 24, 2020

Why you should NOT apply for a .BRAND new gTLD

I read LOTS of publications about how fantastic .BRAND new domain name extensions are, and I fully agree that they are a wonderful tool.

I noticed that none covers why one applicant should NOT apply: no new gTLD specialist explains what can the disadvantages be to submit a .BRAND type new gTLD application so here is my personal cover published on CircleID:
There are two kinds of new domain name extensions: those dedicated to selling domain names through the network of accredited Registrars and those dedicated to a personnel use. I call these "dotBRANDs" or ".brand" new gTLDs since they are used — most of the time — by Trademarks for their own benefit. This article focuses on .BRAND new generic Top-Level Domains. In the ICANN vocabulary, these are "Registry Agreements with Specification 13”...
Read the full article here.

Monday, August 17, 2020

Gartner kills .CEB new gTLD after acquisition

Gartner Inc. terminated the Registry Agreement for .CEB after acquisition. This is what the content of the letter to the ICANN says:
Gartner, Inc. is the successor-in-interest to the Corporate Executive Board Company “CEB”), having completed an acquisition of CEB in 2017. This letter is to notify you that pursuant to Section 4.4 (b) of the Registry Agreement (RA) between ICANN and The Corporate Executive Board Company of April 9, 2015 Gartner, Inc. hereby terminates the RA for CEB. The Corporate Executive Board Company kindly asks if ICANN can initiate the termination process as soon as possible. Please do let us know if any further information is required.

Termination letter is available here (PDF download)

The ICANN Preliminary Determination letter is available here.

Friday, July 31, 2020

New gTLD Reports from July were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Monday, July 27, 2020

Termination of Registry Agreement for .JCP

On 23 April 2015, ICANN and JCP Media, Inc., entered into a Registry Agreement under which JCP Media, Inc., operated the .jcp top-level domain.



J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. jut terminated the .JCP new gTLD on June the 23rd, 2020. Read the letter here (PDF download).

The ICANN acknowledged:
"In conformance with Section 4.5 of the Registry Agreement (as modified for a .Brand TLD), ICANN org may not delegate the TLD to a successor registry operator for a period of two years without the Registry Operator's consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed."
Read the answer here (PDF download)

Unfortunately, I can't point to JCP.com since the front page says: "We Are Currently Unable to Provide a Shopping Experience for This Country" (France).

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

ICANN to ACTO on .AMAZON : now talk to AMAZON

ALEXANDRA MOREIRA, Secretary General of the ACTO* wrote to the ICANN again with the intention to "to resume negotiations on the TLD’s governance with the Amazon Corporation., from the point where their side interrupted it, with a view to arriving at a satisfactory agreement." The letter can be downloaded here (PDF download).

Göran Marby, President and Chief Executive Officer Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) kindly answered some sort of a "no" with the option to talk directly to AMAZON:
"ICANN no longer can serve in a role of facilitating negotiation of the means..." and "I kindly encourage the ACTO Member States to resume negotiations with the Amazon Corporation ..."
"The process to complete the delegation of the .amazon top-level domain spanned over many years and took into account the interests of the applicant for the strings, the interests as expressed by ACTO and its member states, , and the relevant ICANN’s multistakeholder processes as limited through the ICANN Bylaws." 
The full ICANN answer can be downloaded here.


*The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) is an Intergovernmental Organization formed by eight Member Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, encouraging sustainable development and social inclusion in the region.

Monday, July 20, 2020

The COVID ended the .SHRIRAM new gTLD

This is the Notice of Registry Operator Request for Termination of Registry Agreement. The .SHRIRAM Top-Level Domain was terminated.

The notice was sent in May by SHRIRAM and it is due to the COVID situation:
We refer the registry agreement dt.23.01.2014 entered by Shriram Capital Ltd with you. Due to unprecedented Covid-19 effect on the business, we have no other option but to terminate the registry agrcement with effect from 3l't March 2020. We request you not to transit the domain name .SHRIRAM to any third party as we are the registered trademark owner of the name SHRIRAM. We requcst you to kindly do the needful at the earliest.
Download the notice of termination by the ICANN (PDF download)

Friday, July 10, 2020

The .CPA new gTLD: just received that email

Below is the email that I just received about the .CPA Registry:


It's been an unsettling year and a very challenging operating environment for both firms and their clients. The profession has been a guiding force for small business through it all.

In 2019, AICPA and CPA.com, announced .cpa, a new domain exclusively for CPA firms. You are receiving this email because you submitted a request to be kept updated on the availability of .cpa.

We appreciate your continued interest and patience as we have worked to schedule a release date for .cpa. Beginning September 1, 2020, firms can start submitting applications for .cpa domains. Continue to visit domains.cpa for regularly updated information.

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Just updated: the .GAY new gTLD

The TLD Startup information page from the ICANN website was just updated with detailed information for the .GAY new gTLD. Important Dates:
  • Sunrise Period: 10 February 2020 to 31 March 2020;
  • Trademark Claims Period: 11 May 2020 to 07 December 2020;
  • Limited Registration Period: ''Sunrise II'' - 6 Apr 2020 to 6 May 2020.

Check the official page.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Subsequent Rounds of New gTLDs (GAC Communiqué – ICANN68)

The latest issue of the ICANN68 Virtual Policy Forum is dated 27 June 2020. This is what the GAC Communiqué says on Subsequent Rounds of New gTLDs and in red is what I see as a new pain in the A for the next round:
The GAC prioritized consideration of policy issues related to Subsequent Rounds of new gTLDs during ICANN68, notably by devoting three GAC sessions to this topic, reviewing the GAC Scorecard, and by engaging in the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures PDP Working Group (Sub Pro PDP WG) meeting. The GAC wishes to thank the Sub Pro PDP WG Co-Chairs for their participation in GAC sessions on this topic, and recognizes the extensive and diligent work of the Sub Pro PDP WG to deliver the Final Report.

The GAC considered an update from the Sub Pro PDP WG Co-Chairs on work conducted since ICANN67, in particular consideration by the WG of the intersessional compilation of individual GAC Members input, and the Sub Pro PDP WG timeline. The GAC notes that the draft final report is expected to be posted for public comment in July 2020 for 40 days.

Some GAC members expressed concerns with the use of a standard 40-day public comment proceeding for a topic of high priority to the GAC and the ICANN Community. The Sub Pro PDP WG Co-Chairs noted such concerns while confirming that the final report will be delivered to the GNSO Council at the latest by the end of this calendar year.

The Sub Pro PDP WG Discussed two pending topics during ICANN68 and provided an update to the GAC:
  1. Private Resolutions of String Contentions
  2. Predictability Framework for Next Rounds of New gTLDs
Regarding auctions as a private mechanism to resolve string contentions, some GAC Members expressed concerns, in light of prior GAC positions on the issue, asking why other options are not being further considered by the WG. As to mechanisms to provide for predictability to applicants in future rounds, WG Co-Chairs flagged that the PDP WG recommends establishing a new Predictability Framework along with a new Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT) and noted initial community support of such recommendation. While the GAC appreciates the efforts of the WG to create a Predictability Framework, some GAC members raised doubts on the added-value of a SPIRT, and expressed concerns that its creation, if adopted, could add complexity to the current procedure and potential inconsistency with existing roles and responsibilities according to the ICANN Bylaws. It was proposed that if established, the new mechanism be lean, inclusive and transparent.

GAC Vice-Chairs provided an overview of the following priority topics identified by the GAC during ICANN67:
  • Applicant Support
  • Closed Generics
  • Public Interest Commitments/Global Public Interest
  • GAC Early Warnings/GAC Advice
  • Community Based Applications
Some GAC members expressed the view that the lack of a formal PDP WG recommendation on the delegation of closed generics would imply that the relevant Board Resolution from the 2012 round would still apply. Additionally, while supporting a new round of new gTLDs in principle, some GAC members recalled the importance of a cost/benefit analysis being conducted prior to the next round.

GAC leaders and topic leads will continue to coordinate intersessional work on the high-interest topics, using the GAC Scorecard as the basis. The agreed next step is to develop GAC consensus input to the public comment period expected in July 2020 on the PDP WG Final Report. Interested GAC Members are encouraged to consult the GAC Scorecard on Subsequent Rounds of New gTLDs and to approach GAC topic leads in order to contribute on any of the relevant policy topics.
Read the full communiqué (PDF download)

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

New gTLD Reports from June were updated

New gTLD reports are monthly captures of domain name registration volumes according to specific groups, businesses or industries.

On the last day of each month, we capture these registration numbers so our readers can see if these increase or decrease.


This method is a good way to see if these domain names meet adoption by consumers or not.

20 reports are updated:
  1. New gTLDs related to POLITICS (.gop - .vote - .republican - .democrat - etc...);
  2. New gTLDs related to LUXURY (.rich - .yachts - .chanel - etc...);
  3. New gTLDs related to the MUSIC community (.music - .band - .hiphop - etc...);
  4. New gTLDs related to CATERING and CULINARY (.restaurant - .kitchen - .bar - etc...);
  5. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY (.photo - .film - .gallery - etc...);
  6. New gTLDs related to CITIES : these are city names only (.paris - .london - .tokyo - etc...);
  7. New gTLDs related to COMPANIES : new domain name extensions that we believe a company should keep its eyes on;
  8. New gTLDs related to the LAW and LEGAL matters (.legal - .attorney - .lawyer - etc...);
  9. New gTLDs related to FINANCE (.credit - .capital - .finance - etc...);
  10. New gTLDs related to a COLOR (.orange - .pink - .green - etc...);
  11. New gTLDs related to SPORTS (.hockey - .basketball - .ski - etc...);
  12. New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (.beer - .wine - .vodka - etc...);
  13. New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (.realestate - .realtor - .villas - etc...);
  14. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (.catholic - .bible - .church - etc...);
  15. New gTLDs related to CARS (.taxi - .auto - .car - etc...);
  16. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (.health - .doctor - .hospital - etc...);
  17. New gTLDs related to ADULTS (.wtf - .adult - .porn - etc...);
  18. FRENCH new gTLD applications : these are applications submitted by French companies only;
  19. Multiple Registries : group of Registries operating five (5) and more domain name extensions;
  20. Singular VS Plural versions of a new gTLD : these are domain name extensions which exist in their singular and plural version (ie: .gift and .gifts).

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Want to learn more about "the next Round"?

I keep having that question: "when is the next round?" and "what's your estimation?". Well, I like to give my opinion but ICANN history has clearly demonstrated that no date should ever be given unless it was published by the ICANN itself on its website somewhere. So no, I don't think it will be in 2022.

The next Applicant Guidebook

The applicant guidebook (also called the "AGB") is your next Bible and believe me, reading it is a total nightmare when you have no knowledge of the new gTLD application procedure: don't let this 338 pages PDF block you from submitting your application. By the way, the document I am referring to is dated 2012: it is the official documentation from the previous round of new gTLDs, the existing one is still being discussed and written.

I want to learn more

So you want to learn more? There is a way. Again, don't think that you will understand all of it but the positive thing about this is that there is documentation at the moment, a lot of it. The next official guidebook is being drafted and you can even contribute. Note that you will need to select the right group(s) to follow and learn to work in the distance doing meetings in the middle of the night and receive documentation that only the person who wrote it understands it. That is how it works but if you succeed in following the work group (which is a very big deal for me), you will start to understand what's coming upfront for the next round of new gTLDs. You will also understand how tortured are the participants ;-)

Where do I go?

I am only interested about "new gTLDs" so the path that I would suggest to follow is this one:
  1. Visit the "New gTLD Subsequent Procedures PDP Home" (see here);
  2. In the left column, there is blabla but point 2 tells you when the next meetings are (you will have to scroll down the list for the latest meetings). Note that these pages are then updated with the content of the meeting and an agenda is proposed prior to each meeting. It is this content you want to follow-up with to have an idea of what the actual discussions are for the next round of new gTLDs, and this is what you will probably read in the next Applicant Guidebook.
  3. To receive plenty of email with updates about ICANN new gTLDs, you can subscribe here: all reminders and publications related to active projects are emailed there (if you would like to join an active working group, you will need to email your request).
  4. Point 3 is king of disorganized and some subjects are outdated, I stick to point 2 personally.

My opinion on this process

I think it is a long one but I am the only one to think that, or am I? Also, you have to perfectly read English...but everyone speaks English right? I would love to be able to contribute more but the ICANN vocabulary is dictated by those exact same service providers you will have to talk to, to submit your new gTLD application so it is hardly understandable for new comers. For this exact same reason some will select the wrong service provider and pay an haw-full price for the submission of their application and its maintenance.

When it is time

At some point, the ICANN will give us a date. At that moment, you will have decided to apply because your project will also have been prepared upfront: this is important, don't get there with your first questions. A few things to consider:
  1. Talk to more than one service provider AND DON'T LISTEN TO THE ONE THAT TELLS YOU ABOUT HIS FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE BECAUSE EXISTING FIGURES CLEARLY SHOW THAT MANY PROJECTS HAVE FAILED ;-) Remember that there has been one ICANN new gTLD round only in the history of Internet. 
  2. Don't tell about your string but at the last moment and be very careful about NDAs: meeting with more than one service provider in competition in the same room is the number one mistake.
  3. Don't sign a stupid contract with an exit fee or a minimum number of domains to create: try to get a price per domain created below the $1.
  4. Don't forget about the annual 10,000 ICANN tax: if your plan is to create a .BRAND new gTLD, it WILL cost you a lot to use you personalized domain names.
  5. Consider innovation and not just selling domain names.

.BRAND new gTLD Reports are updated once a month: CLICK HERE !