.PARIS : can the Backend Registry help sales?

As published on the 06/24/2025, it is with no surprise that the AFNIC was renewed as the Backend-Registry provider of the .PARIS new generic Top-Level Domain.

The announcement

What caught my attention in the announcement is this paragraph :

"Afnic’s remit will also be expanded to include communication and promotion of the .paris TLD, as well as the development of initiatives designed to increase its adoption by businesses and private individuals."

The Backend Registry is also going to include communication to its role. My understanding of this paragraph is that the number of domain name created ("sold" ?) should evolve to...more domain names on the market.

An interesting test

If more communication to me means more domain name registrations, it is going to be easy to check if the Backend Registry does a good job : .PARIS domain name registrations have stagnated around 25,000 in 2023 and dropped to 19,500 in 2024 and 2025 (up to June 2025). These numbers should therefore ...increase.

The role of the Backend Registry provider

If such a communication role was not really the role of Backend Registries in the first Round of the ICANN new gTLD program in 2012, this trend could develop since :

• some Backed-Registry providers also own one or more Registrars which can greatly contribute to launching a new Registry (and help bringing more domain names to the market faster).
• there are more Backend Registries who want clients for the next Round of the ICANN new gTLD program : they come in competition with already existing providers.
• there are now lots of Backend Registry providers with experience from the first Round of ICANN new gTLDs : they need to add that little something more to their offer to generate interest. Contributing to a Registry's communication is a strong asset in an offer.
• some Backend-Registry providers already offer the "key-in-hand solution", adding the feasibility study to writing and submitting the new gTLD application to the ICANN. These are very competitive solutions but are they enough? They don't address the important question : how do you increase sales?

It is a good announcement by the AFNIC to take such role in contributing to the .PARIS communication. For those interested, we have asked the following question to an AI : "New gTLDs: when creating a new Registry, do you need sales roles?". It is answered here : www.gtld.blog.

This article was first published on CircleId.

New gTLDs: a good read

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

models", written by Loic Damilaville.

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

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

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

Read the publication on the AFNIC website.

The new gTLD info for Tuesday the 16th

Few information on this Tuesday but the long awaited .CLOUD domain name extension opens to all (register here) and a many are promoting this launching. Funny: the owner of a new domain name sells his ".com"; most of the time, the opposite happens.

1. Blog post: ICANN caused damages;
2. Must read: a Registry to publish an abuse report;
3. Owner of a ".consulting" domain name sells his ".com" !
4. Registry adds 200.000+ domain names in one day?
5. .CLOUD registers 10,000+ domains in 90 minutes in GA.

And we just passed 10000 .cloud domains registered in General Availability in the first 90 minutes :) #dotCloudFTW

— Get .Cloud (@getdotcloud) February 16, 2016

6. Major Brand recovers 2 .XYZ domains in cybersquatting dispute
7. More coming.

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The new gTLD info for this Friday

Do New TLDs Affect SEO?
Ranking high in search results is a top priority for any website, and so a common question I see all the time is will a domain name with a new TLD rank as well as .com?
http://www.hover.com/blog/do-new-top-level-domains-affect-seo/

The rise of .BANK
The financial industry is rapidly adopting a new tactic in the fight against cybercrime. Plus: the state of frequent flyer perks.
http://associationsnow.com/2016/01/wednesday-buzz-the-rise-of-bank/

Work for a French Registry
The Afnic is hiring. The Afnic is the back-end Registry for the .PARIS new gTLD.
https://www.afnic.fr/fr/l-afnic-en-bref/recrutement/offres-d-emploi/l-afnic-recrute-un-conseiller-clients-h-f-1.html

Taxi software company goes with .Taxi domain name
Wright said he became aware that .taxi domain names were available through his registrar, 123reg.co.uk. .Taxi is offered by Donuts, which has a couple hundred top level domain names and must rely on the registrar channel to help get the word out.
http://domainnamewire.com/2016/01/21/taxi-software-company-goes-with-taxi-domain-name/

Why Automotive Domain Names Matter
(I apologize for the stupid pop-up)
Automotive digital marketing started in earnest back in the mid-to-late 1990s. For those who jumped in early, the first item on the to-do list was to get a website, and that meant getting a URL to anchor it. For many, that means they have a website URL or domain name that is close to 20 years old—ancient in Internet years.
http://www.dealermarketing.com/why-automotive-domain-names-matter/

HOT: DomainWire Global TLD Report Q4/2015
The latest of CENTRs 'DomainWire Stat Report' is available (Quarter 4, 2015). The report provides a global status update on top level domains (legacy gTLDs, new gTLDs and ccTLDs) with a focus on European ccTLDs.
https://centr.org/news/domainwire/01-21-2016/4652/domainwire-global-tld-report-q42015

Donuts Launches .WINE and .VIN gTLDs
“With more than 38.4 billion bottles of wine produced worldwide annually, it is no surprise that wine is a critical piece of the social fabric of cultures across the globe,” said Donuts co-founder and CEO Paul Stahura. “I can’t think of a more appropriate community to have its own trustworthy domain names. .wine and .vin will enable wine connoisseurs and the businesses that serve them to build identities and vibrant communities where commerce and ideas can flow freely.”
http://www.domainpulse.com/2016/01/22/donuts-launches-wine-and-vin-gtlds/

What is a Kitemark?
Old post - but interesting - from the .TRUST new gTLD
The Internet is in dire need of a kitemark based on security. However, no simple standards exist that clearly identify to the user of the website that the site meets security standards and indeed that the site belongs to the people the user expects it to belong to.
https://www.nccgroup.trust/uk/about-us/newsroom-and-events/blogs/2015/november/should-the-internet-have-a-kitemark/

The .TIFFANY new gTLD is live
For more than 175 years, Tiffany & Co. has been synonymous with luxury and style. Few American companies have such an illustrious history. It began with a founder’s vision of
beauty that was brought to life through unassailable standards of excellence. As awards and accolades accrued, Charles Lewis Tiffany led his company to grow from a New York
City legend to a jeweler of international renown.
http://nic.tiffany/

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The new gTLD info of the day (Thursday)

Will new domain name endings affect my website’s SEO?
No. The Webmaster Central blog recently addressed this question and more to make it clear that new domain name endings are not treated any differently than traditional domain name endings like .com or .org. Domain names with new endings are shown in search just like any other domain name. For example, if you search for the business Coffee Club, you will find their URL coffee.club.
http://googleandyourbusiness.blogspot.fr/2015/12/answers-to-common-questions-about-new_10.html

Changing Domain Name Ecosystem
The change began with the introduction of new gTLDs a couple years ago (but it’s not the only driver for the change). Legacy TLDs were, if not worried, at least aware of the dramatically increasing number of TLDs in use. And now I’m sure most of the readers are thinking I’m referring to increased competition by the new gTLDs – but that is not the case, the beef is somewhere else.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-domain-name-ecosystem-juhani-juselius

Trends on the Secondary Market for Domains in the New gTLD Age
Following on from its first white paper on the Secondary Market for Domain Names published in 2010, Afnic has focusing in the latest edition on current issues and trends
https://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/9517/show/trends-on-the-secondary-market-for-domain-names-in-the-new-gtld-age.html

Donuts: We are not Going To Deleted New gTLD Extensions
Donuts has responded strongly to debunk the report saying as the largest new gTLD operator they will not be closing down any new gTLD strings.
http://www.thedomains.com/2015/12/10/donuts-we-are-not-going-to-deleted-new-gtld-extensions/

Why Did Michael Berkens Keep Adult Domains & New gTLDs?
He also revealed that he kept the adult domain names and New gTLDs and plans to launch 2 websites selling these: Adult.Domains and The.Domains.
http://onlinedomain.com/2015/12/07/news/why-did-michael-berkens-keep-adult-domains-new-gtlds/

Request for Proposal: Study About the Domain Name System (DNS) Industry and Business in Africa
The goal of this study is to identify and define the strengths and weaknesses in the industry ecosystem within the region and develop recommendations on how to advance the industry and bring it closer to the opportunities available.
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-11-30-en

Google Domains pitches new TLDs with Q&A post
Google uses Coffee.club as an example of how new domain names show up in search. It suggests typeing in “coffee club” at Google to see how a new TLD shows up in results, just like a .com domain name does.
http://domainnamewire.com/2015/12/10/google-domains-pitches-new-tlds-with-qa-post/

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The French new gTLD info of the day

Quelles sont les tendances du Second Marché des noms de domaine à l’heure des nouveaux TLDs ?
Dans le prolongement de son premier dossier thématique sur le Second Marché publié en 2010, l'Afnic s'intéresse dans cette édition aux enjeux et tendances actuelles.
https://www.afnic.fr/fr/l-afnic-en-bref/actualites/actualites-generales/9511/show/quelles-sont-les-tendances-du-second-marche-des-noms-de-domaine-a-l-heure-des-nouveaux-tlds.html

Zero Tracas
ll s'agit du nouveau site Internet de MMA.
http://www.zerotracas.mma/

Noms de domaine: leviers de croissance pour Internet
En marge de cette conférence, le cabinet américain Amglobal a présenté son offre de noms de domaine pour le monde associatif «.ngo et .ong». Conçu pour être le premier répertoire mondial d’ONG en ligne, ce nom est centralisé sur la plateforme On Good pour renforcer leur présence en ligne, améliorer leur visibilité et par ricochet récolter plus de dons. «A ce jour, nous avons identifié plus de 10 millions d’associations au niveau mondial et environ 90.000 associations marocaines éligibles à ce nom de domaine», précise Andrew A Mark, PDG de Amglobal.
http://www.leconomiste.com/article/981261-noms-de-domaineleviers-de-croissance-pour-internet

Les géoTLDs, une « passion française » ?

Alors que les débats autour du .vin et du .wine ont animé la réflexion sur les nouvelles extensions depuis plus d’un an, le succès des extensions géographiques françaises peut être lu comme une expression par les Français de leur attachement à l’origine géographique des produits et services. Elles signalent le lien avec un lieu, un territoire, un terroir et utilisent cette origine comme un attribut positif et rassurant.
https://www.afnic.fr/fr/l-afnic-en-bref/actualites/actualites-generales/9505/show/les-geotlds-francais-dynamisent-le-marche-des-noms-de-domaine-1.html

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The new gTLD info of the day (Monday)

The current state of ‘.brands’: an infographic
Momentum is building on the use of ‘.brands’. Barclays Bank has transferred its primary website to a branded domain string (‘home.barclays’), while Sony has been promoting the new James Bond film, Spectre, on its ‘.sony’ string (‘assistmoneypenny.sony’). As more enter the fray, we thought it was a good time to summarise the current status of ‘.brands’ in an infographic.
http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/blog/Detail.aspx?g=d8ac609a-e2fb-4b8f-a086-3f238def3823

Domain Owner sues National Arbitration Forum and complainant after losing UDRP
VirtualPoint, Inc., which operates the site UDRPSearch.com, has filed a lawsuit after losing a UDRP for the domain name WindCreek.com.
http://domainnamewire.com/2015/12/07/naf-lawsuit/

Foot-dragging Amazon has bumper crop of new gTLDs
Amazon Registry Services took possession of 17 new gTLDs at the weekend.
http://domainincite.com/19673-foot-dragging-amazon-has-bumper-crop-of-new-gtlds

.XYZ asks Verisign to pay $1.6 million in fees from lawsuit
The .XYZ domain name registry has asked a court (pdf) to force Verisign to pay $1.6 million in fees and expenses related to the lawsuit Verisign filed against it.
http://domainnamewire.com/2015/12/06/xyz-verisign-fees/

Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Operational Profile for gTLDRegistries and Registrars
Purpose: This public comment proceeding is being opened to obtain community input on the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Operational Profile for gTLD Registries and Registrars.
https://www.icann.org/public-comments/rdap-profile-2015-12-03-en

French GeoTLDs Boost the Domain Name Market
Launched a year ago, the new TLDs for use in France (.paris, .bzh, etc.) are now part of the country’s digital landscape.
https://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/9513/show/french-geotlds-boost-the-domain-name-market.html

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Ces catégories d’extensions Internet “qui cartonnent”
Les nouvelles extensions Internet suscitent souvent plus d’intérêt parce qu’elles choquent, parce qu’elles gênent, ou tout simplement parce qu’elles polluent l’univers des décideurs en charge de protéger leur marque. Pour certaines d’entre elles, nous n’en entendrons probablement jamais parler…et pourtant.
http://blog.nameshield.com/index.php/2015/12/01/ces-categories-dextensions-internet-qui-cartonnent/

Calendrier de l'Avent .GLOBAL
Le Registre .GLOBAL lance son calendrier de l'Avant: chaque jour, un nom de domaine Premium est offert à la personne qui trouvera la bonne réponse à la question posée.
http://xmas.global/

Quand le site de votre banque devient dangereux
Le phishing (ou hameçonnage en français) est une technique employée par les fraudeurs pour obtenir des informations personnelles à votre sujet. Au fil du temps, c’est quelque chose qui fait pratiquement partie de notre quotidien. On a finalement appris à vivre avec, en se méfiant de certains mails bizarres ou mal réalisés. Il faut dire que ces derniers mois, les fraudeurs ont fait des efforts. Nous recevons de plus en plus de messages écris dans un français correct, sans fautes et c’est justement ce qui peut tromper l’utilisateur. Plus difficile à reconnaître, ce sont les mails venant de marques qui inquiètent le plus. Si nous vous avions déjà parlé de la campagne de spams lancés et qui imitait le Trésor Public, en voici une qui concerne les banques et plus précisément BNP Paribas.http://www.logitheque.com/articles/alerte_au_phishing_quand_le_site_de_votre_banque_devient_dangereux_1076.htm

Le projet Yeti
Une Racine Alternative? (il semble que non)
La gestion de la racine du DNS est actuellement faite avec une extrême prudence, en raison du caractère très critique de cette ressource. Cela interdit, par exemple, des expérimentations, de peur qu'elles ne cassent ce service indispensable. Le DNS ayant en effet une structure arborescente, la résolution d'un nom de domaine en informations (comme par exemple l'adresse IP) passe forcément par la racine. Si celle-ci ne peut assurer son service, il n'y a plus de DNS, c'est-à-dire quasiment plus d'Internet. Cela justifie la politique « mains tremblantes » des opérateurs des serveurs racine : on ne touche à quelque chose qu'après mille précautions.
https://www.afnic.fr/fr/ressources/blog/le-projet-yeti-d-experimentation-d-une-racine-dns.html

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