CentralNic secures contract for 14 new gTLDs

CentralNic has agreed to provide KSregistry GmbH with its market leading Top Level Domain registry services. The deal with KSregistry covers 14 Top-Level Domain (“TLD”) extensions currently managed by OpenRegistry, which KSregistry acquired from Group NCC in 2017.

CentralNic’s registry services division is already the global leader and is the only company to support six out of the top twenty new Top-Level Domains, including .xyz, the domain chosen for new ventures by Google (abc.xyz), Deloitte (exponentials.xyz) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (engine.xyz) among many others. CentralNic is also a leader in TLD services for governments and enterprise, managing multiple country-code and geographic TLDs as well as the TLDs of global 1000 companies such as Saudi Telecom, Etisalat, and Kuwait Finance House.

Under the terms of the deal, CentralNic will increase the number of new Top-Level Domains for which it is the Registry management platform to 65, with TLD clients spread across four continents.

“I am delighted to agree this deal with KSregistry, whose owners are among Europe’s most successful experts in the domain name industry,” said Ben Crawford, CEO at CentralNic. “CentralNic has been providing registry infrastructure services for over 20 years, and our registry platform is known for its performance, scalability and security. We are also the world leader in migrating TLDs onto our platform, having won dozens of new TLD contracts away from other backend providers, whilst never having lost a TLD client.”

“Partnering with CentralNic to deliver registry services makes perfect sense for all parties,” said Alexander Siffrin, CEO at KSregistry. “CentralNic’s registry platform is the most advanced and feature rich in the world. Coupled with KSregistry’s unmatched management and customer service means that we can provide current and future TLD registry clients with very best technology, experience and support at competitive pricing.”

KSregistry contacted its Registry Operator clients prior to signing this collaboration agreement in order to gauge their support for migration to CentralNic’s backend registry. The reaction was overwhelmingly favourable, which is why KSregistry and CentralNic were able to conclude an arrangement quickly, which also gives CentralNic the option of using KSregistry’s SKYWAY data center.

The new gTLD info for Thursday, May 26th

It seems that more and more Registrants have Faith: as seen in the new gTLD report - updated today - related to religions almost 3,000 more domain names were just registered recently. Some French .BRANDs must be doing tests with their domain names: some zone files are losing registrations.

1. Article - Le réveil des “.marque” français;
2. Article - Why Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo did not apply for the .email new gTLD;
3. INTA - The new gTLD string ‘.tube’ is currently in sunrise;
4. Article - dot Citic, dot 中信 - an ambitious domain name project;
5. New gTLDs related to RELIGION;
6. New gTLDs related to FRENCH new gTLD application;
7. Launching - Results of the .GAME new gTLD launching;
8. The chinese .TRADEMARK new gTLD organized a dinner at INTA;
9. Количество регистраций new gTLD доменов уже за пределами 18 млн;
10. Multiple Registry profit triples with a revenue up to 70%;
11. URS - audi.auto and audi.cars: "Complainant has demonstrated all three elements of the URS by a standard of clear and convincing evidence";
12. CentralNic charging its larger registry customers well under $1 per name?
13. Article - "How the gTLD project made it worse";
14. Article - Verisign says new gTLDs put millions at risk;
15. More coming during the day: subscribe.

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UPDATE: the new gTLD info of the day (Friday)

Porn firm wins .cam after years of objections

The controversial new gTLD .cam has been won at auction by Dutch porn site operator AC Webconnecting, putting an end to over two years of back-and-forth objections.
http://domainincite.com/19723-porn-firm-wins-cam-after-years-of-objections

Verisign IDNs: Landrush details and Premium Domains
Verisign is getting ready to launch its first internationalized domain name, a Japanese transliteration of .com .コム.
http://domainnamewire.com/2015/12/18/verisign-idns-landrush-details-and-premium-domains/

Cheers! Registries and Registrars Doing the Right Thing by Patients
The good news? There are many registrars out there who take action and hold registrants accountable. The behavior of Rebel as discussed in the 2015 Notorious Market List is the exception, not the rule, at least when it comes to registry and registrar action against illegitimate online drug sellers. The majority of registries and registrars are doing the right thing by patients.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151218_cheers_registries_and_registrars_doing_the_right_thing_by_patients/

.MUSIC new gTLD
Imogen Heap wrote to ICANN
There are no other applicants willing to support and nurture our music community in the way DotMusic are bound to do so, should they win.https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/heap-to-icann-eiu-16dec15-en.pdf

.feedback and .sucks: podcast
Invited to expand on their offerings, Top Level Spectrum CEO Jay Westerdal and Vox Populi CEO John Berard both joined us on the latest episode of the World Trademark Review podcast.
http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/Blog/detail.aspx?g=7787177a-40c5-4d20-babb-adbddaf7baa2

Domain Name Industry Brief
The third quarter of 2015 closed with a base of approximately 299 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains (TLDs), an increase of 3.1 million domain names, or 1.1 percent over the second quarter of 2015. Registrations have grown by 14.8 million, or 5.2 percent, year over year.1
https://www.verisign.com/en_US/innovation/dnib/index.xhtml

Google confirms: Yes, you can switch to a new .melbourne domain without penalty
In the past, Google has been notoriously tight-lipped about the search performance of new TLDs, stating only that they will “not be treated any differently” than legacy TLDs such as .com and .net. This is despite independent research that has demonstrated some search benefits of new extensions and reports from businesses which have seen an increase in customers because of their new domain name.
http://live.melbourne/media-release/google-confirms-yes-you-can-switch-to-a-new-melbourne-domain-without-penalty/

What is a URL?
Is a URL the same as a domain name? Surprisingly to many, the answer is no. But the terms are used so interchangeably, it’s understandable why people confuse one for the other. But there is a difference.

https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/online/what-is-a-url/index.xhtml

How I just registered Twitter.sucks for free in just five clicks
This morning, I caused the registration of and was given control of a web site at twitter.sucks.
http://domainincite.com/19706-how-i-just-registered-twitter-sucks-for-free-in-just-five-clicks

Could a new gTLD help you achieve your business goals?
Consider what registrations in generic new gTLDs would make strategic sense, but also brainstorm whether your own .BRAND might be a good idea. It’s a long evaluation process that, to paraphrase Nao Matsukata, starts with one question: Would it solve a problem for you?
http://blog.fairwindspartners.com/gtld-basics/creating-a-strong-domain-name-portfolio

CentralNic’s growing very rapidly
CentralNic CEO, Ben Crawford discusses the company’s involvement in Alphabet’s “.xyz” domain name and how they’re performing compared to the “GoDaddy’s of the world.”
http://cnb.cx/1PcMofE

Going on Holidays?
http://visit.rio/

.XYZ Registry Reports Nearly All 5 Number Domains Sold Out
Daniel Negari, CEO of the .xyz registry has reported to TheDomains.com that there are less than 10,000 five number .xyz domain name combinations left before they are all registered!
http://www.thedomains.com/2015/12/17/xyz-registry-reports-nearly-all-5-number-domains-sold-out/

Domain Management Starter Guide: Strategy, Policies and Procedures
The bad news is domain management pain will aggravate further as the Top Level Domain (TLD) space expands from 22 (.com, .net, .org etc.) to 1,000+ TLDs (.news, .tech, .bank etc.), resulting from ICANN's domain name expansion program.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/domain-management-starter-guide-strategy-policies-andre-forrester

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar

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The new gTLD info of the day (Wednesday)

Wonder.land
wonder.land is at the same time a musical and a website build with a new Top Level Domain. The musical is described as ” inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic story, wonder.land is a coming-of-age adventure that explores the blurred boundaries between our online and offline lives.” It has been created by Damon Albarn, Moira Buffini and Rufus Norris, and is playing since summer 2015.
http://dotstories.com/wonder-dot-land/

The New gTLD Domain Name Disputes
Much of the attention on domain name disputes among the new generic top-level domain names (gTLDs) has focused on the new dispute policy that arrived with them — the Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS). But, an increasing number of new gTLD registrations are being decided under the pre-existing (and well-entrenched) Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).
http://www.gigalaw.com/2015/12/09/here-come-the-new-gtld-domain-name-disputes/

CentralNic Buys Registrar Instra.com
CentralNic (LON:CNIC) is buying privately-owned domain name registrar, Instra Group, funded in part from a £10mln placing of stock with investors at 40p a share, for almost £16mln (A$33mln).
http://www.thedomains.com/2015/12/08/centralnic-buys-registrar-instra-com-stock-is-down-almost-20/

Decent .club domain names dropping soon
Again, here are some of the gems on the .CLUB SnapNames monthly auction. My team filtered out some decent names set to drop shortly. Any of these can be bid on by SnapNames. If they do not sell on SnapNames the names will be placed in the June 15th, 2016 tiered pricing premium name list set to be made available through the registrars.
https://www.namepros.com/threads/official-club-showcase-and-discussion-thread.825755/page-16#post-5172556

.MUSIC new gTLD: Imogen Heap Speaks For Herself
Pass the ad and listen to Imogen mention the coming .MUSIC new gTLD. It starts at 12:25 (Yes, I listened to the first 12 minutes)
"Imogen Heap chats with Jordan Crook about her MiMu gesture-control gloves, the single biggest problem facing musicians today, and what she’d like the future of the industry to look like."
http://techcrunch.com/video/imogen-heap-speaks-for-herself/519315651/
gTLDs: Baby, you can drive my .car
December 2015 will see the launch of three generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs), all focused on the automobile industry. However, the launch of .CAR, .CARS and .AUTO are unlikely to drive up domain name registration volumes due to the very high registration fees being charged by Cars Registry Limited, the joint venture that is the Registry operator for all three gTLDs.
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=7da9abbe-3c4f-4b08-8bf2-c7ad67dc2b19

Four Sunrise Periods launching today:

1. .CARS new gTLD
2. .AUTO
3. .CAR
4. .コム (com)

https://secure.nameshield.net/recherche-dispo/calendar.php?lang=en

Verisign appeals XYZ court loss
Just days after .XYZ asked a court to force Verisign to pay its legal bills in a lawsuit; Verisign upped the ante by appealing the case.
http://domainnamewire.com/2015/12/09/verisign-appeals-xyz-court-loss/

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

The new gTLD info of the day (Tuesday)

Domain Name Law and Practice (new gTLDs)
New chapters on Corporate Domain Name Management, the Trademark Clearing House, Sunrise Procedures and the Trademark Claims Service; the Uniform Rapid Suspension System; and Trademark Post Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/domain-name-law-and-practice-9780199663163?q=bettinger&lang=en&cc=dk#

New gTLD Bach-end Registry CentralNic acquires Rival
Domain name specialist CentralNic (LON:CNIC) has unveiled a transformational deal to acquire an Aussie rival for almost £16mln (A$33mln).
http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/120159/centralnic-unveils-transformational-16mln-acquisition-120159.html

Blocking New gTLDs, ICANN's 'Shadiest' Top-level Domains, Wholesale
"ICANN is not a regulator and we have limited expertise or authority to assess thelegality of ... [a new gTLD registry operator's] activities."- Allen Grogan, ICANN Chief Contract Compliance Officer, 09 Apr 2015 (emphasis added)
http://www.domainmondo.com/2015/12/icanns-shadiest-top-level-domains.html

ICANN soon to teach us about new gTLDs
We are working on a few different courses that include a lot of info about new gTLDs. Should be done in a 1-2 month timeframe.
http://learn.icann.org/blog/45026/welcome

Premium .SKI web addresses offered for sale
Names like tour.ski, info.ski, school.ski and free.ski will be offered as part of this agreement, through a high profile auction being held online for a full week starting December 10, 2015.
http://www.domains.ski/premium-ski-web-addresses-such-as-water-ski-jet-ski-resort-ski-and-shop-ski-offered-for-sale/

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

CentralNic Signs Agreement with Domain Venture Partners

CentralNic plc (AIM:CNIC), the internet platform business which derives revenues from the worldwide sale of internet domain names, today announces that it has signed an agreement (“agreement”) with Domain Venture Partners’ new investment fund, DVP II, whereby the Company has been selected to be the registry service provider for certain registries acquired by DVP II; meaning that CentralNic’s platform will be used to enable their domain names to be purchased through domain name retailers (“registrars”) worldwide.

Domain Venture Partners (“DVP”) recently launched DVP II as an investment fund, with a target size of US$400 million, to acquire Top-Level Domain registries, some of which are already live.

DVP (through DVP I) invested in 60 companies which applied for licenses to operate generic TLD registries, and has become one of the largest registry operator groups.

Commenting on the agreement between CentralNic and DVP II, Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNic said: “This presents a fantastic new opportunity for CentralNic, and we are delighted to be working with the market leading professionals within the banking, legal and technology fields that support DVP II. This agreement not only fits well with our stated strategy to increase the inventory of Top-Level Domains carried by our platform, but also confirms CentralNic’s position as market leader in providing registry services. In addition to the potential to accelerate top-line and bottom-line growth for CentralNic, our experience and expertise in promoting registries will complement Domain Venture Partners’ already formidable Sales and Marketing capability. We look forward to working with the team at DVP II as both companies seek to expand our presence in the market.”

“CentralNic is an organisation that shares our passion to develop and transform the global domain name market place”, said Charles Melvin, Chief Operating Officer at Domain Venture Partners. “We are delighted to welcome CentralNic as a preferred technology back-end provider. We have been impressed by CentralNic’s experience in operating successful registry back-end services as well as its proven ability to market and help distribute domain names in a strategic and creative manner.”

For further information:

CentralNic Group plc
Ben Crawford (CEO) +44 (0) 203 388 0600

Domain Venture Partners
Charles Melvin (COO) +350 216 50000

Zeus Capital
Ross Andrews / Nick Cowles ( Corporate Finance) +44 (0) 161 831 1512
John Goold (Institutional Sales) +44 (0) 207 533 7716

Abchurch Communications
Joanne Shears / Olivia Stuart Taylor +44 (0) 20 7398 7709

CentralNic begins trading its shares on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM Market

CentralNic Group PLC, the internet registry service provider which derives revenues from the distribution and sale of internet domain names, successfully began trading its shares on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM Market on Monday. A leading innovator in the domain name industry, CentralNic has exclusive global contracts to supply retailers such as GoDaddy and Web.com with domains using 30 different endings (“extensions’’), including .la (such as intel.la),.uk.com (such as avon.uk.com) and .us.com (such as activia.us.com).

The Company raised £7m ($10.9m USD) from its IPO with leading institutional investors Schroders Investment Management and Unicorn Asset Management joining the shareholder register. The shares were placed at 55p and rose 19% to 65.5p by the end of the first day’s trading, valuing the company at £38.7m ($60.2m USD). The admission to AIM and strong trading performance was picked up by the UK business press including the Financial Times and The Times, which named CentralNic’s stock “Deal of the Day.”

While already profitable and growing rapidly, CentralNic expects to benefit from a major expansion in the number of generic Top-Level Domains (“TLDs”). The Company has been awarded the exclusive global registry service provision contracts for 60 new TLD applications, 25 of which are already confirmed to launch, including: .college, .bar, .wiki, .xyz, .rest, .contact, .feedback, .ink, and .PID.

CentralNic’s clients include leading media and entertainment businesses The Guardian and William Morris Endeavor, global 1000 companies Saudi Telecom, Etisalat, Qatar Telecom, and Kuwait Finance House, as well as entrepreneurs in the USA, Latin American, Europe and Asia. CentralNic’s clients are also contenders for additional TLDs including .app, .art, .blog, .design, .gay, .golf, hotel, .law, .llc, .love, .mail, .now, .school and .style, among many others.

Commenting on the Company’s admission to AIM, Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNic, said:

“We are extremely pleased to have successfully completed the IPO process. The business is in a strong position to take advantage of additional opportunities to develop our global domain distribution business, and will benefit from having new quality shareholders to support our strategy.”