New reconsideration request from .HOTEL applicant

This is how starts the reconsideration request from one of the multiple applicants for the .HOTEL new gTLD. The below was extracted from the request:

Description of specific action you are seeking to have reconsidered:

Board and/or Staff approval of Donuts Inc. acquisition of Afilias, Inc., without any transparent or apparently meaningful review nor provision of any opportunity for comment by affected stakeholders. The acquisition was announced1 on Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving week in the US) and apparently closed2 just 36 days later, on Dec. 29 (Christmas/NYE week).

The only mention in any ICANN Board “Resolution” is on Dec. 17, 2020 (published Dec. 21, 2020):3 "No Resolutions taken."

In the Preliminary Report published by the Board on Jan. 5, 2021, 4 there is only this note: "No Resolutions were taken. The Chair stated that the Afilias change of control approval request has been discussed by the Board, and that the ICANN President and CEO, or his designee(s), has the support of the Board to move forward on the request."

Download the full request here (PDF download).

The World Wine Web should read this

Questions to have if both .WIN & .WINE ever had to coexist

You probably noticed that .WINE is the same as .WIN but with an "E" added (...) Here is a few questions that come to my mind if both new gTLDs were to coexist one day. Note that this thinking is valid for the 10 coming years.

Read my article on gTLD.club: http://www.gtld.club/2015/06/how-will-wine-and-win-new-gtlds-coexist.html. Wine Clubs can register their .CLUB domain name with Uniregistry.

Project dotVinum is the official sponsor for this fantastic publication

FFM to launch 5 new Sunrise Periods

Famous Four Media to launch 5 Sunrise Periods

The company from Gibraltar launches five new generic T-op Level Domains today. New gTLD concerned are:

1. .LOAN
2. .ACCOUNTANT
3. .WIN
4. .RACING
5. .DOWNLOAD

SUNRISE PERIOD START: Thursday, 4 June, 2015 - 16:00;

SUNRISE PERIOD END: Monday, 3 August, 2015 - 16:00.

I suggest Brands to submit their datas in the Trademark Clearinghouse prior to registering their domain name with their Corporate Accredited Registrar.

I recommend using an Agent...if you're complete lost with this procedure.

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

Nearly 10% of all new gTLD registrations are in FFM managed registries!

Earlier today, the number of domain names in Famous Four Media registries surpassed half a million. This equates to nearly 10% of all domains registered under ICANN's new gTLD program.

"We are delighted in rapid growth in the registries under our management" said Andy Churley, CMO of Famous Four Media, the registry management company for 16 new domain extensions. "The go-to-market approach FFM has adopted is clearly striking a chord with the public and to have reached 500,000 registrations in such a short time is a testament to the strong strategy and great staff at FFM."

In 2013, ICANN the body that oversees domain names on the Internet embarked on a massive program of change opening up the domain name space to thousands of new domain endings. Web-addresses can now end in almost any series of letters.

"A great part of the success comes down to the domain endings we manage." continued Churley "People love .PARTY, .SCIENCE and .WEBCAM in particular, these strings have a broad appeal and are words that work in many languages. We are just as excited about the domain endings we will be launching, in particular .DATE and .REVIEW, which we believe share a mass appeal. "

Famous Four Media plans to launch 10 more domain extension in 2015 to augment the six domain endings (.BID, .TRADE,.WEBCAM, .SCIENCE, .CRICKET and of course .PARTY ) that are already available. Domain names can be registered through Famous Four Media's extensive network of ICANN accredited registrars.

A list of Famous Four Media's accredited domain name registrars can be found here:www.famousfourmedia.com/registrars/accredited-registrars..

Register your .TRADE domain name with Uniregistry.

.SCIENCE domains are Free (today at least)

I just registered two .SCIENCE domain names for free.

I wish I knew why I went "professeur.science" French domain name (probably because I am French).

Just for the note, many domains are considered as Premium domains but SCIENCE is a French word too so many are still available to register.

Oh...I started with Wikipedia for keywords and noticed that "histoire" is registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse!

Source: www.register.science.

New domains ending in ".science" for less than 1 €

Register your .SCIENCE domain name with French Registrar OVH.

There are 2 applications for .RUN

So while I was running in Paris, I wondered if there would be a TLD for runners like me…and guess what…there are 2 applications for .RUN and they are in contention:

1. First one is from dot Run Limited (Famous Four Media);
2. The other one is from Snow Park, LLC (Donuts).

There will be a .RUN Registry in the end and it will become possible to register domain names ending in .RUN (instead of .com :-). So what is the market for .RUN ? Do runners communicate on Internet? Do they need to communicate because they are runners? Is .RUN for runners only?

Read my article on gTLD.club

What happens on a "General Availability" day

Register these new domain names at GoDaddy.

Famous Four Media nets $175,000 in a .WEBCAM premium name deal brokered by HuntingMoon

In a private deal, Famous Four Media has sold a package of 15 domain names to a single buyer. The deal, worth $175,000, was for adult oriented terms in the .WEBCAM registry. “We are delighted to conclude this deal so rapidly,” said Andy Churley, Chief Marketing Officer at Famous Four Media. “Agreeing a six figure cash deal so early in a registry’s life is a testament to the strength of the .WEBCAM suffix, the capability of the staff at Famous Four Media and the willingness of its broker network to collaborate.”

“The .WEBCAM registry has a lot of appeal for premium name brokers like HuntingMoon.” Said Evan Horowitz, CEO and Founder of HuntingMoon “It has been HuntingMoon's privilege to coordinate this historic, biggest ever reported new TLD sale. The fact that we collaborated with several brokers, such as Media Options S.A and Domain Broker UK, to achieve this landmark sale, in a newly launched new gTLD registry, is a great indicator for the success of .WEBCAM.”

The premium name sale comprised fifteen domain names including www.tube.webcam, www.asian.webcam and www.milf.webcam brokered by Hunting Moon. “We have always been confident that the .WEBCAM registry would have great appeal in a number of vertical and geographic markets” continued Churley “We have seen growing interest in our premium names as our first 3 registries .WEBCAM, .TRADE and .BID approach launch. Ola Alli, Famous Four Media’s premium name manager did an excellent job in securing this historic deal. This means so much to the registry and is excellent news for the new gTLD program as a whole.”


About HuntingMoon
HuntingMoon was set up specifically to help connect domain name and business owners with potential trading partners. HuntingMoon invested heavily to create an easy-to-use platform for trading assets such as: Domain Names, Domain Portfolios, Businesses, Web Traffic, Design, Content and so many more products and services which has led to the company becoming one of the most successful domain name brokerages around.
Web: https://www.huntingmoon.com/

Read the complete Press Release from Famous Four Media here.

9th June 2014 @ 14:00 UTC = GO !

.WEBCAM - .TRADE and .BID new domain names are entering General Availability today!

.WEBCAM

The new .WEBCAM generic Top Level Domain (TLD) name contains the best sources of global webcam-related content, making it the first choice for those with an interest in webcam products and services. Owning a dedicated, secure and trusted generic Top Level Domain (TLD) such as .WEBCAM will help you establish your online brand and reach a global network of people with like-minded interests.Be among the first to get your perfect .WEBCAM domain now.

.BID
The new .BID Top Level Domain (TLD) name creates an online environment where buyers and sellers can rapidly locate the auction in which they wish to participate. A .BID Top Level Domain (TLD) provides a convenient, trusted name anchor that stands out from the competition, and prospective bidders will be drawn to it by its clear message and the fact that they can trade with confidence in a dedicated namespace. The use of .BID TLD improves online searches dramatically as global buyers and sellers are more easily able to identify the content of relevance to them, which in turn drives website traffic increasing trade and enhancing the auction process.

.TRADE

With the launch of the new .TRADE generic Top Level Domain (TLD) the trade sector has a defined generic Top Level Domain (TLD) name from which to conduct its business activities, in a trusted, targeted manner which attracts all those with an interest in trading – from international business, financial trading, to individuals looking to secure a bargain.

Domain names from these 3 new gTLDs will be available to anyone on the basis of "first come - first served" at GoDaddy starting 9th June 2014 at 14:00 UTC.

Famous Four Media Signs Its 100th Accredited Registrar

Monday, May 6th 2014, Gibraltar
Famous Four Media, the registry operator for .BID, .TRADE, .WEBCAM and some 54 other Top Level Domains, has signed its 100th ICANN accredited registrar. Registrars are the only way through which end-users of domain names can purchase the domains, and Famous Four Media believes that these 100 registrars provide the largest distribution channel currently held by any new gTLD Registry operator, covering some 90% of all currently registered domains.

The registrar is a critical element in the domain name supply chain, because registries are not allowed to sell directly to the end registrant. Andy Churley, CMO of Famous Four Media explains, "We have a laser-sharp focus on making it as simple as possible for registrars to work with us. Moreover, registrars are not passive third parties - signing an agreement with us means that they have already committed considerable resources integrating with Famous Four Media's registries, and we are all intent on making the process for the end-registrant as easy as possible. To this end, we endeavor to provide our Registrars with top-flight, turnkey marketing resources to enable them to go out and find the right homes for our domain names."

Critical to domain name sales, registrants need to be able to find distribution outlets, which in turn need to offer desirable "product" - in this case, the domain names themselves. And with the hundred Registry Registrar Agreements (RRAs) Famous Four Media has in place, a multiple is in effect in that they cover over 450 of the 1000 ICANN accredited registrars, since each agreement with a registrar can cover multiple sub-brands, not to mention the tens of thousands of domain name resellers around the world.

Through Famous Four Media's proactive on-boarding process, registrars are ready to go to market in every sense. They have undergone technical accreditation, have put time and money into integrating systems for failsafe registration, and have committed resources to market Famous Four Media's domain names through every conceivable mechanism. Churley continues, "It is very significant that we have the channels lined up before the domain names are generally available. And we have worked hand-in-hand with our registrars to simplify and streamline everything, in order to make the purchase process for the domain name registrant as seamless as possible. We are acutely aware that registrars have limited resources to actively promote gTLDs in their inventory, so they are necessarily selective about which Registries they support. At Famous Four Media we are proud and honored that so many registrars want to work with us to bring our new gTLDs to market."

"The decision to partner with Famous Four Media was straightforward" said Richard Stevenson , Head of PR, 1&1 Internet Inc, www.1and1.com, one of the world's largest domain name registrars, and one of the first Registrars to have signed the Famous Four Media RRA. "Not only do they have some great gTLDs that we think our customers will benefit from, but their processes are simple and consistent across all of their TLDs. At 1&1 we are excited to work with Famous Four Media to help bring their domain names to market."

Contacts
Meir Kahtan, MKPR mkahtan AT rcn.com +1.212.575.8188 or Andy Churley, Chief Marketing Officer, Famous Four Media media AT famousfourmedia.com.

About Famous Four Media
Famous Four Media Limited was set up in 2011 by a small group of recognized domain name experts and successful financiers to actively provide products and services to TLD Registry operators under ICANN's new generic Top Level Domains ("gTLD") program. Drawing on the best from both Registries and Registrars, Famous Four Media's management team has extensive experience in the domain name industry having successfully launched, operated, marketed and run generic TLDs under previous rounds and having managed some of the largest corporate and retail domain name registrars in the world. The 59 gTLD applications, that are currently under Famous Four Media Limited management, include some of the most interesting and valuable domain suffixes, such as .ACCOUNTANT, .BID, .DATE, .DOWNLOAD, .FAITH, .LOAN, .MEN,. REVIEW, .SCIENCE, .TRADE, .WEBCAM and .WIN.

A New Blog About "New gTLDs"

I am partial to those from Law Firms which develop and offer their own gTLD products, with more often than not, many flaws in their offers. In the end, as you will doubtless find out, it is actually their ICANN Accredited Registrar that solves problems for their client for which the law firm bills at three times the price of the registrar.

Read my article on CircleId.

It’s .PARTY time! (Famous Four Media)

Domain Venture Partners Acquires the .PARTY Top Level Domain Registry

“Famous Four Media is excited to add .PARTY to the list of Top Level Domains that it will be launching in 2014″ said Geir Rasmussen CEO, Famous Four Media. “.PARTY will complement the other lifestyle registries under the control of Domain Venture Partners.”

Andy Churley, CMO, Famous Four Media, expanded “the opportunities with this registry are almost boundless. It has an appeal all the way up the user chain from individuals (www.andysbirthday.party), corporates (www.ffmsummer.party) and communities (www.redsoxfans.party), right up to institutions (www.political.party). Furthermore, we do not see registration use being limited to people or entities but to individual events (www.sydneynewyear.party) and locations (www.oceanvillage.party) as well. The opportunity for every party to have its own web address is extremely exciting. Most importantly we think it’s going to be a whole lot of fun! “

http://gtld.club/2014/04/10/domain-venture-partners-acquires-the-party-top-level-domain-registry/

PR: Evolution not revolution helps distribution, Sunrise period opens for .BID, .TRADE and .WEBCAM

The new Internet naming convention, where websites can end in almost any characters rather than the old style .com, .net and .org, has been seen by many as a playground for fresh thinking and innovation on the Internet.

 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which regulates Internet names, cites the capacity for innovation as one of the reasons that has led to the expansion in the namespace, known as the new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) program. ICANN long ago made sure that Registries (who own the names) can only sell to Registrants (who buy the names) through accredited intermediaries known as Registrars, these are companies such as GoDaddy and 1and1 that you may have seen advertising recently on TV. 

Over recent months, the Domain Name Industry has seen a variety of weird and wacky go-to-market strategies. There have been registries proposing a variety of pricing mechanisms ranging from $10 to $50,000 for a single web address. Other registries have opted for a hyperbolic price increase model over time jumping to tens of thousands of dollars per domain name in only a few years.

Some gTLD applicants have spent a huge amount of time, effort and resources building their own back-end registry systems while others have been spending similar efforts in a bid to try to bypass the registrar channel so that they can benefit from undiluted revenues.

While Famous Four Media is highly supportive of innovation in the domain name world, it believes that there is a time and a place for everything. At such a critical juncture of the Internet, Famous Four Media is convinced that now is the time for ‘evolution’ and not ‘revolution’ in this industry.

So, while others have been drawing up plans to take over the domain name world with ‘killer’ business paradigms and radical pricing mechanisms, Famous Four Media has quietly gone about its business and secured what it believes to be the most extensive Registrar distribution network in the new gTLD industry, in time for the 31 March 2014 Sunrise launch of its first three gTLDs .BID, .TRADE and .WEBCAM.

“We are delighted to be bringing our new gTLD registries to market through such an incredible and well established distribution network,” said Geir Rasmussen CEO, Famous Four Media. “The fact that we have 82 Registry Registrar Agreements signed in time for the launch of our first gTLDs is not only testament to the hard work, expertise and dedication of our staff but also to the desire of ICANN accredited Registrars to work in partnership with us to bring great domain names to market”.

The 82 signed agreements will allow nearly 450 ICANN accredited registrars to market all of Famous Four Media’s 59 Top Level Domains globally as well as tens of thousands of resellers that work hand- in-hand with the Famous Four Media registrar network. This means that if you want to set your website apart with a descriptive web address, such as www.mycool.webcam or www.lowprice.bid or even www.londontax.accountant, you will be able to get one from almost any registrar anywhere in the world.


Contact
Andy Churley, Chief Marketing Officer
media AT famousfourmedia.com

About Famous Four Media
Famous Four Media Limited was set up in 2011 by a small group of recognized domain name experts and successful financiers to actively provide products and services to TLD Registry operators under ICANN’s new generic Top Level Domains (“gTLD”) program. Drawing on the best from both Registries and Registrars, Famous Four Media’s management team has extensive experience in the domain name industry having successfully launched, operated, marketed and run generic TLDs under previous rounds and having managed some of the largest corporate and retail domain name registrars in the world. The 59 gTLD applications, that are currently under Famous Four Media Limited management, include some of the most interesting and valuable domain suffixes, such as .ACCOUNTANT, .BID, .DATE, .DOWNLOAD, .FAITH, .LOAN, .MEN,. REVIEW, .SCIENCE, .TRADE, .WEBCAM and .WIN.

700 new gTLDs are launching with accredited Registrar 1&1, get your new .TRADE, .BID and .WEBCAM domain names today.

Registry for .BID just launched

What is the .BID registry?

Online auctions are now a part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people and it’s not surprising: they are far more convenient than attending a frenzied auction house bidding process (there’s no need to feel self-conscious about your bidding etiquette, or lack of; the timing of the online auction is precise; you don’t have to sit through several auctions for items you’re not interested in while you wait for the one you are; and so on), and nowadays online markets exist for trading just about anything.

The new .BID Top Level Domain name creates an online environment where buyers and sellers can rapidly locate the auction in which they wish to participate. Those wishing to sell their products are no longer tied to the large auction websites to tap into a ready customer base but can create their own, safe in the knowledge that their auctions are easy to find through the familiar .BID domain extension. A .BID domain name provides a convenient, trusted name anchor that stands out on the web, and prospective bidders will be drawn to it by its clear message and the fact that they can trade with confidence in a dedicated namespace.

The use of .BID domain name improves online searches dramatically as global buyers and sellers are more easily able to identify the content of relevance to them, which in turn drives website traffic increasing trade and enhancing the auction process.
Visit the .BID registry at : http://nic.bid/

.SCIENCE - Andy Churley, CMO, Famous Four Media

http://www.famousfourmedia.com/science/

Who Are the Major New gTLD Applicants and what is their approach to bringing new domain names to market?

This article is the personal analysis by a new gTLD consultant who has been following the ICANN new gTLD program from the beginning but with a French man's perspective.

I recently read an article which made me smile because entitled "the top 10 new gTLDs to follow in 2014". But according to what? I partially read it to find out that it was written by a professional from a certain culture and written for a certain culture. None of the top 10 new gTLDs listed in the article were of any interest to me: a French person.

Read the complete article on CircleId.

Bid-on .BID: Famous Four Media announces .BID reservation program

Monday, 20 January 2014, Gibraltar: In December 2013, Famous Four Media signed its first Registry Agreement for its .BID generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) on behalf of the Registry operator. This momentous moment for one of the largest new gTLD registries now sets in motion a chain of events that will culminate in the launch of the .BID Registry.

In order to allow Registrants (anyone including individuals, corporations, clubs, charities and others) the chance to reserve a cool, funky and potentially valuable .BID domain name at the normal registration price, Famous Four Media has launched a .BID reservation program.

The .BID Reservation program is split into two phases: Bid-on-.BID and First-Come-First-Served (FCFS)

Bid-on-.BID

When? From 14:00 UTC on 20th January 2014 until 10:00 UTC on 14th February 2014
Registrants are invited to submit their bids for .BID second level domains through participating ICANN accredited Registrars. The minimum bid will be just $20.00. Reservations at the standard retail price (ask your Registrar for details) will also be accepted on a FCFS basis BUT if another registration is received at a higher bid price then it will take precedence.

First Come First Served
When? From 14:00 UTC on 19th February 2014 until the end of Sunrise PeriodFamous Four Media will accept reservations, on a first come first served basis, at the standard retail price (ask your registrar for details). No further Bid-on-.BID reservations will be accepted during this phase.

To make things even more exciting!
Famous Four Media is releasing 1,200 high value domain names during Bid-on-.BID phase of the reservation program, with an estimated value of USD750,000, and is making them available from just USD19.98. For example this means that registrants could secure automatic.bid or 1dollar.bid for under $20!

In order to find out more please visit www.famousfourmedia.com/bid/

Notes:

• Registrants should contact their domain name registrars in order to submit a Bid-on-.BID;
• All reservations are subject to the Sunrise registrations and the Trademark Claims Period ;
• Designated premium names will not be available in the .BID reservation program and second level domain names will resolve as soon as permitted.

About Famous Four Media 

Famous Four Media Limited was set up in 2011 by a small group of recognized domain name experts and successful financiers to actively provide products and services to TLD Registry operators under ICANN’s new generic Top Level Domains (“gTLD”) program.

Drawing on the best from both Registries and Registrars, Famous Four Media’s management team has extensive experience in the domain name industry having successfully launched, operated, marketed and run generic TLDs under previous rounds and having managed some of the largest corporate and retail domain name registrars in the world.

The 57 gTLD applications, that are currently under Famous Four Media Limited management, include some of the most interesting and valuable domain suffixes, such as .ACCOUNTANT, .BID, .DATE, .DOWNLOAD, .FAITH, .LOAN, .MEN, .REVIEW, .SCIENCE, .TRADE, .WEBCAM and .WIN

Nom de domaine : vive la “.SCIENCE” !

La Communauté scientifique n’a qu’à bien se tenir car elle se verra prochainement offrir un “univers” pour communiquer sur Internet: des noms de domaine qui se terminent en .SCIENCE.

Déjà très utilisés, les noms de domaine .FR qui qualifient les sites Internet Français, et les .COM qui qualifient la majorité des autres sites Internet, le .SCIENCE fait partie de ces nouveaux noms de domaine dont on devrait entendre parler.S’il n’est plus utile de préciser aux lecteurs du JDN que l’ICANN est en train d’autoriser le lancement de plusieurs centaines de nouvelles extensions Internet, il est néanmoins intéressant de s’arrêter sur un certain nombre d’entre elles afin de s’intéresser à leur potentiel.

La suite sur le JDN.

Famous Four Media Selects Sedo to Help Market its Premium Name Portfolio of Internet Domain Extensions

Applicant for 57 of the most exciting new generic TLDs is partnering with world’s largest domain marketplace to bring its most popular names to market.

“The new gTLD program has been years in the making and will soon become a reality on the Internet,” said Andy Churley, Chief Marketing Officer, Famous Four Media. “We’re really looking forward to seeing the creative ways companies and individuals will use the names we’re able to offer them. To ensure that its domain names find the right home, Famous Four Media only works with the very best providers, and Sedo’s experience and worldwide reach, makes it a natural fit.”

Sedo, the world’s largest premium domain marketplace and monetization provider, and Famous Four Media (FFM), one of the largest applicants for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), today announced a partnership to bring some of the most exciting new domain names to market. FFM selected Sedo’s services that were developed based on 14 years of experience in the domain industry. Sedo will be working with FFM to conduct auctions, privately broker premium names and promote the different extensions under FFM’s management.

Read the Press release here.