The new gTLD info for Friday, May 13th

It is impressive how many car trademarks (ie ".volkswagen" - ".seat" - ".bmw", etc...) applied for their own domain name extension. A good way to keep an eye on their development is to check their domain name registration volumes regularly. To do so,we have decided to update a new gTLD report related to "cars". This weekly report lists generic domain name extensions related to the automobile (ie: ".car" new gTLD) but it lists ".brand" new gTLD applications too (ie: ".nissan).

1. Interesting - Wordpress just acquired the .BLOG new gTLD (many covers);
2. Another cover of Richard Li, owner of the ".RICHARDLI" new gTLD;
3. Reports:
1. We added ".yachts" - ".boats" and ".motorcycles" to the SPORT new gTLD report;
2. We launched two new reports:
1. New gTLDs related to RELIGION (updated each Thursday);
2. HOT - New gTLDs related to CARS (updated each Friday);
3. New gTLDs related to HEALTH (updated each Friday).
4. Another "Multiple Registry" signed an agreement with the signed an agreement with the Motion Picture Association of America;
5. More coming.

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar



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The new gTLD info for Thursday, May 12th

I surfed a bit this morning and went through the major Trademarks who registered their ".gdn" domain name. There are many already:

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Mark Monitor
4. Periscope
5. Twitter
6. Wordpress
7. Microsoft
8. Oculus Rift
9. Amazon
10. Citibank
11. ...

Some of them does not appear in that list. Did you notice which? To my understanding, this is one of the reasons why major Trademarks should pay attention to this domain name extension. Domain names ending in ".gdn" are for investors, not Trademarks, but this does not mean that it should be neglected.

News

1. The .RICHARDLI new gTLD is about to launch: do you know who Richard Li is?
2. Weekly Report - New gTLDs related to FRENCH new gTLD applications;
3. Google plans to ban Payday Loan Ads: do you own ".LOAN" domain names?
4. HIT - .CLOUD & .CLUB domain names are a hit for resellers (out of a total of 500 new gTLDs);
5. HOT - "Sport et Noms de domaine" (in French): des incontournables qui prennent position;
6. The .HOTEL Registry changes hands (well...one of the applications);
7. Cumulative premium name sales for .CLUB = $3,841,271.03;
8. SEO - Does Moving to a New gTLD Domain Name Help Rankings?
9. French - "Pourquoi j’ai osé adopter le .wine pour mon vignoble";
10. .BRANDs - Brand TLDs: five potential benefits;
11. Just added - The new gTLD report related to Religion;
12. As usual, there is more coming during the day before the publication of the Newsletter.

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

The new gTLD info for Wednesday, May 11th

We are completing our reports and adding .BRAND domain name extensions. For example, our report related to FINANCE new domain name registration volumes has been completed with Banks who acquired their own domain name extension. These .BRAND can be identified with a "®" sign next to them.

1. Article - ".GDN" domain names: the next “.COM”?
2. Interesting - Looking Back on the First Round of New gTLD Applications: Implications for Trademarks and Freedom of Expression;
3. Specialized Domain Names: The Secret Weapon for Boosting Sales?
4. New gTLD reports (weekly updates):
1. New generic Top-Level Domains related to SPORT;
   (the .GAME new gTLD was added to the report)
2. New generic Top-Level Domains related to ALCOHOL.
   (the .REHAB new gTLD was added to the report)
5. Must read - Report on active Brand Top-Level Domains;
6. There are now 1,300 new gTLDs;
7. Domain name "s.club" was sold for $38,000 !
8. Multiple Registry predicts $75m new gTLD revenues;
9. More coming by the end of the day (newsletter sent at 8PM CET).

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

“.GDN” domain names: the next “.COM”?

There are domain name extensions and...generic domain name extensions: the old ones and the new ones. What I call “generic” is a word, used as the extension of the domain name, and which does not offer the very meaning of a highly targeted keyword such as “club” - “physio” or “webcam” but something more “global”.

A list of Ten:
There are many generic, old and new, domain name extensions. The following is an extract of these extensions with the pluses and the minuses of what they can offer to Registrants interested in acquiring their domain names. I listed 10 of them:

1. .GDN : it is short, ultra cheap and “gdn” stands for “Global Domain Name”. Many domain names are available for registration. The only minus that I can see is that it is a recent domain name extension and Registrars are still getting accredited.
2. .GLOBAL : it means “global” so it truly is a generic domain name extension but with 6 letters. It is longish; expensive too...
3. .ONLINE : I understand it as implying “on internet” but I find it long and it is more expensive than .WEBSITE...and a lot more than .GDN
4. .WEB : this domain name extension is still a pending auction. The auction is scheduled to begin on July 27th 2016. It is short and generic and I don’t know yet how much it will cost. The major problem that I can see with .WEB is that it is in direct competition with .WEBS and .WEBSITE (and maybe .SITE too). This is going to be very confusing in the coming years with so many similar strings. It could also become risky to start a .WEB website without taking into account all the other similar domain name extensions.
5. .WEBS : It is unclear yet wether this extension will see the day but the ICANN has listed it in the same auction as .WEB.
6. .SITE : this extension is short and not so expensive but again...what will it become in 10 years? When .WEB + .WEBSITE + SITE + .WEBS are active with hundreds of live websites: won’t it be confusing to find different website contents with exactly the same domain names but with a similar domain name extension?
7. .WEBSITE : it is easy to remember but...it is as long as two other generic domain name extensions combined: .WEB and .SITE. Will you buy a “.website” domain name and take the risk not to register the same “.web” and “.site” (and “.webs) domain names?
8. .XYZ : it is short and cheap but we wonder if it is generic enough. What does “XYZ” stand for?
9. .COM : it is already well established and short. Even if it is a little more expensive than .GDN, we can say that it is cheap but it is definitely a nightmare to find a generic domain name available (ie: www.plane.com).
10. .NET : it is also already well established but lives in the shadow of “.com” domain names.

Focussing on .GDN domain names
There are several reasons why I believe that “.gdn” domain names could be of interest for Trademark owners and domain name investors. Here is why:

They are cheap
“.gdn” domain names are very cheap; they are the cheapest I could find on the market at the moment. I just bought one for less than $3. Some of the generic domain names listed above can be up to 10 times the price of a “.gdn” domain names and that makes quite a difference when investing. It becomes also affordable for a Trademark to secure its assets in such an extension, even if it won’t use the domains.

Many domain names are available
The registry has few Registrars accredited but, according to it, many more are on the way. According to nTLDStats.com, there are 16,200 domain names registered; that leaves plenty of space for new Registrants willing to register a generic domain name: did you try that city or animal name that was not available in the “.com” extension?

No confusion: “GDN” means something
The interesting thing about “.gdn” is that it means something and the message is clear: it is a generic domain name extension. “GDN” stands for “Global Domain Name”. By the way; how many times did we wonder what “com “ meant?

Another major positive point when dealing with .GDN is that there is no other new similar generic domain name extension: the problem of many of the extensions listed above, when they are not too expensive to buy and to renew, is that they can look very similar. I can hardly imagine investing in a “.website” domain name and missing the same domain ending in “.web”.

And what happens when you are not familiar with domain names: what happens when you launch a website in an extension...to find out that someone (or a cybersquatter) comes out to you with the exactly the same second level domain...with a very similar extension?

For investors only?
All the key elements are there: the price, the availability, almost no Premium domains and...the fact that they are still exceptions. Investors like “.com” domains because they are old and many times - when they are not just parked for cross linking or pay-per-click - that makes them valuable. I believe in niche markets and many new gTLDs offer perspective for investors; in terms of generic domain name extensions, I believe the .GDN new gTLD has a potential.

Funny: the city where I live is still available for registration.

The new gTLD info for Tuesday, May 10th

A multiple Registry is launching new domain name extensions related to Finance so we have decided to create a report for these Top-Level Domains. Some very specific industries and businesses are represented in the ICANN new gTLD program: subjects like "the Law", "Real Estate, Religion"... We will be adding more new gTLD reports to Jovenet Consulting soon.

1. Sunrise - the .AUTOS Sunrise Period ends soon; 
2. Happening tomorrow: meet with .TRADEMARKS in Paris; 
3. .Club and Radix domains get top billing at TechCrunch Disrupt NY Hackathon; 
4. ICANN takes away 9 African new gTLD applications;
5. Article - Brand Your Music With An Innovative Domain Name;
6. 1 and 2 Character Domains available for financial TLDs; 
7. Article - ".store" - ".vip" and ".email" new domain names hit by squatters; 
8. Reports (weekly update): 
1. New gTLDs related to Companies (were added to the report the .WHOSWHO and .CEO new gTLDs); 
2. New gTLDs related to the Law (new); 
3. New gTLDs related to Finance (new); 
9. Case Study - The .WEIR new gTLD;
10. A .CARS cybersquatter is about to learn an expensive lesson;
11. Joke of the day - "Celebrating Europeans' Role in the Evolution of the Internet"!
12. Changing the Keys to the Domain Name System (DNS) Root Zone;
13. The judge "screwed up" on .AFRICA new gTLD  lawsuit;
14. More coming during the day.

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The new gTLD info for Monday, May 9th

The .CLUB Registry turned two years old this week end and if registration figures are there: what about...last year ;-).

News

1. The weekly French new gTLD report by Nameshield;
2. The .DOCTOR new gTLD: contention resolution status is now resolved;
3. Updated reports:
1. New gTLDs related to CITIES;
2. New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY;
3. New gTLDs related to CATERING;
4. The .INSURANCE Sunrise begins;
5. Congratulations - The .CLUB Registry turns 2 with 770,000 domain names registered;
6. ICANN to terminate new gTLD applications!
7. Event - The French NDD.camp is coming: French domain investors are meeting in June the 16th.
8. ICANN and new gTLDs: another review of the past week and look ahead;
9. French: Louis Pouzin is able to create a (better) version 2 of the Internet;
10. More coming during the day.

Spam?
We were informed that some subscribers receive the new gTLD Newsletter with a "spam" in the object field. The tool that we use (MailChimp) does not allow to spam and when this happens, users of this tool are just blocked from using it. Also, all subscribers to the Newsletter have to confirm their subscription so...we just don't and can't do SPAM and by the way: why would we? I dig to find out why and I found this link as a possible answer. But again, I never received any complaint so we will change the subject in the object field of emails sent and use the domain name newsletter.domains to send emails.

The Nameshield Group: Registry, Corporate and Retail Registrar

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements