In the wake of .Berlin – Why dot city TLDs will be a success

Did you know that when .berlin launched two weeks ago, 41.000 domains were registered during the first 48 hours? Did you also know that lots of big brands like Toyota and Honda missed out on their valuable domain names? Companies are historically slow to protect their brand name. They then have to endure expensive legal costs and spend a lot of time trying to get back their domain names.

Therefore I have written this article, as I wish to highlight, why you should care about the 45 dot city TLDs like .paris, .london and .miami. These TLDs are released over the next two years, and this article will prepare you in time to get your rightful domain names.

Read this article by the European Domain Center on gTLD.club:
http://gtld.club/2014/04/03/in-the-wake-of-berlin-why-dot-city-tlds-will-be-a-success/

Statement of Commissioner Cioloş on domain names related to wine

Together with my colleague Neelie Kroes, I am following very closely on going developments on the moves by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to introduce two new internet domain names ".wine" and ".vin".

ICANN considers granting these new domain names without any specific safeguards for Geographical indications (GIs), as clearly requested by the European Commission and many governments. Under ICANN's proposal, everybody would be further allowed to apply for sub-domains such as chianti.wine, champagne.vin or porto.wine, including individuals or companies having no connection with these specific European wines.

This is simply not acceptable.

Geographical indications are a major priority in EU international trade negotiations. They represent a vital tool for protecting consumers and valorising the efforts of producers, not only in Europe, but in the whole world.

Under international rules (WTO) and several bilateral agreements with third countries, geographical indications and names of wines are protected as intellectual property rights.

This rule must be respected for the internet. In case of no agreement within ICANN to provide sufficiently robust safeguards for the introduction of new sub-domains, it would be preferable to avoid the creation of these domains altogether. I cannot imagine that a double standard would be applied.

Therefore, I will remain vigilant to make sure that we find a swift and suitable solution, meaning a solution that ensures consumers protection and the necessary legal and judicial protection of actors in the world economy. This is crucial not only to guarantee the credibility of the structures in charge of internet governance but also the long term credibility of internet itself.

http://ec.europa.eu/press_room

New extension of the domain names: turmoil concerning .AMAZON !

Having been appointed by ICANN to represent the interest of the online community as regard to the delegation of new extensions, the IO could take charge of questions concerning public interest and the community’s objections when none objected to the application.

The famous online marketplace highlighted that there is a conflict of interest arising from the close ties between the IO and the government representing the Amazonian communities (Brazil and Peru) whereas he can act only on behalf of Internet users. Thus, his objection would only aim at formalising the objection of the governments. Alain Pellet denied the charges by affirming that the link simply results from a “normal average social life”.

Read the article on gTLD.club:
http://gtld.club/2014/04/02/new-extension-of-the-domain-names-turmoil-concerning-amazon/

Lancer sa .BOUTIQUE, c’est maintenant

Le moment semble être le bon pour se lancer dans le développement d’une boutique en ligne. En effet, bien que l'on sache que de nouveaux noms de domaine sont lancés comme par exemple ceux se terminant en “.boutique”, il est tout de même utile de noter deux choses:

1. Toutes les nouvelles extensions de noms de domaine liées à l’activité du shopping sur Internet ne sont pas encore toutes disponibles, et ne le seront pas avant quelques mois encore.
2. Concevoir une boutique sur Internet implique aussi de prendre le temps de trouver le bon prestataire, le bon système de paiement en ligne, son design et surtout de finaliser son nouveau site Internet de façon à ce que les nouveaux acheteurs puissent consulter un produit “fini”.

Lire la suite sur le Journal Du Net.

La chasse au .BUZZ est ouverte (article JDN)

Il n’est plus utile d’expliquer que les nouveaux noms de domaine sont lancés, il en existe de toutes sortes et dans de nombreuses langues dont le français. Nos marques, à ce jour, communiquent beaucoup avec les très populaires noms de domaine .COM car ceux-ci sont reconnus par les internautes. Pourtant, il est une nouvelle extension de noms de domaine qui vient d’être lancée et qui présente des particularités qui pourraient intéresser nos communicants. Voici venus les noms de domaine .BUZZ.

Des noms de domaine qui se terminent en .BUZZ
Les agences de communication et autres marques grand public n’ont qu’à bien se tenir car si elles communiquaient jusqu’alors en .COM, les nouveaux noms de domaine ICANN vont leur permettre d’innover et les sortir du lot. En effet, plus de 700 nouvelles extensions de noms de domaine sont en cours de lancement et dont le .BUZZ fait partie.

La suite sur le Journal Du Net.

700 nouvelles extensions sont lancées, enregistrez votre nom de domaine .BUZZ chez 1&1.

ICANN to close the Trademark Clearinghouse?

April 1, 2014 (Marina del Rey, California, USA) - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today that the Board of Directors has elected Dr. Jean Guillon to succeed Fadi Chehadé as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Guillon will take office at the conclusion of the Board's next meeting in the French Palais de l'Elysée, France, April 10-14, 2014.

Fadi Chehadé, ICANN's current President and CEO, has held the position since June 2012 and has overseen the start-up of the organization.

Jean Guillon's first action will be to end the ICANN new gTLD program, close the Trademark Clearinghouse program and reimburse all applicants.

Ouverture du « .vin » et « .wine » sur internet : 6 questions pour bien comprendre les enjeux

Pourquoi l’ouverture du « .vin » et du « .wine » pose problème ?

Ces nouveaux noms de domaine peuvent être source de développement économique pour le secteur vitivinicole, dont une partie du chiffre d’affaires est réalisée via Internet, tendance qui devrait s’accroître à l’avenir. Problème : les trois sociétés candidates à l’exploitation du « .vin » et « .wine » ont indiqué qu’elles vendraient les noms de domaine de second niveau aux enchères, sans se soucier de la protection des IG. Par conséquent, n’importe quelle entreprise ou individu pourra acheter un nom de second niveau correspondant à une appellation, par exemple « beaujolais.wine », et proposer à la vente des produits qui n’ont rien à voir avec l’appellation en question, voir avec du vin. Les risques concernent au premier chef les consommateurs (tromperies sur la marchandise), mais aussi les producteurs (risques de détournement de notoriété des appellations d’origine, voire même de cybersquatting). Certains noms de domaine pourraient même être achetés à des fins spéculatives.
La suite sur gTLD.club: http://gtld.club/2014/04/01/ouverture-du-vin-et-wine-sur-internet-6-questions-pour-bien-comprendre-les-enjeux/.

Pré-enregistrez votre nom de domaine .VIN

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.