Most abused new gTLDs

Difficult not to stop on that report, published yesterday, on TOP 10 most abused new gTLDs. I stopped on the first two lines of the report and noticed something about "Registries allowing accredited Registrars to sell to spammers".

If I agree that Registrars and Registries sell domain names for profit (is there something wrong about this?), I disagree with what this report says: when it comes to selling domain names, one of the reasons why ICANN allows a Registry to be a Registry is that a Registry cannot select who it sells to (even "Community new gTLD applications" do not select who they sell to).

At the end of the report, I also read that Registries should do some cleaning to turn spammers away. Can someone help me understand how a Registry can do some cleaning?

A client who pays is a client who pays and unless I missed something, isn't this an important subject that the ICANN tried to solve prior to the first Round of the ICANN new gTLD program to begin?

Read this strange report in tonight's Newsletter.

New domain name registration volumes:

• FRENCH new gTLD applications;
• New gTLDs related to RELIGION;
• HOT - Plural VS Singular new gTLD application.

Tonight's new gTLD Newsletter:
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Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

The .CAM new gTLD Sunrise Period starts

The Trademark clearinghouse is opening the .CAM Sunrise Period.

Sunrise Period:

• START: Thursday, 6 October, 2016 - 16:00;
• END: Monday, 5 December, 2016 - 16:00.

Mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD:

The TLD is intended to benefit internet users by providing a designated namespace for people, organizations and businesses to provide websites and services related to cameras, photography and film-making. The Company is an established internet services business, providing services to 1 million users per day across the globe, and with the first company in our corporate group in operation since 1994.
The TLD will be an Internet space, under control of The Company, to allow the creation, distribution and exchange of entertainment, information and services involving and related to cameras, photography, broadcasting and film-making. The TLD will cater to a broad array of personal, commercial and community interests by means of, but not limited to, webcams, websites, social networks, email and other technologies that will reside within the .CAM domain name space. In addition, ancillary services may be provided in relation to registration of domains within the TLD, including but not limited to webcam and⁄or website hosting, SEO, marketing and consulting services.
Today, there are many uses for cameras in combination with internet distribution and⁄or other services. To name just a few examples, “webcams” are used for monitoring and security, video calling and videoconferencing, and for entertainment purposes. One of the most popular internet destinations, YouTube, amply demonstrates the breadth of use of cameras in combination with internet technology to create a wide array of information and entertainment for all sorts of people across the globe. The .CAM TLD will allow anyone to have their own domain name to offer their own information, entertainment and⁄or other services combining the wonders of photography with the wonders of the internet.
The Company intends for .CAM names to be registered and used by persons and entities with an interest in providing entertainment, information and services related to cameras, photography, broadcasting and⁄or film-making to interested consumers. Any person or entity will be able to register a .CAM domain name, provided that they represent that they will use the domain name for legitimate purposes involving and⁄or related to cameras, photography, and⁄or film-making.

Registration volumes:

The .CAM new gTLD has been added to the PHOTOGRAPHY new gTLD report and will be updated weekly.

Details
More details about the Sunrise Period can be found on the official website of the Trademark Clearinghouse.

China starts to pay interest in legacy .TEL gTLD

China is the new eldorado for Registries and a reason of this is very simple: people from the Republic of China buy more and more domain names. For Registries, this is a market where it is important to have a presence. Recently, many Registries and back-end Registries participated in conferences in China to introduce themselves: the closer to the buyer...the better.
Note that this post is not about what Chinese do with their domain names (use, park, spam, squat, resell) but about the fact that it is important for Registries and Back-ends to sell domain names:

1. To install them on the market: the more domains the greater visibility;
2. Profitability: many domains, once bought, are renewed once a year.

At some point in its history, the .TEL Registry had 325,000 registrations. The .TEL registration volumes dropped below 100,000 in July 2016. In August 2016 they reached 96,611 domain name registrations. Then, they suddenly started to increase again progressively and reach the 103,000 registrations.

It appears that a Chinese template was recently created for the concept of .TEL domains and that could be an explanation.

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs related to SPORT;
• New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL;
• New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE.

Tonight's new gTLD Newsletter:
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What you missed in our previous Newsletter:

1. Webinar DPML Plus (by the TMCH): Tuesday 11 October 2016, 16:00 [UTC]. Register here;
2. What to Do When .com Is Taken;
3. Roots hits 1,500 live TLDs as US oversight ends;
4. Minds and Machines: Accepting tender offer and increase in position (by an insider/investor in multiple new gTLD applications);
5. .CLUB Wins “Registry of the Year” at The Domain Conference 2016;
6. The .XYZ pollution;
7. New gTLDs "UA" (UA = Universal Acceptance): What the UA Group is fighting for at ICANN;
8. Round 2: not before 2018?
9. New gTLDs related to "COMPANIES" (Which new domain names should a company secure).

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

.BRAND new gTLDs: Google shows the way

Good to know
The .CLUB Registry is stopping to renew dropped domain names. How to understand this:

1. These domain names are going to be available on the market so it is expected that some Premium domain names will be made available for around $10 at Uniregistry when they would have cost much more.
2. All won't be free to register at a small price because there are specialized domain name platforms out there that will register them to auction them. In one word, it means that you will have to bid.
3. Hurry-up because domainers are always the first one informed about this: it started on October the first.
4. Where to go: here to check, and here to buy your next Premium ".club domain name.

Google, the .BRAND way
You might have noticed that Google just launched its first .BRAND new gTLD: it is blog.google. Surprisingly, this News looks like an answer from this post from last Thursday.

Apple: something coming?
When thinking about Google's moves, I like it to check what followers are doing so I hit "site:.apple" and found the below. Did you see notice the "store.apple"?

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs related to CITIES (check for the .DUBAI new gTLD);
• New gTLDs related to CATERING;
• New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY;
• French connotations (some new gTLDs were removed from the list);
• HOT - Generic new gTLDs;
• New gTLDs related to CARS;
• New gTLDs related to HEALTH.

Tonight's Newsletter:
To subscribe and receive the latest NEWS in your email, click here.

In last Friday's Newsletter:

1. A Look at New gTLDs Numbers… We're Doing Good;
2. HOT - New Case Studies (.CARS, .CAR, and .AUTO);
3. HOT - Top 3 e-commerce new gTLD registration performance;
4. Brand bunfight: the .PHARMACY new gTLD;
5. The .BLOG Sunrise Period end in 2 weeks;
6. .GLOBAL just dumped a lot of interesting data;
7. Dominion Registries Partners With NCC Group;
8. New gTLD domain names not functioning in edge?
9. Yale Law Professor Zeros in on Discriminatory Treatment of .GAY
10. A New Blogger’s Guide to Selecting a Domain Name;
11. Get In On China's Hot Video Trends With Fully-Chinese Domain Names.

Previous Campaigns can be viewed on www.newsletter.domains.

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

A look at New gTLDs numbers: we're doing good

Like it or not, new gTLDs are here and they're here to stay. If it is still common to read that the ICANN new gTLD program was a failure and few users are using new domain names, numbers show the opposite.

I recently read very rude critics addressed to new gTLD applicants but surprisingly, critics often come from ".com" investors and my understanding of this is that new domain names lower their margins ...since the domain name offer is now larger. This being said, the good point about new gTLDs is that they offer something that ".com" has never been able to offer: precision.

Something more which is not questionable anymore about new gTLDs is the availability of these domain names.

I checked the numbers and listed new domain name registration figures according to 17 categories.

Read my complete article on CircleId.

What about IDN new gTLDs for Companies?

I do not focus on IDNs because I don't understand them but I recently read this post from Coreile, on the Chinese domain name market: the place to be for any Registry.
If we are already familiar with the .商标 new gTLD, which stands for "trademark" in Chinese*, we are not yet familiar with other IDN new gTLDs related to COMPANIES.
The post mentions three IDN new gTLDs which could have an impact on companies who would forget to secure their domain names in these IDN extensions. The IDNs are:

1. .公司 (company);
2. .世界 (world);
3. .集团 (corporate group).

The 3 extensions were added to out COMPANY new gTLD report, which is sent each Tuesday in our Newsletter.

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE;
• New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL;
• New gTLDs related to SPORT;
• New gTLDs related to the LAW (yesterday's report);
• New gTLDs related to FINANCE (yesterday's report);
• New gTLDs related to COLORS (yesterday's report).

Tonight's Newsletter:
To subscribe and receive the latest NEWS in your email, click here.

In our two previous Newsletters:

1. .Shop gets to 51,755 domains just hours after GA;
2. HOT - New TLD Market Brief – September 2016;
3. .LTD domain names may be limited in use but growth is steady;
4. .Sucks Domain Name in Ad Age Magazine;
5. HOT - Active Brand TLDs;
6. “UDRP-proof” .feedback gTLD loses first UDRP;
7. Sunrise Period for .网站 (web) starts on Monday, 26 September;
8. Overcharged .UK customers help pay for .VODKA;
9. Your trusted source for .NEWS;
10. 5 reasons to Try a New Domain for Your Brand;
11. Bird & Bird wins landmark first UDRP decision against a ".feedback" gTLD;
12. Is there anything good about the release of hundreds of new extensions?
13. The domain Home.nyc was registered for $30 because of a glitch;
14. Silicon NYC kickoff features .NYC domain names;
15. 50+ businesses dumped their .com for a new domain - or did they?
16. Reminder (.BRANDs): Specification 13 granted;
17. How Companies like Amazon, eBay, Porsche and GoDadddy are using some of their new gTLDs;
18. .CLOUD has a TV commercial on CNN, too.

* I wonder if someone will consider applying for the ".TRADEMARK" new gTLD in the second round of the ICANN new gTLD program.

Previous Campaigns can be viewed here.

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

".com" domainers hate new gTLDs ;-)

I read a lot of "bla, bla" about new gTLDs and found this post on Facebook from @stahura (founder of Donuts). I admit that I don't read long posts but I see good examples of new domain names in this one. I went down the post to read some comments.

Something made me smile reading the comments. You've probably read - at least once - a domainer criticizing new gTLDs "because they will never work", "because .com domains are better", "because they are confusing"... I noticed that these comments often come from domainers and the only reason I see in these critics is that new gTLDs decrease the value of .com domain names (but this is just a personal opinion). The reason why I smile reading the comment from one of these domainers is the examples given why new gTLDs will fail:

"how many of these are scams? how many will be in business in a few years? how many are too confusing for customers? how many actually are adding value to the corresponding .com domain? what percentage of the live domains registered does this represent?"

All of the examples used concern more ".com" domain names rather than new domains:

1. "how many of these are scams?": due to the important volume of ".com" domain names registered, there are certainly much but much more ".com" scams than with new domain names.
2. "how many will be in business in a few years?": how many businesses using a ".com" fail everyday? Less than with new gTLDs? I seriously doubt it.
3. "how many are too confusing for customers?" : confusing because they are more descriptive? That cannot be true: new domain names offer something that ".com" will never be able to offer: precision.
4. "how many actually are adding value to the corresponding .com domain?". Here we are. Why would a new domain name have to add value to a ".com"? Because this would increase its price value? I bought a new domain name and now redirect the ".com" to it. New gTLDs are not just about domaining (selling domain names), some very serious companies use them for business.
5. "what percentage of the live domains registered does this represent?" (I didn't catch that one).

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs with a French sounding;
  (a certain number of TLDs were just removed from this list)
• New gTLDs related to CITIES;
  (does not often happen: see the .LONDON new gTLD)
• New gTLDs related to CATERING;
• New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY.
  (domains ending in ".cam" are launching)

Tonight's Newsletter:
To subscribe and receive the latest NEWS in your email, click here.

In last Thursday's Newsletter:

1. Majority of new gTLDs still aren’t generating enough revenue;
2. HOT - Could ICANN reject Verisign’s $135m .web bid?
3. The micro story about .手机 (mobile phone) in China;
4. FRENCH - Le .CLUB : les chiffres sont là;
5. HOT - .BRANDs and SEO;
6. Rightside® Opens .GAMES Domain for Gamers;
7. New TLD? Make Sure It's Secure;
8. COOL - Serious new gTLD communication;
9. The .cancerresearch TLD: Search for Cure Drives Digital Innovation;
10. .Kiwi turns to new CIRA platform for registry services;
11. People are forgetting .com exists — ICANN survey;
12. New consultancy firm focusing on gTLD registry needs;
13. .Games and .Shopping hit registrars this week;
14. Minds + Machines Group Earns corporate Rating from N+1 Singer (MMX);
15. .NYC to auction top domains on NameJet;
16. How to get into the Trademark Clearinghouse club;
17. Just delegated: the .FIDO & .ROGERS new gTLDs;
18. What’s Propelling Minds + Machines Group Ltd to Increase So Much?
19. SURPRISE COMING - Blizzard Doing Away With Battle.net Name.

Previous Campaigns can be viewed here.

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

Hot today: .VOTE & .GAMES new gTLDs

.GAMES
Gamers seem to have noticed the launching of the .GAMES new gTLD. I checked domain name registration figures today and noticed that the Registry has already more than twice the number registrations than the singular version of the extension: the .GAME new gTLD. The price difference probably explains this.

.VOTE
There is an advertising campaign that has just launched to encourage American voters "to do their duty". The Iron Man is on front page and I am confident that such initiatives will help new gTLDs grow faster. I believe it is important to add that "vote" is a French word too and I would appreciate if someone could pass the word to @axellelemaire. The campaign: http://savetheday.vote/

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs related to SPORT (updated yesterday);
• New gTLDs related to ALCOHOL (updated yesterday);
• New gTLDs related to REAL ESTATE (updated yesterday);
• SINGULAR vs PLURAL new gTLDs;
• FRENCH new gTLD applications;
• New gTLDs related to RELIGION.

Tonight's LONG Newsletter:
To subscribe and receive the latest NEWS in your email, click here.

In Tuesday's Newsletter:

1. HOT - MMX reports earnings, big investment from China;
2. Just announced: .网站 (web) Sunrise Period;
3. Stats - New gTLDs growing faster than .com;
4. Fund has acquired 700,000 shares of RightSide;
5. DOMAINfest Kicks Off in Hong Kong!
6. Uniregistry to release 10 million domains;
7. Chinese investor pumps $7 million into M+M as .vip pushes firm into profit;
8. French: Et ton .ALSACE il marche comment dans Google?
9. A gaming community dedicated to equality and opportunity (www.jeu.video);
10. Minds + Machines upbeat as it plans £13mln offer to shareholders

Previous Campaigns can be viewed here.

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements