The rising popularity of the .tk (Tokelau) ccTLD 

Reading CENTR’s excellent May report into domain name statistics, I see that the total number of registrations across all Top Level Domains now stands at just over 258 million; 56% are gTLDs such as .com and 44% are ccTLDs. The largest ccTLD operator is no longer Germany or China or even the UK, but the tiny island of Tokelau (.tk). As we all know, this is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean consisting of three atolls with a combined land area of 10 km².

With nearly 17 million domains, the popularity of .tk has been fuelled through a unique business model. Anyone can register a .tk domain for free, renewable at the end of the year. However the owner of all free .tk domains is the registry. If you want to own the domain, appear in the whois or register for a longer period than a year, you must pay. Pricing is from $6.95 per year with a minimum two year registration period; although domains containing one, two or three characters or those with branded, generic or common words are considered premium and are priced higher. As a result, one sixth of the Tokelau economy consists of income from .tk domain names.

There does not seem to be any significant threat to brand owners posed by .tk domains. The registry has adopted the UDRP and there have been under a dozen complaints in seven years. We have not yet seen any major brand owners running an important site under a .tk domain but that day might yet come.

It is a remarkable achievement for the tiny .tk territory to command such strong popularity that it ranks second only to gTLD .com in terms of the volumes of domains registered, standing head and shoulders above all other ccTLD registries. I await their entry into the world of internet governance with a smile.

Com Laude offers corporate domain name management and online trademark protection for corporations worldwide. In addition, Com Laude offers the advice brand owners need in order to formulate a sharp strategy with regard to domain name registration in all the new gTLDs at the second level.