And…we’re off! First new gTLD strings are delegated into the internet’s root zone
History has been made! On 23 October 2013, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) announced the first new gTLDs to be delegated into the internet’s “root zone”.
Akram Atallah, president of ICANN’s Generic Domains Division, proclaimed “It’s happening – the biggest change to the internet since its inception. In the weeks and months ahead, we will see new domain names coming online from all corners of the world, bringing people, communities and businesses together in ways we never imagined. It’s this type of innovation that will continue to drive our global society.”
This shakeup to the internet’s naming system is set to create opportunities to enhance competition and innovation on the web, through transforming how information is circulated, marketed and discovered online. VeriSign’s .com space is incredibly crowded, with many startups coining new words to name their company, just so they can acquire affordable .com real estate (e.g. Reddit, Spotify, Tumblr). These new gTLD extensions will transform the increasingly cramped domain name space, offering more variety and choice to all internet users.
The first delegated strings are:
You might notice that they are written in languages that do not use the Latin alphabet. That’s because ICANN decided to put Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) first, to make the internet more global. Before today, aside from a few ccTLDs, IDNs could only be registered at the second level.
Now that the strings are online, it is up to the associated registries to sign up ICANN 2013-compliant registrars, coordinate PR and marketing efforts, publish their Sunrise Policy and issue their 30-day Sunrise Notice Period. In other words, this is a big milestone, but there is much work to be done before consumers start using domain names in these new pieces of internet real estate. That’s not likely to happen until the beginning of 2014.
How will ICANN handle 1,400 more new gTLDs coming online over the next few years? If reported alleged early violations are anything to go by, they will be completely overwhelmed.
How will trademark owners handle 1,400 new gTLDs coming online in the next few years? With trepidation and consternation. While they are given a chance to register their brands before infringers, it comes at a cost. Nevan Chellan, Com Laude’s Special Projects Manager for these trademark Sunrise periods, reports that “it’s still early days for brand awareness, but we are seeing an uptick in monitoring activity.”
How will the public react? Many have said that we don’t need these new gTLDs. We didn’t need our Kindle or camera phone a few years ago either. Now, they’re virtually irreplaceable.
Akram Atallah, president of ICANN’s Generic Domains Division, proclaimed “It’s happening – the biggest change to the internet since its inception. In the weeks and months ahead, we will see new domain names coming online from all corners of the world, bringing people, communities and businesses together in ways we never imagined. It’s this type of innovation that will continue to drive our global society.”
This shakeup to the internet’s naming system is set to create opportunities to enhance competition and innovation on the web, through transforming how information is circulated, marketed and discovered online. VeriSign’s .com space is incredibly crowded, with many startups coining new words to name their company, just so they can acquire affordable .com real estate (e.g. Reddit, Spotify, Tumblr). These new gTLD extensions will transform the increasingly cramped domain name space, offering more variety and choice to all internet users.
The first delegated strings are:
You might notice that they are written in languages that do not use the Latin alphabet. That’s because ICANN decided to put Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) first, to make the internet more global. Before today, aside from a few ccTLDs, IDNs could only be registered at the second level.
Now that the strings are online, it is up to the associated registries to sign up ICANN 2013-compliant registrars, coordinate PR and marketing efforts, publish their Sunrise Policy and issue their 30-day Sunrise Notice Period. In other words, this is a big milestone, but there is much work to be done before consumers start using domain names in these new pieces of internet real estate. That’s not likely to happen until the beginning of 2014.
How will ICANN handle 1,400 more new gTLDs coming online over the next few years? If reported alleged early violations are anything to go by, they will be completely overwhelmed.
How will trademark owners handle 1,400 new gTLDs coming online in the next few years? With trepidation and consternation. While they are given a chance to register their brands before infringers, it comes at a cost. Nevan Chellan, Com Laude’s Special Projects Manager for these trademark Sunrise periods, reports that “it’s still early days for brand awareness, but we are seeing an uptick in monitoring activity.”
How will the public react? Many have said that we don’t need these new gTLDs. We didn’t need our Kindle or camera phone a few years ago either. Now, they’re virtually irreplaceable.
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.
