.UK – Second-level domains launched today – 10th June 2014

It is now possible to register .UK second-level domain names that do not have an equivalent name already registered as a .CO.UK or a .ORG.UK on a first-come, first served basis.

Holders of existing third-level .UK domains (.CO.UK, .ORG.UK, etc.) registered before 08:00hrs on 10 June 2014 will be offered the second-level equivalent of their current domain and will be given five years to decide whether they want to use it in addition to, or instead of their existing third-level domain.

The registration rules for second-level .UK domains will be essentially the same as for existing .CO.UK and .ORG.UK domains, with the following two exceptions:
• An address for service in the UK will be required for overseas registrants (which Com Laude can provide); and
• PO Boxes will not be allowed in the address.

Pricing for new domains will be GBP 3.50 per year for single year registrations and GBP 2.50 per year for multi-year registrations. Com Laude fees are additional and VAT will be added where applicable.

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.

What can we learn from new gTLD registrant take up so far? 

Its early days for the new gTLDs. Can we learn anything from registrant take up yet? At the start of March 2014, the total number of registrations across over 130 new gTLDs was over 200,000, says Matthew Zook of Zooknic, which provides data and analysis for the domain name industry.  

The new gTLD, .GURU has attracted more than 40,000 registrations, .PHOTOGRAPHY 20,000, .TODAY and .TIPS 13,000 each. Five other registries have between 2,500 and 7,500 and the rest a meagre 1,000 or so. To have 200,000 registrations in the first quarter of the first year of the new gTLD program is hardly a tsunami when, for example, Nominet is registering over 105,000 .UK domains a month. Is this slow, low take up due to a lack of public interest or confusion at change of this magnitude? Is it because of poor marketing by registries and registrars or caution by rights owners that have the opportunity of priority registration in a Sunrise? Perhaps it is a combination of all these reasons – the natural consequence of a complex roll-out process.

The most keenly anticipated strings – .ART, .APP, .BLOG, .CLOUD, .MOVIE, .MUSIC, .SHOP – will not launch until much later this year when contention between the multiple applicants has been resolved. Some of these new gTLDs may capture the public’s imagination. Otherwise, we don’t expect to see any significant wave of registrations, other than in the geo-TLDs. The .LONDON new gTLD promises to be huge when it launches on 29 April. Meanwhile, if its innovation you want, you’ll have to wait for some of the “open restricted” and “.brand” registries to launch. What we have at the moment is what we’ve had for the past decade: registrations being sold to enhance online communication (and in the case of defensive registrations: registry coffers).

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.