Hundreds of New Extensions coming your way
February 9, 2014
Let your Brand make a statement with new, specialized extensions!
With a host of new gTLDs launching soon, you will be able to define and communicate your Brand better. Be it Sports, Technology, Business or Lifestyle, the internet now offers targeted extensions in every category.
Q. Why are there so many new TLDs?
Finding a domain name that properly represents your online identity is very difficult today. However, with a wide variety of top level domain extensions soon becoming available, you no longer have to rely on an ambiguous domain name for your online presence. Consider joes.design instead of joeswebdesignservices.net, or miami.rentals instead of miamipropertyrentals.com.
Q. When will these new TLDs be available?
As of October 2013, several TLDs have signed contracts with ICANN and others will follow over the coming months. The first new gTLDs should start becoming available by November 2013, and you can expect multiple gTLDs launching every week over the next several months.
Q. What will be the different registration phases or periods for these gTLDs?
When a new gTLD launches, there will be a Sunrise period (minimum of 30 days) for trademark holders to register their domain names. Post the Sunrise phase will be the Landrush period, where generic names (think names like car, money, sports) are made available at a premium price. After the Landrush phase concludes, general availability will begin, where any domain name not already taken up in the previous phases can be registered.
Q. How do I know when a particular gTLD is open for registration?
The exact launch timeline for each new gTLD is still uncertain, which is why we recommend you place your pre-orders right away. We will keep track of the launch plan for every new gTLD, and let you know as soon as the domain of your choice is ready to be registered!
Q. What will the domain names cost?
Each gTLD will be managed by a registry operator, who will decide the price of domain names. This prices are not certain right now, and will depend on various factors like the phase of registration (sunrise, landrush or general availability) and whether the operator designates a domain name to be premium status and prices it accordingly. To make things easy, you can pre-order your new gTLD domain name right now, for free! Once the pricing structure has been finalized by the respective registry, we shall let you know the cost of registering your domain name.
Q. I have a trademark for a particular term/word/phrase. How can I ensure I get the domain name with that term?
ICANN has introduced a Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) to simplify domain registration for trademark holders. If you have a trademark for a particular term, we recommend you have it registered with the TMCH. Once you do this, you will be issued a unique document called an SMD (Signed Mark Data) file, which will enable you to register your trademark name with any of the new gTLDs. You can learn more about this on the TMCH website – http://trademark-clearinghouse.com
Q. If I pre-order a new gTLD domain name, will I get it for sure?
Pre-ordering a domain name does NOT guarantee that you will be able to register it. Depending on registry policies, the domain name may or may not be made available for registration. Also, if the same domain name is requested by multiple customers, the name may be subject to an auction. Pre-ordering a domain name ensures that we are aware of your interest in the domain name, and you can relax while we track its availability for you!
