Less than a month after the conclusion of the latest batch of new gTLD launches, it’s time for domain portfolio managers to prepare for four more:
.FAST, .TALK and .YOU are all operated by Amazon Registry and have the same launch dates: the Sunrise Period begins on August 26 and lasts until September 25. Only applicants that have registered their trademark with the Trademark Clearinghouse will be able to register domains in this period. Based on recent launches from Amazon, an Early Access Program will likely follow for these three gTLDs, during which any applicant can register domains, albeit at a higher price. General Availability should arrive in October, when it will be possible to register domains at the standard price on a first come, first served basis.
.MED is not a new gTLD launch in the traditional sense, but rather a re-launch of a domain name extension that had previously been possible to register only through a rigorous application process:
“The lone method of domain name allocation in the TLD will be by Request for Proposal (RFP) under guidelines, rules and criteria as set forth by the Advisory Board in its sole discretion. [1]
Starting September 2, .MED domains will become wholly unrestricted, with no application process and no need for the owner to have a demonstrable connection to the medical field.
In lieu of a traditional Sunrise Period, interested parties can submit pre-registration requests for .MED domains from now until August 31. Upon acceptance of the pre-registration request, a code will be provided to the registrar that can be used between September 2-15 to execute the registration. After September 15, the exclusive right to secure a pre-ordered domain expires and all undelegated domains become available on a first come, first served basis.
All four strings are words that routinely appear in company names and brands, so there is the possibility of meaningful “domain hacks”, by which a compound brand name is expressed on both sides of the dot, for example slim.fast (SlimFast nutritional supplements) or club.med (Club Med Resorts). Those are unique cases and a more generalized advice to portfolio managers would be to reflect on the brands in their portfolio to target meaningful defensive registrations:
.FAST – Does the brand advertise speed, either in terms of the performance of the product or in delivery time?
.MED – Is this a product or service that falls within the category of medicine? Pharmaceuticals are an obvious match, but this could also extend to non-prescription beauty products that promote some effect on the body. Or on a completely different note, tourism and transportation companies may be interested in .MED due to the string’s accepted usage as an abbreviation for “Mediterranean.”
.TALK – Is this a brand that offers telephone, chat or other communication services? Alternately, is this company widely spoken about on the Internet to the point where a “brandname.talk” domain would be a viable web address for a third-party website discussing the product or service?
.YOU – Has the brand used phrases like “brand name… and you” or “product… for you” in its marketing campaigns?
IP Twins account managers will be happy to advise on decisions regarding which defensive registrations suit a given client, or to simply receive registration requests for domains under these four TLDs that clients may wish to use for live websites.
Not yet an IP Twins client? Feel free to reach out to us on our contact form to learn more about these four upcoming gTLD launches or any other aspect of domain portfolio management.
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