Analysis Of NewgTLDs

KETCHUP

Why pick this?Because it pushes the boundaries of commonsenseWho applied for it?HeinzWhat will it be used for?Dot-ketchup will be a “trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive namespace for consumers to access content related to Heinz Tomato Ketchup worldwide.”So what? We can see many wonderful and innovative uses for new top-level domains but, forgive us, we really think that a single ‘ketchup.com’ would probably do on the topic of ketchup. Do you really need a fundamental piece of Internet infrastructure to cover the vagaries of tomato sauce? (No, you don’t.) What does it tell us about new gTLDs? That some companies felt compelled to protect their leading brands, even when it made little sense to do so. This should be a prime candidate for Heinz to drop now that they know no one else applied for it, and recoup $130,000.Anything else?Did you know that Heinz Tomato Ketchup was first sold in 1876 and now sells 650 million bottles as well as 13 billion single-serve packets a year! However, it was the Chinese that started it back in the 1690s when they mixed pickled fish and spices and called the result “ke-chiap”.

INC

Why pick this?Because it is one of the most highly contested applications and highlights a trend.Who applied for it?Eleven companies in total.What will it be used for?For incorporated companies to register their name in a clearly defined space online.So what?Not only was dot-inc the second most-contested name among applications, but a top-level domain to denote a type of business was the single most popular category of application. As well as 11 applications for dot-inc, there are: nine for dot-LLC; seven for dot-Ltd; six for dot-corp; six for dot-GmbH; four for dot-LLP; three for dot-Sarl; two for fot-SRL; and two for dot-SAS.What does it tell us about new gTLDs?Dot-inc is a clear example of the pent-up demand that there was for new Internet extensions. People - and companies in particular - need an uncluttered space online. The extension is also clearly defined by its name alone - a new trend with new gTLDs. Anything else?There are over 29 million registered businesses in the United States alone. With many companies having a separate, often unwieldy, domain name for their corporate arm, and with databases of companies kept meticulously by governments and provided at little or no cost, this is clearly a very profitable concept if whoever wins (it will almost certainly go to an auction) gets it right.

SEARCH

Why pick this?Because it is at the heart of a brewing row over control of generic namesWho applied for it?Google, Amazon and two others.What will it be used for?To search for information online - something that is in such need that it has made Google one of the biggest companies in the world.So what?Dot-search is a good example of what has most upset people about the new gTLD results: companies looking to control a generic namespace. Both Amazon and Google have said they intend to keep all dot-search names to themselves if they get it. That worries many in the Internet community who feel that generic names should be open to everyone.What does it tell us about new gTLDs?It tells us more about the process used to arrive at the rules for new gTLDs. Despite years of debate, it doesn’t appear to have occurred to anyone that a company may apply for a generic name and then seek to control it rather than make domain names freely unavailable underneath it. It also raises the possibility of a “walled Internet”.Anything else?Among the other generic names that people are concerned will be controlled by large companies for their exclusive use are dot-app, dot-book, dot-game, dot-mail, dot-news and dot-shop.

SWISS

Why pick this? Because it pitches a government against a company and tests the rules.Who applied for it?Swiss Airlines and the Swiss government.What will it be used for?In the first case for Swiss airline exclusive use; in the second what appears to be a country top-level domain similar to Switerland’s dot-ch TLD.So what?The balance between commercial interests, government concerns and the open, community nature of the Internet are all featured in this applications. Swiss Airlines has a clear trademark interest; on the other hand, the Swiss government has gone for a community application which means it could get priority. But will its claim to be a community hold up? Interesting that the Swiss government did not apply for it as a geographic name.What does it tell us about new gTLDs?That the rules will be tested and there will be significant and legitimate interests on both sides (or multiple sides) in many conflicts. There will also be some politics - no one wants to tell a government they don’t have a right to a name frequently used to denote its country.Anything else?Due to the difficulty in getting a sufficient high score in the testing criteria, there were only 84 community applications, despite the priority given over other types of applications. The evaluation will be critical (for example, there is one dot-eco community bid but three others that want the extension). Some companies took an unnecessary risk by putting in a community application - Lamborghini and Audi would have got their names regardless.” 

  

VOLKSWAGEN

Why pick this?Because it shows the value of new gTLDs and highlights a trend.Who applied for it?Volkswagen.What will it be used for?Unusually for a brand application, the dot-volkswagen domain will be open to all comers, most likely in an effort to tap the zeal many Volkswagen drivers have for the company’s cars. So what?A huge number (34 percent) of applications were for company brands, most of them intended for the company’s exclusive use. Volkswagen’s application also highlights that the auto industry in particular has seen the value of having its own Internet extension: others car brands that have applied include Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Buick, Cadillac, Ferrari, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Honda, Kia, Lexus, Toyota and Volvo.What does it tell us about new gTLDs?That they have real value as a branding and marketing tool. Car companies in particular have seen the sense in having their own TLD because they operate so extensively through dealerships. Pulling a dealership under your name brand and perhaps even giving every dealership a consistent look-and-feel in their online presence is a huge branding advantage.Anything else?If you were ever in any doubt about the value of creating new domains, you need only look at the domain name that Volkswagen listed for its application: volkswagengroupamerica.com.

WTF Why pick this?Because it is just about the only application that could be viewed as objectionable.Who applied for it?Hidden Way aka DonutsWhat will it be used for?To provide “new avenues for expression on the Internet” particularly among those that are “interested in demonstrations of irony, skepticism, humor, and critique”So what?After hundreds of hours of discussions, and numerous rules and processes to ensure that there were no applications that caused “public morality” issues - the example of dot-nazi was frequently used - it would appear that the whole issue was largely moot. Of the 1,930 applications only four look remotely troublesome: dot-wtf is one. The other three are “sex”, “adult” and “porn” - all put in by the current owner of “xxx”. The applicant for dot-wtf avoids any mention of what it stands for.What does it tell us about new gTLDs?That there is room for new ways to seeing and using Internet extensions to reflect what people want to do online. In the same park as dot-wtf is dot-sucks (which has three applicants), but there are also many other examples of top-level domains that have a much more emotive or creative bent to them. There are two applicants for dot-lol. Other similar applications are in for dot-rocks and dot-feedback.Anything else?The application notes that “WTF is a pop-culture term” but that it is also an acronym for various other terms and references, and could be broadly applied in several languages. As far as we can see, the only other well known use of WTF is for the World Taekwondo Federation. There is no mention of taekwondo in the application.