Jean Guillon

Another Top-Level Domain name is acquired: let's take a snapshot of its number of domain names registered and check if they increase in six months from now.

Two reports were added to the monthly new gTLD reports published by Jovenet Consulting: COMMUNITY and GEOGRAPHIC applications.

What are the different ways to create a new domain name extension and what are the new and innovative methods to approach the second round of ICANN new gTLDs.

Almost everyone that has been working in the domain name industry for a while has a story about .TEL. It was introduced in 2005 and went live in 2009 with a flurry of publicity. It was a grand concept aiming to revolutionize the way in which people keep in touch. Unlike traditional domain names, the purpose of a .TEL domain name is to help manage and exchange contact information about people and corporate entities.

New domain names are now on the market and you start to realize that you may have missed the train by not submitting your own new gTLD application. So why not get your part of the cake and consider applying for your own new Top-Level Domain in the second Round of the ICANN new gTLD program? Why not become a "Registry" and sell domain names… to the world?

A good domain name can be difficult to find… in particular when the domain name extension is highly demanded. It is what is happening with the .CLUB new gTLD. Should your Registrar tell you that the desired domain name is not available, it is not necessarily true.

Several applicants applied fot the .ART new generic Top-Level Domains: 10 of them. Every single of them paid $185 000 to submit an application; it had to be prepared and that is even more costly as you have to include paying your employees, and the fees dealing with specialists to answer specific questions of the application (financial, legal, technical), etc…

While I was running in Paris, I wondered if there would be a TLD for runners like me… and guess what… there are 2 applications for .RUN and they are in contention:
1) First one is from dot Run Limited (Famous Four Media);
2) The other one is from Snow Park, LLC (Donuts).

Les nouvelles extensions Internet ne sont plus à présenter, pourtant, on peut se demander quelles sont les véritables vocations de certaines d’entre-elles. Cela étant dit, est-il utile de se poser la question lorsque l’on n’est pas concerné par une extension dans une langue particulière ou par une extension qui ne nous représente pas ?

The Buzz seems to be about Google Domains at the moment: Google is launching as a Registrar and will soon offer plenty of fantastic things to do with domain names. But… is there anything new with Google Domains?

Un cumul de bourdes
La France, par ses interventions diverses et ses erreurs de communication a du mal à se faire entendre et ce cumul de bourdes ne porte pas son image au-devant de la scène Internet Internationale...mais plutôt au rang des mauvais élèves turbulents qui n’ont pas compris l’énoncé de l’exercice.
En effet, on a pu lire que le .VIN allait “être mis aux enchères” au plus offrant or il n’y a qu’une seule candidature.
On a aussi pu lire un appel au boycott de ces noms de… Voir plus

Un cumul de bourdes
La France, par ses interventions diverses et ses erreurs de communication a du mal à se faire entendre et ce cumul de bourdes ne porte pas son image au-devant de la scène Internet Internationale...mais plutôt au rang des mauvais élèves turbulents qui n’ont pas compris l’énoncé de l’exercice.
En effet, on a pu lire que le .VIN allait “être mis aux enchères” au plus offrant or il n’y a qu’une seule candidature.
On a aussi pu lire un appel au boycott de ces noms de domaine: imaginons-nous un instant nos viticulteurs tourner le dos à ces noms de domaine au profit d’autres acheteurs potentiels ?
Nous avons aussi lu que “l’ICANN légalisait la contrefaçon” mais...les conseillers au .VIN de Axelle Lemaire savent-ils qu’une Indication Géographique peut être enregistrée dans la Trademark Clearinghouse ...mécanisme de protection prévu dans le programme des nouvelles extensions Internet ? Certes, il s’agit d’un piètre mécanisme mais qui permet néanmoins un recours en cas d’abus.
Bien entendu, devant le discours repris par tous, il est facile de taper sur les candidatures étrangères .WINE et .VIN. Il est aussi facile de taper sur “le méchant ICANN” à présent qu’il vient d’autoriser le suivi de la procédure. Mais qu’en est-il lorsqu’il s’agit de trouver des solutions ? S’adresser au “GAC” ? Voir moins

In a previous article entitled “Alternatives for .COM ? (Part 1)”, I made a selection of new domain name extensions that have a true potential, to replace the use Registrants have of the .com domain names they already use. To avoid confusion, the idea is not to kill .com, the idea is to suggest a domain name extension that offers what .com domain names actually do but improve it.

Les noms de domaine .GLOBAL pourraient bien s’imposer d’ici quelques années comme “le nouveau .com”: si tel était le cas, le coût modique de son renouvellement pendant les dix prochaines années devrait représenter peu par rapport à ce qu’il en coûtera si celui-ci est enregistré par un tiers.

Multiple new gTLD applicant Famous Four Media is having a very good week. "FFM", the name that they now use for the company to be acknowledged, is getting closer to an important period of its development: the General Availability, also known as "GA", for three of its domain name extension. Added to this, another announcement was made to make it known.

There are plenty of new domain names and if .COM never had any real identity or true meaning, it is quite possible that new gTLDs may bring new ideas to those who want to acquire a global identity without focusing on a country, a niche market, a specific industry, a community or just anything which does not cover "the world". I made a list of these new domain names with potential to replace .COM and I believe that the alternatives might be in the list down below.

For the purpose of this article it is not necessary to concentrate too much on defining what a Premium domain name is and what it is useful for: all that we need to know is simple, a premium domain name is often a memorable generic name, short or medium in length and highly valuable due to its relevance in search. However, when it comes to finding out how to register a premium domain name then it becomes much more difficult because you won't necessarily know where to go. I decided to focus on… Voir plus

For the purpose of this article it is not necessary to concentrate too much on defining what a Premium domain name is and what it is useful for: all that we need to know is simple, a premium domain name is often a memorable generic name, short or medium in length and highly valuable due to its relevance in search. However, when it comes to finding out how to register a premium domain name then it becomes much more difficult because you won't necessarily know where to go. I decided to focus on one Registry to demystify the premium names conundrum. Voir moins

There are updates in the domain name business that I have never been able to understand: one of them is called "vanity domain names". A vanity domain name is a domain that keeps on using the first and the second level domain, to form a keyword; the third level domain is sometimes used too. Good examples of these would be: webc.am or marmala.de, aud.it or del.icio.us.

Are international strings such as "club" and "rugby" the key to launch a successful TLD in Round 2 of the ICANN new gTLD program? Are "International TLDs" the key to a successful Registry?

Will .BRAND Top-Level Domains be made available for registration at Registrars like GoDaddy, just like second level domains are? My guess is that it will and here are the reasons why.

Les nouvelles extensions sont – il paraît – une opportunité de faire mieux face aux attaques de phishing, non pas côté “utilisateur”, mais du côté du “prestataire” lorsque celui-ci a acheté son extension. L’attaque contre Orange met le doigt – une fois encore – sur une attaque utilisant cette technique.

I still think there is space for .SCOUT and believe there can be an applicant in Round 2 for a Community project. I never told them but I think there's a person able to deal with it in the new gTLD space (in the Unites States of America), it is John Matson from Architelos. Just read the end of his résumé, you understand why.

There are many blogs about new gTLDs. Some are interesting, others are not. Some are about domaining in which new gTLDs are included, some are from Law Firms and rather repetitive about the necessity to protect a brand in the Trademark Clearinghouse and how URS is the best (billable) mechanism to protect the brand; some are truly about domain names and remain must-read; very few are about new gTLDs only.

Starting Dot ("SD") is a French new gTLD applicant which applied for five strings: .ARCHI, .BIO, .DESIGN, (which has been withdrawn) .IMMO and .SKI. It is the only French applicant to have applied for several open new gTLDs. Some French brands have applied too but as closed Top-Level Domains.

J’ai hésité à plusieurs reprises avant de choisir le titre de cet article. J’hésitais entre celui indiqué ci-dessus (plus Corporate) et les deux ci-après: “Nouveaux gTLDs: si j’étais un cybersquatteur...” et, “Nouveaux gTLDs: l’URS, le nouvel outil des cybersquatteurs”.

Rightside is a name you may only have heard of very recently. It is a relative newcomer in the new gTLD industry. It is important to note that there is a difference between "Rightside" and "Rightside Registry".

It is hardly surprising that whenever new gTLDs are mentioned in the media that Donuts are mentioned alongside due to shear number of applications that they have submitted. There are dozens of articles in the media mixing information and opinions about Donuts.

M+M is also the first new gTLD project to have been publicly traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange with offices in Dublin, London, Munich and Santa Monica in California. This gives advantages and disadvantages, easy access to funds if trading well but more rigorous reporting and transparency to the market.

This, the second in a series of articles looking at portfolio gTLD applicants, is focusing on Uniregistry. At the moment, the Uniregistry press machine is buzzing, like an angry bee, about two of the 50 TLDs in its portfolio: you may have read about .TATTOO and .SEXY.

This article is the personal analysis by a new gTLD consultant who has been following the ICANN new gTLD program from the beginning but with a Frenchman's perspective.

In 2003, the .AERO, .BIZ, .COOP, .INFO and .NAME Registries were just born. The . .MUSEUM Top-Level Domain was born that very year and .ASIA, .CAT, .JOBS, .MOBI, .PRO, .TEL and .TRAVEL did not exist yet. However, .EU was on its way. Although this particular TLD was a country code Top-Level Domain targeted at the European Union, it was awaited for by many brands in its Sunrise Period.

La Communauté scientifique n’a qu’à bien se tenir car elle se verra prochainement offrir un “univers” pour communiquer sur Internet: des noms de domaine qui se terminent en .SCIENCE.

Most users who already use websites have heard about domain names and they know what they are. Although .COM domains are already very popular, they are no longer as appealing as they once were, because they don't mean anything as such and all of the cool, short names have long since been registered. In 2014, this will change with the emerging new domain names. I like to think that it is possible that, with the increased communications that exists around new gTLD and the fact that many of these… Voir plus

Most users who already use websites have heard about domain names and they know what they are. Although .COM domains are already very popular, they are no longer as appealing as they once were, because they don't mean anything as such and all of the cool, short names have long since been registered. In 2014, this will change with the emerging new domain names. I like to think that it is possible that, with the increased communications that exists around new gTLD and the fact that many of these new domain names actually mean something, people will start paying more attention. For example, I like the idea of a www.discovery.science , but I doubt I will ever click on a discoveryscience.com. Voir moins

L’extension .VOYAGE fait partie des premières extensions francophones à voir le jour. Cette nouvelle extension pourrait connaître un intérêt conséquent pour les agences de voyages françaises (suisses, belges et canadiennes) ainsi que toute l’activité touristique qui gravite autour.

Clarity is the key, if the user wants to get online content and applications, what web address will he click on? Simple ... something with the term download in it — preferably at the end!

Everybody agrees, all .WINE applicants want to find where the buck is going to stop, as far as the strange stalemate we have been in for so many months. Situation? "What situation?" I hear you asking.

On the list are hundreds of domain name suffixes to be launched, I wonder if those who already use a domain name and who already have a prominent online presence, will convert to them.

Many law firms and Intellectual Property departments in charge of managing brands and domain names for their customers or businesses must have had that same question: "how do I protect a brand online under the ICANN new gTLD program?"

Google, candidat à de multiples nouvelles extensions Internet, vient de lancer le site Internet de ses "Registres".

Last week, The New York Times website domain was hacked by "the Syrian Electronic Army". Other famous websites faced the same attack in 2012 by the Hacker group "UGNazi" and, in 2011 by Turkish hackers. Basically, it seems that no Registrar on the Internet is safe from attack, but the launching of new gTLDs can offer new ways to mitigate these attacks.

A Governance Council clearly brings added value and direction to a newly created TLD but it won't benefit stakeholders alone. In my opinion a Governance Council is also a "must have" for all sectorized Registry Operators.

Les Conseils de Gouvernance réunissent les intéressés qui souhaitent participer au développement de nouveaux Registres. Ils représentent un avantage certain pour les utilisateurs, mais pas seulement...

L’ICANN, instigateur du programme des nouvelles extension Internet, vient de publier une étrange décision. Alors qu’il va devenir de plus en plus difficile et couteux de protéger ses marques dans le programme des nouvelles extensions, l’ICANN vient d’autoriser les lancements d’extensions similaires au singulier “et” au pluriel.

There are fascinating ideas about how, when and more than everything: who is going to earn money from gTLDs?

I think back-end registry providers will earn money, some applicants will earn money too but my experience launching Eurid, the registry for .EU, reminded me one thing: these days, just before launching, until the (first) Sunrise period is launched. These days are special because the entire team is prepared, has been trained, and knows what to do.

So why were these days… Voir plus

There are fascinating ideas about how, when and more than everything: who is going to earn money from gTLDs?

I think back-end registry providers will earn money, some applicants will earn money too but my experience launching Eurid, the registry for .EU, reminded me one thing: these days, just before launching, until the (first) Sunrise period is launched. These days are special because the entire team is prepared, has been trained, and knows what to do.

So why were these days special and what does it have to do with earning money?
Well… it is very simple but I will let you guess a little more… Voir moins

There are 2 reasons why Donuts, applicant for more than 300 Top-Level Domains, should become the official Registry for wine applications.

This article is a copy of a letter sent today, 3 of April 2013, to the attention of Mr Fadi Chehadé, CEO of ICANN and other members of the ICANN board. Protecting wine Geographical Indications in the new gTLD program is a problem. This letter is also an article providing hints for the protection of Wine Geographical Indications in the ICANN new gTLD program.

This is a letter sent from the European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW) to the courteous attention of Dr Steve Crocker, Chair of the ICANN Board , Mr Cherine Chalaby, Chair of the new gTLD Program Committee Board, Mr Fadi Chehadé, CEO of ICANN and Mr Akram Atallah, COO of ICANN.

The SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture (source Wikipedia).

The SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture (source Wikipedia).

The SWOT analysis (alternatively SWOT Matrix) is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture (source Wikipedia).

Deux extensions Internet .VIN et .WINE seront bientôt lancées. Le ministère français de l'agriculture a déposé une "Early Warning" pour indiquer son désaccord quant au manque de protection proposé par le candidat au .VIN dans le cadre de la protection des Indications Géographiques (IGs). Celui-ci rendra sa réponse prochainement.

There are 4 applications related to the wine business in the new gTLD program. Yesterday the new gTLD prioritization draw took place where each application was assigned a randomly-drawn priority number. These priority numbers are used to determine the order in which initial evaluation results are released.

26 October 2012: Big news! The official website of the ICANN Independent Objector is now online. Another piece of good news announced at the same time is that the site will also offer a French version, which was under construction at the time. More than a month later, the French version is still under construction. Do we have to wait for eternity?

26 octobre 2012 : Grande nouvelle ! Le site officiel de l’Independent Objector (Objecteur Indépendant) de l’ICANN est en ligne… Annoncée depuis plusieurs semaines, la version française du site se fait attendre.

I have had the question recently with several new gTLD applicants.
I think this is a good subject for applicants with the intention to sell domain names AND who are alone to apply for their string.

When can I register a new domain name from the ICANN new gTLD program?

We keep talking about new gTLDs but, what about those generic Top-Level Domains which already exist and which no one talks about anymore?

Si la majorité des extensions génériques sont des mots anglais, un certain nombre d’entre elles sont aussi utilisées en Français. Une minorité d’entre elles sont des mots français et représentent néanmoins un intérêt pour les internautes.

Many of us have noticed there will soon be a new CEO at ICANN. Actual CEO Rod Beckstrom will be thanked and everyone will congratulate each other...(in English :-).
OK, done… But what is really going to happen in Prague?

Le .PHYSIO, annoncé ce jour même, souhaite représenter la communauté de la physiothérapie en proposant des noms de domaine qui se termineront en .physio. Par exemple: www.internet.physio.

Bientôt, les sociétés candidates à l'exploitation de leur marque en tant qu’extension Internet, débuteront le processus de validation de l’ICANN. Les huit prochains mois – plus en cas de contestation - permettront donc de continuer à se préparer au lancement de son .MARQUE.

I strongly believe there is a serious "breach" in the Applicant Guidebook: I checked the scoring, I checked the possible objections, I am aware of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) early warning but I really could not find ...

Qui sont donc ces candidats qui ne veulent pas gagner de l’argent grâce à leur nouvelle extension Internet et à qui il est proposé de ne pas en dépenser pour la créer ?

Most new gTLD applicant do not necessarily want to earn money from their domain name extension!
.BRANDS, for example, will be using their domain names for themselves and they will not earn money from the sale of domain names.

While exploring the UNESCO's interactive atlas of the world's languages in danger, I am happy to see that new generic Top-Level Domains could help save some of these languages.

I once wrote about about the legal right objections on Guillon.info and with all these new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) announcements, I find it interesting to check if an application could be blocked by paragraph 3.2.2.2 of the latest Draft Applicant Guidebook.

Yesterday, taking a look at the "Legal Rights Objection" (3.1.2.2) I read : "An intergovernmental organization (IGO) is eligible to file a legal rights objection if it meets the criteria for registration of a .INT domain name".

This article is a feedback on the sensitive .WINE dotVinum project which aims to create an extension for the wine community on Internet.

L'Icann a créé un programme pour des nouvelles extensions Internet dont les experts n'appartiennent pas à l'Icann ! A présent, ils se sont rapprochés et dictent les règles.