Pre Register new TLD

smash

I was deciding which forum to post this question in and maybe this is the wrong one but anyway... Does anyone know how secure it is to pre-register a TLD? .app domains are due for release in Q3 2015 and there's a domain I want to get which is showing as available for pre-order through a lot of resellers. The question is though, is it worth pre-ordering a domain name and does it actually secure the name for you?

Graham

Unless you've a prior claim on the domain (e.g. a Trademark) pre-registration just puts you closer to the start of the queue.

You'll find most registrars specify in the small print that pre-registration doesn't guarantee you'll actually get the domain. In most instances some/all of your fee is refunded if you're unsuccessful.

New domains go through the following phases leading up-to launch:

Sunrise - trademark holders
Landrush - open to all and processed after trademark holders (€€€)
Early Access program (EAP) - Processed after sunrise/landrush. Operated like an auction in most instances.
Pre-registration - open to all on a first come first-served basis after landrush/EAP(€€)
General availability - normal day-to-day registrations, if it's available you can register it. Some TLDs reserve high-value domains at premium prices. (€)

No date is available for .app from what I can see. Some registrars allow you to pre-order free of charge.

smash

Graham wrote: »

No date is available for .app from what I can see, some registrars allow you to pre-order free of charge.

ICANN have a date of Q3 2015 for the pending application. I have a good few domain names already for different things, but I want to get the .app for some of the apps I have in development at the moment. Although no trademarks are associated with them, maybe I can get priority if the app is in the marketplace and a pre-registration is in place.

Graham

Landrush or EAP (if available) are your best bets but you will pay for the privilege. How much you pay will probably not be known until the dates are announced.

Having an app in the marketplace will make absolutely no difference at all.

Registering a trademark may help, especially if you'd like to register in the sunrise period. I've no idea how much that costs though.

My experience in other new GTLDs is availability is usually good, there's much less domain name speculation and the majority of people are unaware the new TLDs even exist.

mneylon

I'm not sure where you're reading about .app being available in Q3 2015. There were 13 applicants for the .app TLD and I suspect it's going to take quite a bit of time for them to resolve all the contention issues.

Pre-registration doesn't give you any guarantees.

EAP - that's only available via one or two registries - primarily Donuts. It's not "standard"

Having an "app" won't give you any priority for registration. You'd need to have a registered trademark and there's usually a cut off date for trademarks ie. the trademark would have to exist by a specific date

smash

Graham wrote: »

Registering a trademark may help, especially if you'd like to register in the sunrise period. I've no idea how much that costs though.

Initial registration: €70.00 per classification
Successful registration: €177.00
Renewal: €250 + €125 per additional classification

This only stands up in Ireland, I'm not sure how international trademarks work.

smash

Blacknight wrote: »

I'm not sure where you're reading about .app being available in Q3 2015. There were 13 applicants for the .app TLD and I suspect it's going to take quite a bit of time for them to resolve all the contention issues.

There's only 1 now in the ICANN registry
https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails/457

http://newgtlds.icann.org/sites/default/files/ier/x8ep5lu4l912ac607s90t34a/ie-1-1013-7451-en.pdf

Blacknight wrote: »

Pre-registration doesn't give you any guarantees.

EAP - that's only available via one or two registries - primarily Donuts. It's not "standard"

Having an "app" won't give you any priority for registration. You'd need to have a registered trademark and there's usually a cut off date for trademarks ie. the trademark would have to exist by a specific date

Yep, this is what I fear. There's too many companies buying up new TLD's for existing domains to then resell at a profit. I've been stung before and don't want to get stung again.

Graham

smash wrote: »

Initial registration: €70.00 per classification
Successful registration: €177.00
Renewal: €250 + €125 per additional classification

This only stands up in Ireland, I'm not sure how international trademarks work.

I don't think it matters where the TM is registered, it gets you entry to the Sunrise queue. It's worth mentioning the a Trademark is still no guarantee, others may have Trademarks that also entitle them to the same domain. It does put you ahead of most squatters though as they usually wouldn't have a Trademark.

You also have to add on whatever the cost of the Sunrise registration ends up being.

mneylon

smash wrote: »

There's only 1 now in the ICANN registry
https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails/457

No - there's still 13 - you're just seeing one of them
Go to: https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/viewstatus and do a search

smash

Blacknight wrote: »

No - there's still 13 - you're just seeing one of them
Go to: https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/viewstatus and do a search

Feck sake, it's been hanging around for years now.

mneylon

Graham wrote: »

I don't think it matters where the TM is registered, it gets you entry to the Sunrise queue. It's worth mentioning the a Trademark is still no guarantee, others may have Trademarks that also entitle them to the same domain. It does put you ahead of most squatters though as they usually wouldn't have a Trademark.

You also have to add on whatever the cost of the Sunrise registration ends up being.

All you need is a trademark
When the trademark was registered is all that matters

mneylon

smash wrote: »

Feck sake, it's been hanging around for years now.

It was the most popular string .. so it'll take time for the contention sets to be resolved..

Graham

Blacknight wrote: »

All you need is a trademark
When the trademark was registered is all that matters

Did that change?

End Date Sunrise
In this type of Sunrise, the Registry can announce the Sunrise as late as the day the Sunrise starts, but must run the Sunrise for 60 days or more. Trademark owners will have the duration of the Sunrise period to submit a claim for a domain. At the end of the period, all the claims are registered by the Registry and auctions are conducted if there is more than one claim for the same domain. This type of Sunrise has significant benefits for rights holders.

Start Date Sunrise
In this type of Sunrise, the Registry must give 30-days notice before commencing the Sunrise. Once the Sunrise starts, it must run for only 30 days or more. Claims by trademark owners are processed on a first-come-first-served basis, so there is no need for auctions and domains are registered as claims are made during the Sunrise period. This type of Sunrise has so far been very rare among New gTLD strings, and has benefits for Registries while causing concerns for rights holders.

Source: http://icannwiki.com/index.php/Sunrise_Period

Trademark Clearing House also appears to suggest auctions are an option.

mneylon

Graham wrote: »

Did that change?

Check the sunrise rules for each TLD and you'll see there's a cut off date for trademarks usually

Also each registry has a certain degree of latitude on how they handle various aspects of the sunrise / landrush / GA launch. So you're seeing all sorts of variations