Seven new gTLDs open to brand owners

The gTLD strings are .bike, .clothing, .guru, .plumbing, .holdings and .singles.

If brand owners want to reserve domains matching their trade marks during the sunrise period, they need to have validated their marks in the Trademark Clearinghouse and apply through an accredited registrar.

Being in the Clearinghouse will also enable them to take advantage of Donuts’s additional name-blocking service, which it calls the Domain Protected Marks List (DPML), as well as use the Trademark Claims service.

Donuts is likely to be the largest operator of new gTLDs, with some 200 strings once the programme is complete. It is launching sunrise periods for another seven strings on December 3.

It did not respond to enquiries from Managing IP regarding the wholesale price of domains during the sunrise period. However, some registrars are offering registrations, and prices are set at a one-off $80 plus $13 to $33 depending on the gTLD, plus registrar fees. Some premium domains will cost more.

Following the sunrise period, Donuts will hold a Dutch auction, with decreasing prices over seven days, before opening domains to everyone.

Donuts has so far accredited 35 registrars.

As of last week, there were some 17,000 trade marks validated in the Trademark Clearinghouse, though Managing IP understands that the number is increasing by about 1,000 a week.

The first new gTLD sunrise has already started. Dot-shabaka (شبكة.) launched at the end of October, with a wholesale price of $10. However it is only available to Arabic brands, of which there are only about 40 in the Clearinghouse, and it did not immediately have any registrars accredited. It is not therefore expected to get many registrations during the sunrise period.

Among other gTLDs expected to start sunrise periods soon are .club, . みんな, .sexy, .tattoo and .xyz.

More than 1000 new gTLDs are expected to be added to the existing 22 over the next two years.