Weekly Launch Guide October 9, 2023

SPOTLIGHT

.TR Top Level Launch

The Turkish Registry, TRABİS , has launched the top level .TR in a three categories Grandfathering phase followed by General Availability.

• Category 1: Grandfather rights to owners of equivalent gov.tr, edu.tr, tsk.tr, bel.tr, pol.tr, k12.tr domain names.
  Launch date: 14 September 2023

• Category 2:  Grandfather rights to owners of equivalent org.tr. Applications will be documents based.
  Launch date: Mid-November 2023 (exact date TBC)

• Category 3: Grandfather rights to owners of equivalent of kep.tr, av.tr, dr.tr, com.tr, org.tr that do not meet the conditions of Category 2, net.tr, biz.tr, info.tr, tv.tr, gen.tr, web.tr, tel.tr, name.tr, and bbs.tr.
  Launch date: Mid-February 2024 (exact date TBC)

• General Availability: First Come, First Served.
  Launch date: Mid-June 2024 (exact date TBC)

Turkey is one of the fasted growing economies with a population nearly 85 million and are attracting investors from all over the world. Unfortunately .TR has been a popular TLD used for cybercrimes and with no formal dispute process in place it makes these extensions’ threat profile greater than ever.

We strongly recommend registering under .TR during the Grandfather phase to ensure brand rights are protected. Please reach out to your Client Server Partner if you have any questions.

Extensions Now Offered

The below extensions are now available for Registration:

Maldives – .MV & .COM.MV

Afghanistan – .AF & .COM.AF

IDNs for COM.PY

The Registry is starting to allow the registration of IDN’s to their com.py extension. Until January 24, 2024 only those with equivalent non-IDN com.py domains will be eligible to apply for the IDN version (example: owner of senor.com.py would qualify for señor.com.py). Starting January 24, 2024 the Registry will open it up to all qualifying Registrants.

.AU Contention Names

In September 2022 the top level .au Launch concluded and as a result there are still applications remaining in contention. Domain names have gone into contention as a result of the priority allocation process where multiple applicants requesting to register the same domain. All priority applications renew automatically on an annual basis and on September 20 2023, open contentions have been renewed for another period. Please note that if a domain name used for the .au registration is deleted or one of the sides withdraws their application, the top level domain name will be automatically awarded to the remaining party. If you have any questions about domains in contention or would like to register your domains in the AU space, please reach out to your Customer Service Representative.

Premium Kenyan (.KE) Domains Auction

The Kenyan Registry has announced that it will be selling premium .KE domains in an Auction process starting October 2, 2023. Premium 1, 2 & 3 character domain as well as some generic terms and numeric domain strings will be sold in two options.

•             Buy Now – sold on a first come, first served basis at a designated premium fee

•             Bid Option – Premium & Gold domains will be auctioned to the highest bidder with the minimum bid defined by the registry

The auction platform will run until November 3, 2023. Please reach out to your Customer Service Partner if you are interested in participating in the auction and reviewing the full list of domains and categories. The list of names sold in auction will is also available on the registry site.

.BOX Block Mechanism

The Intercap registry announced the launch of their new TLD .box. The .box TLD, originates from a project named My.Box and will be a blockchain-based internet name that will allow domains to be used for both crypto and internet services, such as email. The .box is Ethereum Name Service-enabled, meaning the registration to obtain or transfer a .box domain will be via the Ethereum blockchain. The .box naming system operates similarly to other blockchain TLDs. The main difference is that while blockchain TLDS do not use the traditional web DNS, .box domains will be accessible through the ENS and web browsers. With the new .box domains, users can assess their blockchain addresses on web browsers.

Due to the blockchain native format the registry requires a unique security and technology standard for registrar and registrants using proprietary blockchain technology. To register a .box there are no restrictions, however a crypto wallet and payment in crypto currency is required. Whilst this may not have broad appeal it could be used by those active in the blockchain environment. We recommend discussing any possible risks with your security team.

CSC is offering our customer the ability to block their brand strings under .box for defensive purposes. Please reach out to your Strategic Account Manager or Customer Service partner if you are interested in blocking your brands under this TLD.

.AI You Ready?

The .AI ccTLD, delegated to the island of Anguilla, is becoming more commonly associated with artificial intelligence and technology-related industries. Google recently announced that .AI will be treated as a generic TLD recognizing its significance to brands in the AI industry. Therefore, it may be a good fit for businesses or individuals that develop AI software, provide AI-related services, or conduct research in the field of AI. There has been a significant amount of media coverage recently about the potential use of AI for fraud in the future. Please reach out to your Client Service Partner if you have interest in this extension.

.MY Relaxes registration rules

The Malaysian Registry (MYNIC) has announced that they are removing restrictions on their top-level extension .MY. A local, Malaysian presence will no longer be required to register under this extension. This change means that anyone can register a .MY domain on a first-come, first-served basis. Second level extensions like .com.my will continue to be limited to Malaysian entities. If you are interested securing a domain in the top level .MY,  please contact your Client Service Partner.