Weekly Launch Guide April 30, 2018

SPOTLIGHT:

.APP Heads to General Availability

The Sunrise phase for .app ends on April 30, 2018. Interested applicants who did not qualify, or missed the deadline for submitting during the Sunrise Phase, can still take advantage of the seven day Early Access Program (EAP) that kicks off the General Availability phase. General Availability begins on May 1, 2018. Each day of EAP will include an additional Early Access Fee for priority registration during this period. The fee will change each day, the first day being the highest cost.
The .app TLD provides a secure namespace for application developers to host, promote, and showcase their products and services. Google added .app to the HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) preload list, which means that secure connections (SSL certificates) will be required for live sites. The use of HSTS requires registrants to take steps to configure HTTPS for their domains in order for them to work in all major browsers. With the exception of these security requirements, the TLD will be a regular, open TLD that is open to all interested applicants. For more information, please contact your Client Service Partner.

.LLC Set to Launch in June

Afilias, the registry behind .llc, plans to launch their TLD in three phases starting June 5, 2018. A Limited Liability Company, or LLC, is a legal entity in the United States. Like a corporation, a LLC is a separate and distinct legal entity.
The TLD will launch with an entirely open model – any individual or entity is able to register a domain name in .llc in General Availability. This means that there will be intense competition for domain names that are typically the shortest, most memorable, most descriptive, or most popularly searched keywords or phrases. Fortunately, the sunrise phase starting June 5th offers priority application with SMD files from the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). The sunrise phase runs through July 5, 2018.
A Landrush phase will run from July 9 through July 20, 2018. The TLD then enters General Availability on July 23, 2018.
CSC recommends that you secure your brands, trademarks, DBAs (doing-business-as) and entity names in the .llc domain, including all LLC entities across the U.S. All phases are first-come, first served, so contact your Client Service Partner to request your desired .llc names.

.SHOP Releasing Thousands of Domains

On May 8, 2018, more than 11,000 previously reserved .shop domains will be released for general availability. Domains are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The names released will include many 3 and 4 character names. All the newly released domains will be available as standard (non-premium) domains. For more information, please contact your Client Service Partner.

Still Launching

The following TLDs have launch phases (Pre-General Availability) that are currently still in progress. If you are interested in participating in any of these launches, please contact your Client Service Partner.

.icu

.UK

.basketball

.bot

.rugby

.mt

.xn--imr513n (.餐厅 “Restaurant” Chinese)

.xn--g2xx48c (购物 “Shopping” Chinese)

Launches within 30 days (bold indicates where dates fall within time frame)

The information provided is intended for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice.