There is no launch information for the specified period. Please review our following industry related news and announcements.
SPOTLIGHT
Adults Only
A new domain blocking mechanism has arrived, and this time, it is adults only – adult themes, that is. ICM Registry, (acquired by Minds & Machines (MMX) registry), recently announced a soft launch of a new blocking program that allows defensive minded Organizations to block registrations aimed specifically at its 4 adult-themed TLDs – .xxx, .adult, .porn, and .sex.
ICM is no stranger to blocks, having been a pioneer of this type of protection service for .xxx in 2011, with a “Sunrise B” phase to protect rights holders from infringement in a domain space that they may otherwise have no interest in registering. ICM now looks to expand that program to their subsequent adult-themed TLDs (.adult/.sex/.porn), which launched in 2015. The ‘AdultBlock’ program is partnering and utilizing the same platform of the recently launched Uniregistry’s Uni EPS and EPS+ Block programs and will operate in a similar manner.
Adult blocks are available at two levels, ‘AdultBlock’ standard and AdultBlock Plus (“+”). The standard offering protects a single label across all four of the TLDs, inclusive of any premium domains. The AdultBlock+ allows a wider coverage of an unlimited number of variant labels from the owners’ SMD file or their original ICM “Sunrise B” label from the 2011 launch of .xxx. The AdultBlock+ level of protection also covers variants using homoglyphs and IDNs, which can appear confusingly similar to the English (ASCII) characters in a domain name.
CSC will continue to provide details on the launch as more information becomes available. If you have questions, or would like to express interest, please contact your Client Service Partner.
Australia Prepares For Top-Level Launch
The .au Domain Administration (auDA) announced plans to allow second-level registrations in the .au domain space. The launch is expected in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019 and will last approximately 6 months. Holders of existing third-level .au domains (such as .com.au, .net.au, .org.au, id.au & .asn.au) receive priority status for the corresponding second-level domain, and will be assigned a category for a Grandfather Phase. Third-level domains registered on or before February 4, 2018, are assigned Priority Category 1. If registered after February 4, 2018, the domains fall into Priority Category 2. Category 1 is the first priority. If multiple parties hold Category 1 for the same domain name string, and wish to register the exact match in the second level .AU, they may negotiate an agreement as to which will be the Designated person to register the .AU domain. The registry will provide a tool prior to the launch for registrants to view any domains in conflict. The tool aims to provide registrants with information on domains that have matches across all .au sub-extensions and the priority level for each. The tool will also show the application status for the top level domain, if submitted.
Unlike the recent launch phases of .uk domains, the auDA will only validate that organization name and ABN/ACN/TM match the third-level .au domain at time of registration for .au.
The registry has not confirmed exact dates at this time, and all launch details are still subject to change. CSC will communicate additional information and requirements as it becomes available. Please contact your Client Service Partner if you are interested in participating.