New gTLDs & The Domain Name Industry Cyrus Jamnejad Account Manager, Global Domains Division LAC DNS Week – 24 November 2020 The Expansion of Top-Level Domains & The New gTLD Program | 2 What is the New gTLD Program? The New gTLD Program is a community-driven, multistakeholder- developed initiative, implemented by the ICANN org, that allows for an increased number of generic Top Level Domains. Goals of the New gTLD Program: Competition Innovation Choice The Program was initiated in 2012 with a closed application round. Subsequent New gTLD procedures are currently in development. | 3 Expansion of the Top Level Before the 2012 .com .cat .coop .biz Application Round, there .edu .aero were only 22 generic top- .gov level domains in the .info Domain Name System. .int 22 gTLDs .jobs .mil .museum .travel .name .tel .net .pro .post .org | 4 Expansion of the Top Level Now: .com .cat .coop • 1,200+ New gTLDs .biz .edu .aero • 500+ are Brand TLDs .gov .ceo • 25 Million+ Domains in .info New gTLDs .int .futbol 1200 gTLDs .jobs .mil .みんな .онлайн .menu .brand .museum .travel .name .tel .net .pro .org .cab .paris .post .公益 | 5 The DNS Industry | 6 DNS Industry – Contractual Landscape | 7 Distribution of ICANN Contracted Parties 4 Europe 757 gTLDs 1,975 262 gTLDs Registrars 156 Registrars 165 gTLDs NortH America 294 17 gTLDs 6 gTLDs Registrars Asia/ Australia/ 12 12 Pacific Registrars Registrars Latin America/ Africa Caribbean islands Total Worldwide Domain Names Count | 8 Domain Name Marketplace Indicators ProJect ICANN Strategic Objective 2.3: Support tHe evolution of tHe domain name marketplace to be robust, stable and trusted. Domain Marketplace Indicators Report* provides data across a community- developed metrics to assist in understanding and assessing tHe marketplace. 3 Categories of Data: 1. Robust Competition • Registrants can choose across TLD categories and purchasing options, • Registrants are adopting domains across all TLDs, • the TLD marketplace is open to new service providers, and • the TLD marketplace is not dominated by a small number of service 2. Marketplace Stability • Registries and registrars deliver against contractual obligations and do not contribute to marketplace instability that may harm registrants 3. Trust • Domain industry demonstrates operational success in safeguarding Internet community interests including registrants, IP holders, and law enforcement *See more at https://www.icann.org/opendata| 9 The DNS Industry – Aftermarket Concepts | 10 Domain Name Aftermarket – Key Concepts Sales & Domain Tasting Domain Parking Drop Catching Auctions Temporary registration A parked domain When a domain name Facilitates the buying of a domain name name is not is not renewed, it is and selling of during the initial 5 developed with deleted (dropped) and currently registered days after registration. ”active” services such released, others can or expiring names. as e-mail or a register (catch) it. The 5-day window functional website. Enables individuals after registration is Dropcatchers “catch” to purchase a called the Add Grace Domains are typically names within previously registered Period. “parked” with milliseconds, or even domain that suits registrars or nanoseconds their needs from an Domain names advertising publishers owner wishing to sell. deleted during the Add to monetize type-in Every day there are Grace Period (AGP) traffic about 70,000 gTLD Auctions tend to be are fully refundable for names dropped, some popular for shorter, registrants. Domains resolve to a quite valuable. and generic valuable web page containing names. advertising listings and links. | 11 Domain Name Aftermarket – Business Types ● Drop Catch Registrars ● Domain Name Brokers ○ Most also run a marketplace for ○ Specialize in marketing and selling or customer to attempt to get a buying high value domains. dropping name. ○ These are typically one to two word or ○ If several individuals want the same short (five or under letter/number) dot name, they run auctions for the coms. dropped name. ● Domain Parking Companies ● Domain Name Marketplaces. ○ While not as profitable as in the past, ○ The percentage of all domains up for these companies generate revenue resale at a given time is significant, for their owners, for a fee, by offering about 15-25% referral advertising off of the ○ These are businesses that offer a webpages. platform for the resale of domain names. ● Other Specialized Supporting Services ○ Escrow/payment/leasing services, ● Domain Investors ○ Valuation services, ○ Hold large portfolios and offer them ○ Portfolio management software, for sale. ○ Domain name conferences and Blogs | 12 Thank You and Questions Visit us at icann.org @icann linkedin/company/icann facebook.com/icannorg slideshare/icannpresentations youtube.com/icannnews soundcloud/icann flickr.com/icann instagram.com/icannorg | 13.