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TheDomains.com

Of The 9,025 .Voting Domains Registered Over 97% Registered To Co. With Ties To The Registry?

July 24, 2014 by Michael Berkens

One company is responsible for registering over 97% of the 9,025 .Voting new gTLD domain names.

We reported earlier today that .Voting had 9,025 domain names registered after the first day of general availability

However we see that 8,811 of the 9,025 domain names were registered by the domain name registrar, Registry Gate GmbH” which seems to be a member of the Key Drive family of registrars.

All of the domain names registered at Registry Gate were registered to the same registrant:

Registrant Name: Chief Executive Officer
Registrant Organization: innotarget AG & Co. KG
Registrant Street: Max-Stromeyer-Strasse 116
Registrant City: Konstanz
Registrant Postal Code: 78467
Registrant Country: DE
Registrant Phone: +49.363937503639
Registrant Phone Ext: 3750
Registrant Email: hostmaster@innotarget.net

Now here is where it gets interesting

Here is the whois record for innotarget.net which is the registrants email address on the .Voting domains:

Registrant Organization: Innotarget AG & Co. KG
Registrant Street: Max-Stromeyer-Str. 116
Registrant City: Konstanz
Registrant State/Province:
Registrant Postal Code: 78467
Registrant Country: DE
Registrant Phone: +49.753136393720
Registrant Email: 118e7782r4a@opensrs.namespace4you.com
Admin Name: Dirk Hamm

The name Dirk Hamm matches the name of the contact for the new gTLD application filed with ICANN for .Voting which was filed by Valuetainment Corp.

The email address for Mr. Hamm on the ICANN new gTLD application for .Voting is dirk.hamm@votingtool.de, which uses the Name Servers:

ns.namespace4you.de
ns2.namespace4you.de

These are the same Name Servers used on all of the 8,811 .Voting domain names registered to innotarget AG & Co. KG

This certainly would not be the first case of a new gTLD registry registering domains in its own extension but certainly raises the bar to a whole new level in terms of the percentage of domains registered and less than an transparent manner.

Filed Under: New gTLD's

About Michael Berkens

Michael Berkens, Esq. is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheDomains.com. Michael is also the co-founder of Worldwide Media Inc. which sold around 70K domain to Godaddy.com in December 2015 and now owns around 8K domain names . Michael was also one of the 5 Judges selected for the the Verisign 30th Anniversary .Com contest.

« This Weeks New gTLD 1st Day Totals: .Voting 9,025; .Kaufen 4,325; Consulting 3,852; Media 3,438
Heritage Auctions Led by Digital.com sells $773,876 in domain names »

Comments

  1. jeanguillon says

    July 24, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Is .VOTE launched ?

    • janedoe says

      July 24, 2014 at 6:48 pm

      no, not even in sunrise yet

      • jeanguillon says

        July 25, 2014 at 3:59 am

        Strange, I’d rather go for a .VOTE instead of a .VOTING. I think .BUILD has the same problem : .CONSTRUCTION was launched first and now has less than 3000 names registered…

        • KDomainNames says

          July 27, 2014 at 2:45 am

          Indeed it is strange.

          I think there will be some empty ones for sure but it all takes time. This is so new to everyone the anticipation is just as massive as the fear and hesitation to jump right in. I personally don’t see it to be very risky as to which domain extension you go for as long as you buy decent domain names relevent to your site you’re already a winner.

          In terms of investing, I people should think years and years ahead.

  2. Richard S says

    July 24, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    .voting numbers seemed like .xyz, the extension did not seem that great to have that many people lined up to pay that sort of money for random voting type domains. The registries are only hurting themselves.

  3. Kevin Murphy says

    July 24, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    Might explain why .voting was so reluctant to turn over its zone files.

    • John McCormac says

      July 24, 2014 at 1:05 pm

      Gives a whole new meaning to rigging. 🙂

  4. Michael Berkens says

    July 24, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    .Vote has not launched and I don’t see it on the schedule

  5. John McCormac says

    July 24, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    I seem to remember there was a bit of discussion about the registry/registrant divide at various ICANN meetings prior to the launch of the new gTLD programme. The problem with some of the new gTLDs is that artificial scarcity of high value keyword domains is being created by the registries either reserving domains or plundering their own TLDs before anyone else gets a chance to register domains. This artificial scarcity kills natural development partterns in TLDs and can, in extreme cases, turn the TLD into a Dead Zone where there’s little development or consumer interest.

  6. Michael Berkens says

    July 24, 2014 at 1:27 pm

    Well I reviewed the .voting domains that were registered I would say that vast majority would not be in huge demand

    • John McCormac says

      July 24, 2014 at 1:35 pm

      Would they be potential end user sales or campaign sales?

  7. Michael Berkens says

    July 24, 2014 at 1:50 pm

    John

    I have no idea here are the registered domains starting with the letter A:

    a-tour-de-peilz.voting
    aachen.voting
    aalborg.voting
    aalst.voting
    aanekoski.voting
    aarau.voting
    aarhus.voting
    aaron.voting
    abakan.voting
    abbotsford.voting
    abby.voting
    abchasien.voting
    abdul.voting
    abe.voting
    abel.voting
    aberdeen.voting
    abgeordnete.voting
    abgeordneten.voting
    abgeordneter.voting
    abha.voting
    abhasija.voting
    abidjan.voting
    abilene-tx.voting
    abilene.voting
    abilenetx.voting
    abilenian.voting
    abkhaz.voting
    abkhazia.voting
    abkhazian.voting
    abkhazians.voting
    abraham.voting
    abu-dhabi.voting
    abudhabi.voting
    abuja.voting
    abuse.voting
    abuses.voting
    accra.voting
    acevedo.voting
    acharnes.voting
    achim.voting
    achmed.voting
    achmet.voting
    ackermann.voting
    acosta.voting
    ada.voting
    adams.voting
    adan.voting
    adana.voting
    addie.voting
    addis-abeba.voting
    addisabeba.voting
    adela.voting
    adele.voting
    adeline.voting
    adenta-east.voting
    adentaeast.voting
    adhoc.voting
    adkins.voting
    adliswil.voting
    adolf.voting
    adolfo.voting
    adolph.voting
    adrian.voting
    adriana.voting
    adrienne.voting
    adschman.voting
    advanced.voting
    advertisement.voting
    advertisements.voting
    affoltern-am-albis.voting
    affoltern.voting
    afghan.voting
    afghanestan.voting
    afghans.voting
    aflao.voting
    africa.voting
    african.voting
    africans.voting
    afrika.voting
    afrikaans.voting
    afrikanische-union.voting
    afrikanischeunion.voting
    afyonkarahisar.voting
    agia-paraskevi.voting
    agii-anargyri-kamatero.voting
    agii-anargyri.voting
    agios-dimitrios.voting
    agnes.voting
    ago.voting
    agogo.voting
    agona-swedru.voting
    agonaswedru.voting
    agram.voting
    agrinio.voting
    aguilar.voting
    aguirre.voting
    agustin.voting
    agypten.voting
    ahad-rafida.voting
    ahmad.voting
    ahmed.voting
    ahmedabad.voting
    ahmet.voting
    ahrens.voting
    aileen.voting
    aimee.voting
    air.voting
    airline.voting
    airlines.voting
    airports.voting
    aisha.voting
    aix-en-provence.voting
    akersberga.voting
    akhisar.voting
    akim-oda.voting
    akron-oh.voting
    akron.voting
    akronite.voting
    akronoh.voting
    aksaray.voting
    aktionaer.voting
    aktionaere.voting
    aktiv.voting
    aktivitaet.voting
    aktivitaeten.voting
    al-ain.voting
    al-arabiya-as-saudiya.voting
    al-baha.voting
    al-bahrayn.voting
    al-chafdschi.voting
    al-chardsch.voting
    al-chubar.voting
    al-dschazair.voting
    al-dschubail.voting
    al-hawiyya.voting
    al-imarat-al-arabiya-al-muttahida.voting
    al-iraq.voting
    al-kuwayt.voting
    al-maghrib.voting
    al-mubarraz.voting
    al-qatif.voting
    al-qurayyat.voting
    al-tuqba.voting
    al-urdunn.voting
    al-yaman.voting
    alabaman.voting
    alabamas.voting
    alabamian.voting
    alana.voting
    alaskan.voting
    alaskas.voting
    alba.voting
    albacete.voting
    albanian.voting
    albanians.voting
    albers.voting
    albert.voting
    alberta.voting
    alberto.voting
    albertslund.voting
    albrecht.voting
    albuquerque.voting
    albuquerqueans.voting
    alcala-de-henares.voting
    alcalade.voting
    alcaladedehenares.voting
    alcobendas.voting
    alcorcon.voting
    alden.voting
    aldershot.voting
    alec.voting
    alejandra.voting
    alejandro.voting
    alessandria.voting
    alesund.voting
    alex.voting
    alexander.voting
    alexandra.voting
    alexandria-va.voting
    alexandria.voting
    alexandrian.voting
    alexandriava.voting
    alexandroupoli.voting
    alexis.voting
    alfonso.voting
    alfonzo.voting
    alford.voting
    alfred.voting
    alfreda.voting
    alfredo.voting
    algeciras.voting
    algerian.voting
    algerians.voting
    alicante.voting
    alicia.voting
    alina.voting
    aline.voting
    alingsas.voting
    alisa.voting
    alisha.voting
    alison.voting
    alissa.voting
    alkmaar.voting
    allan.voting
    allen.voting
    allenstein.voting
    allentonian.voting
    allentown-pa.voting
    allentown.voting
    allentownpa.voting
    allie.voting
    allschwil.voting
    allyson.voting
    alma.voting
    almelo.voting
    almere.voting
    almeria.voting
    almetjewsk.voting
    almirante-brown.voting
    alofi.voting
    alonzo.voting
    alphadog.voting
    alphatier.voting
    alphen-aan-den-rijn.voting
    alphen.voting
    alphenaandenrijn.voting
    alphonse.voting
    alphonso.voting
    alt.voting
    alta.voting
    alternativen.voting
    althea.voting
    altmann.voting
    alton.voting
    altschewsk.voting
    altstaetten.voting
    alva.voting
    alvarado.voting
    alvarez.voting
    alvaro.voting
    alvin.voting
    alyce.voting
    alyson.voting
    alyssa.voting
    alytus.voting
    amado.voting
    amalia.voting
    amana-md.voting
    amann.voting
    amarillo.voting
    amarilloan.voting
    amazing.voting
    amazon-montana.voting
    amazon-river.voting
    amazonmontana.voting
    ambelokipi-menemeni.voting
    ambelokipi.voting
    amber.voting
    amelia.voting
    american-samoan.voting
    american-samoans.voting
    american.voting
    americans.voting
    americansamoan.voting
    americansamoans.voting
    amie.voting
    amman.voting
    amos.voting
    amparo.voting
    amstelveen.voting
    amsterdam.voting
    amstetten.voting
    amy.voting
    anaheimer.voting
    ananindeua.voting
    anapolis.voting
    anastasia.voting
    anchorage.voting
    anchoragite.voting
    ancona.voting
    ancyra.voting
    and.voting
    anderlecht.voting
    anders.voting
    anderson.voting
    andorran.voting
    andorrans.voting
    andrea.voting
    andrei.voting
    andrej.voting
    andres.voting
    andrews.voting
    andrey.voting
    andria.voting
    andy.voting
    anette.voting
    angarsk.voting
    angeleno.voting
    angelholm.voting
    angelia.voting
    angelica.voting
    angeline.voting
    angelique.voting
    angelita.voting
    angelo.voting
    angers.voting
    angie.voting
    angolan.voting
    angolans.voting
    anguillan.voting
    anguillans.voting
    anibal.voting
    anita.voting
    ankara.voting
    anloga.voting
    ann-arbor.voting
    ann-arborite.voting
    ann.voting
    annabelle.voting
    annarbor.voting
    annecy.voting
    annegret.voting
    anneliese.voting
    annelise.voting
    annette.voting
    annmarie.voting
    ansfelden.voting
    antakya.voting
    antalya.voting
    antananarivo.voting
    anthony.voting
    antibes.voting
    antigua-barbuda.voting
    antigua-und-barbuda.voting
    antigua.voting
    antiguabarbuda.voting
    antiguan.voting
    antiguans.voting
    antioch-ca.voting
    antioch.voting
    antiochca.voting
    antiocher.voting
    antje.voting
    antoine.voting
    antoinette.voting
    anton.voting
    antone.voting
    antonia.voting
    antony.voting
    antrazyt.voting
    antwan.voting
    antwerpen.voting
    aotearoa.voting
    aparecida.voting
    aparecidade-goiania.voting
    apartment.voting
    apartments.voting
    apel.voting
    apeldoorn.voting
    apia.voting
    appel.voting
    apples.voting
    application.voting
    applications.voting
    applikation.voting
    applikationen.voting
    appointment.voting
    appointments.voting
    approval.voting
    apsny.voting
    aquatorialguinea.voting
    arab.voting
    arabia.voting
    arabic.voting
    arabs.voting
    aracaju.voting
    araceli.voting
    arad.voting
    arar.voting
    arbeitgeber.voting
    arbon.voting
    archangelsk.voting
    archie.voting
    are.voting
    arendal.voting
    arezzo.voting
    arg.voting
    argenteuil.voting
    argentinean.voting
    argentineans.voting
    argentines.voting
    argentinian.voting
    argentinians.voting
    argentinien.voting
    ariel.voting
    arizonan.voting
    arizonas.voting
    arizonian.voting
    arkansan.voting
    arkansas.voting
    arklow.voting
    arlene.voting
    arles.voting
    arline.voting
    arlington.voting
    arlingtonite.voting
    arlingtontexas.voting
    arlingtontx.voting
    armand.voting
    armando.voting
    armawir.voting
    armenian.voting
    armenians.voting
    armenien.voting
    armin.voting
    arndt.voting
    arne.voting
    arnhem.voting
    arno.voting
    arnshalde.voting
    arnulfo.voting
    arpa.voting
    arrangement.voting
    arrangements.voting
    arriyadh.voting
    arron.voting
    arsamas.voting
    artemiwsk.voting
    arth.voting
    artjom.voting
    arts.voting
    artur.voting
    arturo.voting
    aruban.voting
    arubans.voting
    arvadan.voting
    as-sudan.voting
    as-suma.voting
    asamankese.voting
    aschgabad.voting
    aserbaidschan.voting
    ashaiman.voting
    ashford.voting
    ashlee.voting
    ashley.voting
    asia.voting
    asian.voting
    askim.voting
    askoy.voting
    asmara.voting
    asnieres-sur-seine.voting
    asnieres.voting
    asnieressurseine.voting
    assen.voting
    assipowitschy.voting
    astana.voting
    asti.voting
    astrachan.voting
    atg.voting
    athen.voting
    athenian.voting
    athens-clarke-county.voting
    athensclarkecounty.voting
    athina.voting
    athiopien.voting
    athlone.voting
    atkinson.voting
    atlanta.voting
    atlantaga.voting
    atlantan.voting
    atschinsk.voting
    attika.voting
    aubervilliers.voting
    aubrey.voting
    auctions.voting
    audra.voting
    audrey.voting
    auer.voting
    august.voting
    augusta.voting
    augustaga.voting
    augustan.voting
    augustin.voting
    augustine.voting
    augustus.voting
    aulnay-sous-bois.voting
    aulnaysousbois.voting
    aurelia.voting
    aurelio.voting
    aurora-il.voting
    aurorail.voting
    auroran.voting
    aus.voting
    aussies.voting
    ausstellung.voting
    ausstellungen.voting
    austin.voting
    austinite.voting
    austintexas.voting
    austintx.voting
    australian.voting
    australians.voting
    australien.voting
    austrian.voting
    austrians.voting
    aut.voting
    autos.voting
    autumn.voting
    avarua.voting
    avellaneda.voting
    avery.voting
    avignon.voting
    avila.voting
    avis.voting
    axel.voting
    aydin.voting
    ayers.voting
    ayisyen.voting
    ayleen.voting
    aylesbury.voting
    aylin.voting
    aze.voting
    azerbaijani.voting
    azerbaijanis.voting
    azeri.voting
    azeris.voting

  8. John McCormac says

    July 24, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    It is a classic mix of campaign and geos, Michael,
    The problem is that some of these are English language terms where English language is not the first language. Voting also tends to be highly localised so some voting sites will be in the local ccTLD. Political parties tend to focus on a brand identity with all candidates running under the party domain. It is very much a question of marketing and packaging. There are quite a few American geos there but for campaigning, the .COM and .ORG might be the obvious choices. Unless they come with a free electronic voting machine, this gTLD might find it hard to get registrants. One possible market would be television/radio shows with audience voting but many of them use premium phone numbers to make money.

  9. Michael Berkens says

    July 24, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    John

    I respect your opinion

    Your a smart guy and make relevant points

    So why apply to operatea registry, spend the money and then register 97% of all registered domains on the 1st day.

    I mean how is that helpful on any level?

  10. John McCormac says

    July 24, 2014 at 5:08 pm

    It is possibly the trickle down effect, Michael,
    The registry may try to use some of these domains to encourage use of the gTLD. It will have to reach out to the city and town councils and perhaps offer the category killer ones (the geos) at no cost to build publicity. With some local voting, (legislation and local decisions) the issue being voted upon is going to be highly topical so those domain names would be unpredictable, possibly unique, and one year wonders in terms of registrations. The second set, the personal names, is the other part of the effect. When the gTLD gets some usage and publicity, they could, theoretically, be sold or auctioned as functional vanity domains.

    Some of the recent gTLDs like .MOBI and .ASIA also went for the auction approach on high value keyword domains but those gTLDs were not quite as differentiated as this gTLD. The .MOBI was supposed to be the mobile TLD but it was still generic. The .ASIA was supposed to be a regional TLD like .EU but unlike .EU, there’s no common legislative infrastructure or economic community so it was more generic than regional. It was also up against very strong ccTLDs (.AU and .CN for example) in the region. This is purely a voting TLD and the TLD string acts defines and limits it.

    By allowing these domain names to trickle out it should, if it works, create a continuing interest in the gTLD. However it is only the first day and this is going to be an extreme niche gTLD so it will be a very long play. This gTLD and the other vote related gTLDs are something that the market really hasn’t seen before – event driven TLDs. This is where events dictate registration pattens rather than demand. (Actually .bio might also have an event driven element.) The closest example in .COM is when a celebrity dies and there is a burst of domain names registered with the celebrity’s name in them except those are typically being registered for resale. The voting domains would be purely functional or campaign related. The spikes in registation figures may appear at election times and as such the gTLD’s growth will occur in bursts.

    This new gTLD isn’t the only one to have significant arms-length activity from the registry registering domains in bulk. It often more noticeable because of the low numbers of new gTLD registrations without any appreciable publicity driven Landrush phase. Everyone still thinks of these new TLD launches being like .EU, .MOBI or .CO with hundreds of thousands of domains being registered in the first few days. The problem with these expectations is that they don’t take the niche nature of many of these new gTLDs into consideration.

  11. Joseph Peterson says

    July 29, 2014 at 10:28 pm

    As somebody who owned nearly 200 state “voting” domains in .ORG and .COM during an election year and dropped virtually all of them without any sale whatsoever that I can remember, I just don’t see the need for .VOTING.


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