ICANN just published it long awaited New gTLD String Similarity Contention Sets fand quite surprisingly just put four non-matching applications into two contention sets. ICANN placed the new gTLD application for: .Hoteis by Despegar Online SRL into the same contention set as the application by Booking.com for .Hotels ICANN however, did not include the 7 applications for .Hotel into the … [Read more...]
TLDH (Minds + Machines) Gets Additional $15M In Funding For New gTLD Auctions
According to a press release we were sent today by Top Level Domain Holdings Limited (AIM:TLDH), better known to the domain community as Mind + Machines, the Company "has agreed a funding facility to support its participation in a prospective auction in relation to a specific contested gTLD application". "The conditional funding will be provided solely in exchange for a perpetual share in the … [Read more...]
Melbourne IT Promises A “Huge Dividend” From New gTLD Defensive Registrations
According to ComputerWorld.com.au, on a conference call with media after reporting its financial results for 2012 resulting in revenue and profit declines, Melbourne IT CEO Theo Hnarakis said ICANN's release of new gTLDs would generate a “huge dividend” for the company in 2013. Mr. Hnarakins is quoting as saying: “We have 3800 corporate customers, many of which are very defensively oriented in … [Read more...]
Another Brand New gTLD Applicant Drops Out This Time AIG on .CHARTIS
Another .Brand new gTLD application has been withdrawn. American International Group, Inc. (AIG) has withdrawn its application for .Chartis with ICANN. .Chartis was proposed to be used as a closed registry and becomes the 19th withdrawn new gTLD application posted on ICANN's website. American International Group, Inc. still has a new gTLD application in for .AIG which has a priority number … [Read more...]
ICANN: Over 22% Of Changes Requests From New gTLD Applicants Not Approved Or Posted Yet
According to ICANN's site, 143 new gTLD application which changes were requested by the evaluators still have either not been update or the changes have not been accepted by ICANN As of February 19, 2013 there were a total of 631 change requests submitted to applicants and only 488 of the change requests have been approved & posted. Percentage wise that means that of all the change … [Read more...]
ICANN Tells POLITICO On Closed Generic gTLD’s: “The Train is Leaving the Station”
Politico has posted about the new gTLD closed generic controversy asking "should a company be allowed to run a generic term such as tire, insurance or book as a domain and wall off its use from competitors?" In response, Akram Atallah, ICANN’s chief operating officer, told POLITICO “The train is leaving the station,” “There are a few instances where stakeholders are feeling this is an issue … [Read more...]
Demand Media Considering A Separate Co. For Registrar, Registry & Aftermarket
Demand Media(DMD) today announced that its board of directors has authorized a plan to explore separating its business into two independent, publicly-traded companies: A pure-play media company with a powerful outsourced content creation platform that organically grows its audience, leading web properties that reach over 100 million monthly unique visitors, and an integrated monetization … [Read more...]