Featuring the .Web Top Level Domain

FITCHBURG, Wis. - Oct. 6, 2013 - PRLog -- A Top Level Domain (TLD) is the text to the right of the final dot in a domain name.  For example, .Com is the most popular TLD today.  Today, there are just 22 generic Top Level Domains - like .COM and .BIZ - from which to choose when purchasing a domain name. In 2012, ICANN, the organization that oversees the Internet naming system, held an application round for the purpose of opening up the Top Level Domain system to new competitors and innovators.  Over 1,900 applications for new TLDs were filed during the historic 2012 application round for everything from .GAP and .BMW to .Web.  DotAnything.co will be featuring one new TLD per week in our 10-week series on some of the most popular new TLDs.

The .Web TLD
The .Web TLD (http://www.dotanything.co/tlddetail.aspx?tld=Web) is one of the most popular TLDs in the 2012 application round. In 2012, SEDO, a popular domain name marketplace, released its list of the top ten most valuable TLDs (http://www.dotanything.co/MostPopularTLDs.aspx). Number two on the list was the .Web TLD (http://www.dotanything.co/tlddetail.aspx?tld=Web).

The appeal of .Web domains is easy to understand.  Afterall, the Internet is commonly known as the 'web'.  A .Web TLD is intuitive, easy to understand, and innovative.

The future of the .Web TLD
There were 7 applications filed in the 2012 ICANN application round from companies seeking to operate the .Web TLD.

About the Applicants

Charleston Road Registry
Charleston Road Registry, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Google, Inc. Through its subsidiary, Google applied for a total of 101 TLDs, including .Web. If awarded the .Web TLD, Google intends to operate it as an unrestricted registry, meaning that domains within the .Web TLD would be sold to the general public. It remains to be seen whether Google will use the existing Distribution network (eg. Registrars like GoDaddy.com) to sell its domain names or whether Google will create its own Registrar platform.

Schlund Technologies GmbH
Schlund Technologies GmbH only applied for one TLD. Schlund Technologies's application for the .Web TLD lists its parent company as InterNetX GmbH.  The contact listed on Schlund Technologie's application for the .Web is John Kane, Vice President of Corporate Services for Afilias. Afilias was listed on the Schlund Technologies application filed with ICANN as the proposed registry operator for .Web. However, Afilias also applied for the .Web TLD on its own, so Afilias is both the Registry Services provider for Schlund Technologies's bid for .Web, and Afilias is also a competitor for .Web.

Ruby Glen, LLC
Ruby Glen, LLC is wholly owned by Donuts, Inc. Donuts, through its subsidiary companies, has applied for more TLDs than any other company. Donuts, Inc. is a venture-capital funded company created solely to apply for new Top Level Domains. Backers include Austin Ventures, Adams Street Partners, Emergence Capital Partners, TL Ventures, Generation Partners, Stahurricane, Comerica Bank, and Columbia Partners Investment Management.

Nu Dot Co LLC
According to Jose Rasco, Manager for Nu Dot Co LLC, " .WEB is the most generic string of our new TLDs, so we see its application and use reaching a wide audience. This potential addressable market, combined with the short and memorable pronunciation are the reasons we plan to operate .WEB as an open TLD, with minimal registration restrictions (outside of our robust security and trademark protections). "

Web.com Group, Inc.
Web.com Group, Inc is one of the largest Registrars with over 3 million customers. Web.com is the owner of Register.com as well as Network Solutions, LLC, the oldest ICANN accredited registrar.

Web.com Group, Inc. only applied for one TLD.

DotWeb Inc.
DotWeb Inc. has selected ARI Registry Services (ARI) as the planned Registry Services provider for its bid to create the .Web TLD.

DotWeb Inc. only applied for one TLD.

Afilias Domains No. 3 Limited
Afilias Domains No. 3 Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Afilias, operator of the .Info TLD.  According to Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias, "After much work from many people around the world, it's exciting to be mere weeks away from seeing the results of the New gTLDs Program finally come to fruition. The expansion of gTLDs ushers in new levels of safety and security while shrinking the number of counterfeiters and crooks that plague the Internet today. With the expansion of strings also comes an expansion in the number of communities that will find a unique home on the Internet, whether related through common interests or love of common brands."

What's Next for the .Web Applicants

All applicants for the .Web TLD have now passed the Initial Evaluation phase of the new TLDs application process. Additionally, there were no formal disputes filed during the ICANN Dispute process against any of the .Web applications, although a lawsuit was filed against ICANN to prevent the delegation of the .Web TLD to any of the existing applicants on the basis of prior Trademark rights, but the lawsuit has been dismissed.   According to Jose Rasco, Manager of Nu Dot Co LLC, one of the 7 applicants for the .Web TLD, "The group of applicants is collectively waiting out all the ICANN delays. As a group, we haven’t really reached any consensus on how to resolve contention prior to an ICANN auction of last resort. I have spoken to some other applicants that are interested in a consolidated effort, but nothing has been finalized."