Domain Incite

ICANN throws a bone to its most stubborn new gTLD applicant

Kevin Murphy — Wed, 13 May 2026 01:23:31 +0000

ICANN has offered an olive branch to a new gTLD applicant that refuses to accept defeat well over a decade after it was rejected. The Org has offered one last chance for Indian applicant Nameshop to get some of its money back for an application that fell at the first hurdle back in the 2012 […]

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Cops get special Whois access rights

Kevin Murphy — Wed, 13 May 2026 00:52:26 +0000

Law enforcement agencies will be able to get access to private Whois records in under 24 hours under ICANN policy introduced yesterday, but the powers are toothless for now. ICANN has updated its Registration Data Policy to add a section handling “urgent requests” for Whois data, normally redacted in the public RDAP databases due to […]

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Identity Digital acquires another dormant gTLD

Kevin Murphy — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:38:00 +0000

Identity Digital has taken over another 2012-round new gTLD that never launched. The ICANN contract for .safety recently changed hands, with original registry Safety Registry Services handing over the keys to Jolly Host, the same Identity Digital affiliate that has now picked up five gTLDs this year. The seller is a subsidiary of W W […]

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Verisign to delete .name 3LDs and email addresses

Kevin Murphy — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:27:02 +0000

If you needed more evidence of how innovation-resistant the domain name industry can be, Verisign is killing off two non-standard services that have been running for a quarter-century. The registry plans to discontinue sales of third-level domains in the .name gTLD, along with an email forwarding service that offered punters personalized email addresses. .name is […]

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Four more deadbeat registrars face firing squad

Kevin Murphy — Mon, 11 May 2026 06:19:41 +0000

ICANN has initiated public compliances proceedings against four unrelated registrars that haven’t paid their fees in a year or more. US-based Domus, Finland-based Globis, Hong Kong-based Overcasts, and Wanyuhulian Technology from China have all been given until May 27 to cough up or have their accreditation agreements terminated. None of the registrars currently have any […]

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ICANN punts on Oman meeting decision

Kevin Murphy — Thu, 07 May 2026 02:43:32 +0000

There can be few in the ICANN community feeling confident that the Org’s annual general meeting is going to take place in Oman, as currently planned, but its board has kicked the can on a decision to go ahead or cancel. The AGM is due to happen in Muscat from October 17, but the US-Israel […]

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DNSSEC claims another registry victim

Kevin Murphy — Thu, 07 May 2026 01:31:09 +0000

DNSSEC is widely touted as a crucial security upgrade for the domain name system, but as so often is the case with security measures, it can also cause serious problems. DENIC, the registry operator for Germany’s .de, became the latest victim of a DNSSEC screw-up earlier this week, when a botched key rollover led to […]

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.music has competition as .mu repositions

Kevin Murphy — Tue, 05 May 2026 11:50:16 +0000

Identity Digital and it.com Domains are to market the Mauritius ccTLD, .mu, as an open alternative to the .music gTLD. According to it.com, the ccTLD will be marketed internationally as “Everyone’s Music Domain”, starting with outreach at the trademark-focused INTA Annual Meeting in London this week. It’s a non-sunrise sunrise period, being called the Trademark […]

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Over 100 new gTLD bids have already been announced

Kevin Murphy — Tue, 05 May 2026 10:41:59 +0000

With the 2026 ICANN new gTLD application window now officially open, one striking difference compared to the 2012 round is the number of organizations that have broken cover to announce that they will apply. Back in 2012, consultants excitedly pointed to Canon, the Japanese electronics firm, as the convincer. It had openly revealed it planned […]

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2026 new gTLD round has actually opened

Kevin Murphy — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:10:26 +0000

As of today, you can now apply to own a piece of the internet’s root zone for the first time since 2012. Almost unbelievably, given some of its relatively recent history, ICANN has hit its deadline and opened up its systems for companies and organizations to file applications for new gTLDs. The application window opened […]

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