Category: 2026 New gTLD Program

In the 2026 round of the new gTLD program, community-based applications will once again offer an important pathway for groups seeking to operate a top-level domain tied to a specific community interest, language, culture, or institution. These applications differ from standard, open gTLD proposals in that they claim a strong nexus between the proposed string…

As the 2026 round of the new gTLD program approaches, the protection of intellectual property rights remains a central pillar of ICANN’s commitment to maintaining trust and stability within the Domain Name System. The proliferation of new top-level domains brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly for trademark owners who must safeguard their brands across an…

In the 2026 round of the new gTLD program, contending applications are once again expected to be a significant aspect of the domain delegation process. Contention arises when two or more applicants submit proposals for identical or confusingly similar strings, and the applications cannot all be approved. These contention sets must be resolved before any…

With the launch of the 2026 new gTLD application round, ICANN has placed increased emphasis on the mitigation of DNS abuse, embedding stricter obligations into the operational framework for all new registry operators. DNS abuse, defined by ICANN’s consensus-driven framework as including malware, botnets, phishing, pharming, and spam when it serves as a delivery mechanism…

The 2026 new gTLD program introduces a renewed and significantly expanded focus on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), presenting a major opportunity for the global digital community to increase linguistic diversity and inclusivity in the Domain Name System. IDN gTLDs, which enable top-level domains in non-Latin scripts such as Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Devanagari, Thai, Tamil, Hebrew,…

As the 2026 round of the new gTLD program takes shape, Registry Voluntary Commitments, or RVCs, have emerged as a powerful but complex mechanism for applicants to distinguish their proposals while simultaneously ensuring adherence to public interest expectations. RVCs are self-imposed, binding obligations that go beyond the standard terms of the Registry Agreement, offering applicants…

In the competitive and fast-evolving landscape of the 2026 new gTLD program, one of the most critical success factors for registry operators will be their ability to generate strong market demand prior to the launch of their top-level domain. Unlike in 2012, when the novelty of new gTLDs generated a surge of initial attention, the…

As the 2026 round of the new gTLD program approaches, registry operators must prepare to engage in one of the most pivotal aspects of their business model: building and managing relationships with domain name registrars. The dynamics of registry-registrar partnerships have evolved significantly since the 2012 round, shaped by changes in user expectations, regulatory environments,…

As the 2026 new gTLD program introduces the next wave of top-level domains, registry operators face growing pressure to protect their zones from abuse while maintaining operational efficiency and scalability. The evolution of digital threats—ranging from phishing, malware distribution, and botnet command-and-control nodes to sophisticated spam networks and DNS hijacking—requires equally advanced defenses. In this…

As applicants prepare for the 2026 round of ICANN’s new gTLD program, one of the most strategically sensitive stages they must anticipate is the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) Early Warning process. This mechanism, designed to alert applicants to serious concerns from individual governments before formal GAC Advice is issued, plays a significant role in determining…