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The application period for new generic top level domain names (gTLDs) (ex. .apple or .bookstore instead of just .com, .net, and .org) closes in a month, on April 12, 2012. A personal .whatever domain carries a designer-sized price tag, though: a $185k application fee, plus upwards of an estimated $300-500k for establishing and running the requisite back-end operations.

For many companies, investing six figures in a .brand domain name just doesn’t make good financial sense when the advantages are balanced against the costs, the risks, and the question of how to capitalize on the new slice of gTLD turf. But for other companies, it may fit neatly into the business plan. In either case, at the risk of contributing to the .hype, you should be aware of the launch of the new gTLDs and the ways to protect your intellectual property in this ever-changing Internet world.

Unfortunately, the rules governing the roll-out of these new pieces of internet real-estate are not yet fully formed, nor are the intellectual property protection mechanisms that brand owners really need to know about. But the expansion of the internet marches on with the recent opening of the application period for these new domains. You may want to know more about this launch so as not to miss important steps in the process to improve and/or protect the value of your brands. Have questions? We can help.

For more information, check out the article What’s in a Name? by our Trademark Group.

Note: Our blog articles are neither opinions of the Firm nor legal advice on which you should rely. Please review our disclaimer
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