Domain names: using new extensions to strengthen your brand

  You have a trademark but no domain name yet? To choose one, you can opt for the classic extensionsbut you can also be original. Since 2012, in addition to generic domain names (.com, .net, .org...) and national domain names (.fr, .de, .uk), we have seen the appearance of new extensions, which belong to the category of "new gTLDs". These new extensions are extremely varied and correspond to sectors of activity (.bank, .wine, .law) as well as to cities (.paris, .madrid, .amsterdam) or communities (.lgbt, .diy). The authority in charge of creating new extensions, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has also created the .marque extension, to enable trademark holders to appropriate the corresponding extension.  

1. The .brand extension: personalized domain names

  The .mark is an internet extension corresponding to a registered trademark (.leclerc, .google, .orange). Under certain conditions, a company can obtain from ICANN the creation of an extension corresponding to its name. It can then use it for all its digital services. In 2017, the SNCF obtained the .scnf extension, with which it communicates widely: www.oui.sncf (which replaced the old platform voyages-sncf.com), but also stations.sncf to provide information on stations. As demonstrated by the SNCF, the main interest of the .mark extension is to be able to use its name for various services (internet sites, intranet, e-mail addresses), and above all to be able to create a new site on demand. Indeed, the owner of a .brand can add as many addresses as he wishes. If he launches a new product or service, he does not have to worry about the availability of the corresponding domain names. The .trademark is therefore an additional protection against cybersquatting. However, despite its advantages, the .brand does not yet replace traditional extensions. Companies are still very attached to it. We can see that almost all the companies that have their .brand extension continue to use mainly .com. The switch from the "parent" site to the .brand has not yet taken place.  

2. Use the new extensions to communicate your brand well

  In addition to .brand, there are other extensions that can be used to share information or values specific to one's brand. For example, the extensions .bio, .cool, .green, .luxury, .travel allow you to specify the particularities of your brand. For example, a company specializing in travel could book its brand name with the corresponding extension. Be careful, however, some extensions are subject to special conditions of use: for example, for use .parisIf you are a resident or have a commercial activity in the Ile-de-France region, it is necessary to reside or have a commercial activity in the Ile-de-France region. Finally, there are also new extensions that are quite crazy (.fun, .ninja, .lol), but will be easy to remember. In addition, .brand names are quite expensive and require a complex process to be obtained. This is not the case for all new extensions. For example, some registrars offer the .fun or .party extensions for less than a classic .fr or .com extension. Finally, to protect your domain name, do not hesitate to register the corresponding trademark. To find out more about the links between trademarks and domain names, see the brand guide.