Brandsight Webinar: New gTLDs – The Past, Present and Future

Brandsight announced it will be hosting a webinar featuring a discussion I think will be quite interesting. The webinar is called, New gTLDs – The Past, Present and Future. Brandsight’s Matt Serlin and Elisa Cooper will discuss the state of new gTLD domain names, and discuss how the landscape has changed along with what they expect to see in the future.

I think this is an interesting topic because of Brandsight’s position in the domain name industry. As a corporate domain portfolio management firm, Brandsight works with large companies like Yeti and Ally Bank to form their domain name acquisition and defense strategy. The new gTLD domain names has changed the way companies need to protect their trademarks, and I look forward to getting the Brandsight perspective on what has changed and what is coming.

Although the focus is on the comparatively new(ish) extensions, I would be particularly interested in knowing their thoughts on the importance of .com domain names and how that has changed as well as their expectations for the future of .com.

The webinar will be held on October 16 at 11am Eastern time. Advance registration is required.

Here’s what the Brandsight marketing email said about this free webinar:

Initially introduced by ICANN in 2008, the New gTLD Program was designed to enhance innovation, competition and consumer choice. More than 10 years later, there are now more than 1200 delegated new gTLDs with 26 million registrations accounting for 6.5% of all domain names registered globally.

So was the New gTLD Program a success? Were the objectives of the program met? Are people actually using new gTLDs? Did we see an onslaught of brand abuse?

Join Matt Serlin and Elisa Cooper on Wednesday, October 16 at 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm BST as they take a look back at the first round, and review the original requirements for operating a new gTLD registry, as well as some of the hidden gotchas that had occurred. They will also cover how new gTLDs are being used today, with special focus on .Brand registries. Additionally, they will spend time discussing:
• New gTLD Rights Protection Mechanisms, with Special Focus on New Blocking Offerings
• Ensuring Compliance and Best Practices for Existing .Brand Registry Operators
• Timing and Planning for Round 2 of New gTLDs