As discussed in previous Law-Nows in the ‘Joining the Dots’ series (see links below), in April 2026, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”), the non-profit organisation responsible for co-ordinating the global domain name system, invited applications to become the registry for a new round of generic top-level domains (“gTLDs”).
The application window closed on 12 August 2026 and ICANN has announced that it received over 1600 new applications, indicating that the appetite for new gTLDs is alive and well.
On 29 September 2026, ICANN set the timetable for the next stages in the process as follows:
- 7 October 2026 - Reveal Day: On this day, the full list of new strings applied for (and details of the applicants) will be published.
- 8 to 21 October 2026 – Replacement Period: During this period, applicants will be given the opportunity to switch from their primary string to any replacement string specified in their application. Applicants may wish to do that if there is otherwise a contention with another application.
- 17 November 2026 – String Confirmation Day: The finalised list of strings (taking account of any changes made in the replacement period) will be published.
- 17 November 2026 – 16 March 2027: String Confirmation Day will mark the beginning of the period in which the ICANN community and members of the public will have the opportunity to lodge comments or objections to the applications.
In Part 3 of this Law-Now series, we set out in some detail the potential bases for third party objections. In brief, any party with standing may file an objection on one of four grounds:
- String Confusion – where a third party considers that an applied-for string is visually, aurally or conceptually similar to another string applied for or an earlier gTLD.
- Legal Rights – where a third party considers a string to be too close to a sign in which it holds legal rights (e.g. a registered trade mark).
- Limited Public Interest – where an applied-for string might offend accepted legal norms of morality and public order.
- Community – Such objections require a well-substantiated opposition from a significant portion of a clearly delineated community to which the string may be targeted.
Legal rights objections may well be relevant for brand owners and, as a consequence, they would be well advised to review the list of published strings (on Reveal Day and String Confirmation Day) carefully. Objections, to be administered by WIPO, must be filed within the above period (i.e. by no later than 16 March 2027), failing which they will not be considered.
The process for dealing with legal rights objections is not dissimilar to a UDRP complaint, with an independent panel being appointed to determine the outcome of any objection. The Panel will seek to assess whether the applicant’s potential use of the applied‑for string would: (1) take unfair advantage of the distinctive character or reputation of the objector’s trade mark; (2) unjustifiably impair that distinctive character or reputation; or (3) otherwise create an impermissible likelihood of confusion with the objector’s mark.
Missed Part 1, 2 or 3 of our “Joining the Dots” series? Find them below:
