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The internet just got its first proper new gTLD of the year, and the timing couldn’t be worse
Kevin Murphy,
October 21, 2020, 19:32:56 (UTC),
Domain Registries
The DNS root zone has just had its first non-branded TLD delegation of the year, and the midst of a highly virulent pandemic is probably the worst possible time for its niche.
It’s .spa, newly assigned to a Malaysian company called Asia Spa and Wellness Promotion Council.
Spas, of course, are at the top of every government’s list when it comes to sectors that get shut down at the first whiff of virus.
Unlike restaurants and bars, which drove registrations of gTLDs such as .bar in the locked-down second quarter, spa services are not something that can easily be adapted to take-out or home delivery.
.spa has taken this long to reach the root largely due to to a fight with rival applicant Donuts.
ASWPC, backed by spas worldwide and the Belgian government (which claimed geographical protection because spas are named after the town of Spa) applied as a Community Priority Evaluation applicant, and won its CPE.
The company has said it will donate 25% of its profits to the town of Spa.
Donuts fought the CPE decision, preventing ASWPC from proceeding for three years, before backing off without explanation two years ago.
Hopefully, by the time .spa is properly ready to launch, its niche will be approaching some kind of normality.
It’s the fourth root delegation this year, after Amazon’s three dot-brands.
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