Reveal Day: 1,615 Applications for New Internet Extensions

As we recently announced in our article, 1,616 New Internet Extensions Coming Soon: Are You Affected?, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the organisation responsible for coordinating the allocation of domain names worldwide, has opened a new application round for the creation of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), allowing, in particular, trademark owners to create their own namespace on the Internet.

On 7 October, ICANN unveiled the requested extensions and the identities of the applicants.

Some of these applications may be identical or similar to your trademarks, distinctive signs, products or business activities. They may also raise broader issues relating to your online presence and competitive environment.

The list published on 7 October may still evolve over the coming weeks, notably to allow applicants to avoid third-party challenges by replacing their initial application with an alternative extension.

The final list of extensions proceeding to the next stage will be published on 17 November 2026 (String Confirmation Day).

17 November will also mark the opening of the official public comment and objection period, which will run until 16 March 2027.

In view of these deadlines, we recommend conducting a targeted review of the published applications now to identify extensions that could affect your interests and, where appropriate, assess the available options, including enhanced monitoring, the submission of public comments or the use of the objection mechanisms provided for under the programme.

Our Internet & Data team is available to review the applications in light of your intellectual property portfolio, assess the associated risks and opportunities, and assist you in defining the most appropriate strategy.

If you would like to gain a clear picture of the potential implications for your group as quickly as possible, we encourage you to contact our experts to arrange a targeted review at the earliest opportunity.

Contact us via our contact form.