Published on the 28/05/2013 | Written by Newsdesk

International regulator ICANN has cleared the way for .kiwi websites and email addresses…

The approval came from the Los Angeles-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers over the weekend and means that New Zealanders will have access to new email addresses and websites ending in .kiwi, .kiwi.nz or other similar .nz formats and not just the until-now standard .co.nz.

Tim Johnson, CEO of Dot Kiwi, the company that lodged the application, said: “We’ve seen the Internet evolve from a place for sharing mostly official or academic information to one that is the cornerstone for connection and communication around the world. Kiwis the world over will be able to choose email addresses and websites ending in .kiwi which we believe has great appeal.”

Sixty-nine of the almost 2000 applications dropped out of the ICANN process since applying in April 2012, either being withdrawn or having failed to meet the requirements.

The .kiwi name is the first New Zealand-based generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) approved by ICANN in its new gTLD programme, which ushers in a host of new domains such as .london and .microsoft. The ability to use such names as .kiwi will offer organisations and individuals greater choice, branding creativity and the opportunity to differentiate themselves from competitors.

New Zealand’s new domain name is expected to be available for individuals and organisations to purchase by trademark holders as early as mid-August for and October/November for the general public. Interest can be registered at www.dot-kiwi.com.

Dot Kiwi also says there will be a special ‘first in line’ phase for trademark holders to register their marks. The period, called the Sunrise period, will operate for no less than 30 days prior to when .kiwi domains are made available to the general public and is designed to protect brands, help avoid cybersquatting and increase consumer security.

To participate in the .kiwi Sunrise period, organisations will need to submit their trademarks to the Trademark Clearinghouse (TCH) – an opt-in centralised and universal database of trademarks wanting rights protection under any of the new generic Top Level Domains (e.g. .kiwi). The TCH will also be used to verify the trademark details and ensure the trademark is valid.

In addition to the Sunrise period, there is also a Trademark Claims service that will be available for 60 days from the time that .kiwi domains are made available to the public. When a prospective registrant wants to register ‘yourtrademark.kiwi’ as their domain name, they will receive a warning message advising them of your trademark and the scope of the trademark owner’s rights. They can choose to acknowledge the warning, but still proceed with the registration. At which point the trademark holder will be notified of the newly registered domain, and can decide what actions to take, if any. Dot Kiwi is advising trademark holders to contact their IP lawyers regarding the Sunrise period. You can also find out more information here.

A percentage of the funds generated by the sale of the .kiwi domains will be donated to a trust set up by Dot Kiwi to benefit the Christchurch rebuild. Approximately ten percent of revenue from the sale of .kiwi domains will be donated to the Dot Kiwi Christchurch Trust, which is being formed to receive, administer and distribute funds to Christchurch as they are earned and donated.

Tim Johnson says the earthquakes that shook Christchurch in 2011 resonated with New Zealanders far and wide.

“We see a unique opportunity to provide ongoing financial support for the rebuilding of Christchurch – one of New Zealand’s most beautiful cities and my hometown.”