Rightside™, the domain name services business of Demand Media (NYSE: DMD), today announced new partnerships with many of the world’s leading registrars to bring its portfolio of new Top Level Domains (TLDs) to market.
More than 40 registrars – including GoDaddy, Web.com, 1&1 and Host Europe, and Rightside affiliates eNom and Name.com have signed registrar agreements with Rightside Registry, creating an expansive and global distribution network. This agreement allows each registrar partner the opportunity to provide domain name services for Rightside’s portfolio of desirable and memorable new domains. In addition, Rightside Registry TLDs, .DANCE and .DEMOCRAT, are now available for early registration, allowing trademark holders to safeguard the domain name that matches their trademark, as well as allowing registrar customers to pre-order domain names.
“As we prepare to bring our new TLDs to market, we wanted to partner with the largest and most innovative registrars in the domain business to help capture the full potential of this new opportunity,” said David Ryan, general manager of Rightside Registry. “Entering into these agreements marks an important milestone for our business, and constitutes a significant step towards helping our customers define their unique digital identity.”
“The introduction of new TLDs brings unique options for small businesses to be successful online,” said GoDaddy Vice President Domains, Mike McLaughlin. “Domain names are essentially real estate of the 21st century – it’s your online address. Partnering with Rightside gives our customers the option of interesting TLDs for their business or personal needs.”
The entry into registrar agreements makes it possible for these leading registrars to make any number of the Rightside Registry new domains available during all phases of launch – from pre-registration to general availability. Current registrar partners include:
- 1&1
- CSC
- eNom
- EuroDNS
- GoDaddy
- Host Europe
- Internetx
- Mark Monitor
- Melbourne IT
- Name.com
- ResellerClub
- Web.com
Rightside Registry also announced that its first available TLDs, .DANCE and .DEMOCRAT, are now available for pre-order through partner registrars, and full registration for trademark holders. To qualify for purchase, trademarks must be validated with the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH), a centralized database that verifies trademark information. Once the trademark is validated, the new domain will be available for registration through any registrar partner of Rightside Registry that a customer chooses to use.
As a popular pastime for both professionals (over 38,000 choreographers have profiles on LinkedIn) and amateurs (ABC Network’s Dancing with the Stars garners approximately 13 million viewers each episode), .DANCE is an exciting new domain that appeals to a mass audience. With more than 43 million registered democrats in the U.S., .DEMOCRAT will offer politicians, political advisors and organizations passionate about political identity a new avenue to express themselves online.
In addition, Rightside is bringing two additional TLDs to market later this month.
One of the most buzzed about new domains, .NINJA, as well as the German term for real estate, .IMMOBILIEN, will be available on February 19th.
For more information on how to become a registrar partner, please visit http://rightside.co/rightside-registry/registrar-overview/.
Rightside Registry, based in Dublin, Ireland, is a subsidiary of Demand Media and has been investing to become a world-class registry and leader in new TLDs. Rightside Registry’s full portfolio of new TLD registry operator agreements and applications features some of the most interesting and desirable new domains to come from this historic internet expansion including .ACTOR, .ARMY, .ENGINEER, .NINJA, .PUB and .SOCIAL.
