How and when to register .vin or .wine domain names

fter some tough negotiating between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and representatives of the global wine industry (United States, Spain, France, Italy…), the protection of geographical indications and wine brands in the granting of .vin and .wine domain names has led to implementation of the ‘Sunrise’ procedure*. Open until January 16, the procedure is reserved for priority applicants, referring “only to companies that own brands registered with the Trademark Clearing House, which lists brands that are registered and used for trading”, explains Céline Baillet, an industrial property rights consultant with InLex. “Registration is still feasible at a cost of between 110 and 340 euros, depending on the provider; registration subsequently has to be renewed annually”, she adds. This is followed by an intermediary period with gradual access, known as the ‘Early Access Program’. Running from January 20 to 27, this phase is open to all with a sliding scale of fees that give a distinct lottery feel to the process. Admission fees drop every day, starting at 10,000 euros and falling to €150. “It might be worth waiting for this phase because the problem with the Sunrise procedure is that the bookable domain name has to match the registered brand exactly. This may pose a problem for brands registered with an accent because there is no point in companies reserving a domain name in an accented form. The challenge is to arrive in the last few days of the EAP period to avoid paying out inordinate amounts of money”, points out Céline Baillet.

As of January 28, domain names will be made widely available on a first-come first-served basis at estimated rates of between €75 and €350. Although there is a real risk of cyber squatting – i.e. registration of an existing domain name ending in .fr or .com by a third party who then attempts to sell it at a higher cost back to its legitimate owner – can however be minimised by a disputes procedure with Donuts, the owner of the domain names. Céline Baillet believes “it is wise to pre-empt reservation of a .wine and/or .vin name both to avoid cyber squatting and to improve marketing credentials. Internet players believe that a significant domain name improves natural search engine optimisation for the websites involved”.

* The Sunrise procedure was launched on November 17, 2015.

Source: Vitisphere; Photo of Céline Baillet: InLex