The Top-Level Domain (TLD) .CLINIQUE is not currently recorded as a Generic top-level domain (gTLD) or a Country code top-level domain (ccTLD). The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) does not presently list .CLINIQUE as a valid top-level domain.
In the world of the internet, a Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the last segment of a domain name – the letters that follow the final dot of any domain name. For instance, in www.example.com, “.com” is the TLD. There are several kinds of TLDs; generic top-level domains (gTLD), country-code top-level domains (ccTLD), and infrastructural top-level domains.
The Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) include extensions like .com, .net, .org, .edu etc., while country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) represent specific geographic locations. For example, .us represents the United States, .uk stands for the United Kingdom, .au for Australia, and so on. Infrastructural top-level domains are very technical and not commonly popular among general users. The most famous one is .arpa, which stands for Address and Routing Parameter Area.
According to IANA WHOIS Service, the authoritative registry of all top-level internet domain names, there is currently no .CLINIQUE TLD available. A search through the IANA root zone database of 1564 delegated strings (as of writing) does not yield an entry for .CLINIQUE. This means that as of now, this domain does not exist.
Furthermore, according to the list of gTLDs managed by the Domain Name System (DNS) and operated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), there is no existence of the .CLINIQUE TLD.
However, it is worth noting that a brand or an entity can propose for a new TLD for their exclusive use. As part of the New gTLD Program, ICANN started to implement the creation of new generic top-level domains. For instance, technology brands like .APPLE, .GOOGLE have their own branded TLDs.
Now, for .CLINIQUE to exist, it would need to go through the application procedure with ICANN (which comes with a hefty fee). It would then need to be managed according to ICANN’s policies and the conditions of the contract established with the successful applicant. Despite this potential complexity, many brands have chosen to undertake this to secure their own brand domain.
To conclude, there is no .CLINIQUE TLD at the moment as per IANA, ICANN’s records. Still, it could be requested in the future by the respective authorities or brand owners according to the policies and procedures outlined by ICANN.
Sources Used:
1. https://www.iana.org/
2. https://www.icann.org/
3. https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
4. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/tlds-2012-02-25-en
5. https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/english
