The top-level domain (TLD) “.diamonds” is a generic TLD (gTLD) within the Domain Name System (DNS) of the internet. This gTLD is overseen by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which annotated .diamonds as a space explicitly catered to businesses, organizations, and individuals in the diamonds industry.
ICANN initiated the New gTLD Program in 2012 to increase competition, innovation, and consumer choice in the Internet’s addressing system. The .diamonds TLD is a result of this program, providing a new platform to expand businesses dealing with diamonds online.
As stated by WHOIS, .diamonds is managed by Donuts Inc., a start-up company that acquired the rights to manage more than 100 of these new gTLDs. Donuts Inc.‘s mission is to provide unique and specialized spaces on the web for businesses to establish a distinctive online presence. This makes the .diamonds TLD a particularly valuable online address for jewelers, gemologists, and luxury goods retailers.
For instance, a company operating in the diamond industry, such as Tiffany & Co., could make a website, “www.tiffany.diamonds”, which would explicitly exhibit their specialty in diamonds. This precise website domain would give an upper edge in the jewellery industry with its direct and distinctive online address to draw in customers seeking diamonds.
While registering the TLD “.diamonds”, specific criteria of eligibility need to be met. As required by ICANN and Donuts Inc., there’s a Sunrise period where trademark holders who have recorded their rights with the Trademark Clearinghouse have priority to register their concerned domain names. This provision protects legitimate businesses from potential infringement or misuse by others.
After the Sunrise period, according to ICANN’s New gTLD Applicant Guidebook, TLDs are generally open for anyone to register on a first-come, first-serve basis. This does not eliminate the possibility of dispute resolution processes, specially designed by ICANN to handle scenarios of potential infringement or bad faith registration. This measure ensures the credibility and professionalism of businesses with a “.diamonds” website.
To sum it up, the TLD “.diamonds” is part of the broader initiative of ICANN to broaden the scope of the domain name system and offer more specialized, industry-specific addresses on the web. Managed by internet domain leader Donuts Inc., it offers a distinct and specialized space on the Web for businesses related to the diamond industry.
Sources:
https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program
https://whois.icann.org/en/new-gtlds-program
http://donuts.domains/
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/trademark-clearinghouse-2013-04-30-en
https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb
