The Top-Level Domain (TLD) “.FAGE” refers to the domain specifically reserved for the Fage company, which is a leading international dairy company based in Greece. Top-Level Domains are essentially the suffixes or the last segment of a domain name, which follow the final dot of any domain name. For instance, in www.fage.com, “.com” is the TLD.
The “.FAGE” TLD is part of the newest Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), which have been rolled out by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization responsible for managing the Domain Name System of the internet. This “.FAGE” TLD is a branded TLD, which means it’s exclusive to the Fage company, and cannot be registered by anyone else. As opposed to traditional TLDs like “.com”, “.org” or “.edu”, branded TLDs aim to protect trademark owners and give them a more controlled presence on the internet (ICANN, 2011).
Having a branded TLD such as “.FAGE” allows the Fage company to control all second-level domains that end with this TLD. For instance, they can create domains like “products.FAGE”, or “contact.FAGE”. This helps in maintaining brand integrity, avoiding cybersquatting and domain spoofing, and improving online user experience, because customers can trust that websites ending with “.FAGE” are definitely owned by the Fage company (CentralNic Group PLC, 2020).
However, as of now, when looking up information via domain tools or querying the ICANN’s WHOIS service, we do not see the “.FAGE” TLD being actively used. This could be due to ongoing development or specific strategies that the company is employing. Since many organizations that acquire these branded TLDs strategize on how to effectively use them, the “.FAGE” TLD might not have been rolled out for public use just yet.
In summary, the “.FAGE” entity is a branded Top-Level Domain reserved for the Fage company, providing a domain space wherein they possess exclusive rights, which guarantees a safer and more controlled web presence for their brand. Since these gTLDs are a relatively recent development and can be quite costly, not all companies have chosen to adopt them. Their adoption and usage will likely increase over time as businesses continue to identify innovative ways to leverage their brands online.
Sources:
1. ICANN’s Introduction to New gTLDs – https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about
2. CentralNic’s explanation on branded Top Level Domains –
https://www.centralnicregistry.com/about/second-level-domains
