The Top Level Domain (TLD) “.maison” is defined as a generic top level domain (gTLD). In the world of domain names, .maison is one of the newer additions, having been introduced during the expansion of generic TLDs by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), who are responsible for the overall coordination of the global internet’s systems of unique identifiers.
“.maison” is French for “house” or “home”, and as a result, it’s intended specifically for real estate companies, interior design agencies, building contractors, furniture retailers, and even individuals who want a unique online identity tied to the concept of home or domesticity. Like all gTLDs, it is available for use worldwide, not tied to any specific country or geographic region.
The domain extension .maison is managed by Donuts Inc., a domain name registrar that currently manages hundreds of different TLDs. This company operates .maison under a registry agreement with ICANN, which ensures a well-regulated environment for the purchase and management of .maison domains (ICANN, Domain Name System).
However, as with all gTLDs, the domain .maison presents some technical requirements for registration. These typically include a limit on the length of the domain name (generally between 3 and 63 characters), and prohibition of certain special characters. Some registrars may have additional policies in place, such as restrictions on using the domain for certain types of content, or rules about transferring the domain to another owner or registrar.
In terms of examples, due to the specific niche of .maison, it’s often used by brands closely related to house and home topics. For instance, a furniture company might use .maison for a specialized portion of their site (like “bedroom.maison”), or a real-estate company based in a French-speaking region might use it for their entire online presence to connect with the customer base in their native language (like “realestate.maison”).
It’s essential to note that .maison, like other new gTLDs, may not be recognized by all systems, especially older ones. While ICANN’s Universal Acceptance initiative is making strides in ensuring that all domain names can be used consistently across all applications and systems (ICANN, Universal Acceptance), global recognition and usage are still works in progress.
To conclude, the .maison TLD is an example of a generic top level domain geared toward the housing and real estate industry, and its management and usage comply with ICANN’s guidelines for such domains.
Sources:
1. ICANN, Universal Acceptance: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/universal-acceptance-2012-02-25-en
2. ICANN, Domain Name System: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/what-2012-02-25-en.
3. Donuts Domain Registry : https://donuts.domains/what-we-do/domain-names.
