The top-level domain (TLD) .NIKON is a branded domain extension or, in more technical terms, a Generic top-level Domain (gTLD). The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the body responsible for global coordination of the Internet’s system of unique identifiers, oversees the management and operation of TLDs.
The Nikon Corporation proposed the .NIKON TLD. As a pioneer in optical and imaging product manufacturing, Nikon intended to strengthen its online presence and provide an authentic and secure medium for digital communication. The .NIKON TLD is exclusively for Nikon Corporation, its affiliated and subsidiary entities, and its business partners for their brand protection, marketing, and promotion. The Nikon Corporation controls the registration and use of domain names under the .NIKON TLD, which can have significant implications for search engine optimization (SEO).
The deployment of its own .NIKON TLD allows Nikon to manage its image, ensure genuine Nikon content, products, and services for customers, and a safe and secure point of contact for stakeholders. It reduces the risk of counterfeit websites posing as Nikon or digital communication fraud.
The .NIKON TLD falls under the specification 13 of the registry agreement by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The Specification 13 is designed for .brand TLDs, and it grants exemption from various Code of Conduct provisions for traditional gTLDs. Only those TLD applications which clearly demonstrate that they are practically or legally restricted to a single registrant or related entities can get this exemption. All domains under .brand TLDs, including .NIKON, are not commercially available for public registration, unlike .com or .org, etc., and are controlled by the brand for its exclusive use.
The .NIKON falls under the “ICANN Specification 13 .Brand TLDs” category constituted during the ICANN’s New gTLD (Generic top-level domain) Program. This program aimed to enhance innovation, competition, and consumer choice.
Source:
1. IANA Root Zone Database: https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/nikon.html
2. ICANN Registry Agreement with Nikon: https://www.icann.org/resources/agreement/nikon-2015-06-18-en
3. ICANN’s New gTLD Program: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/
4. ICANN Specification 13: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/registries/registries-agreements-en
5. Nikon’s Application to ICANN for .NIKON TLD: https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails/273
