The Top-Level Domain (TLD) “.orange” is a brand TLD and as such its technical description falls under the rules for brand TLDs set out by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is the organization that coordinates, at the overall level, the Internet’s global Domain Name System, including top-level domains with three or more characters.
Basically, a Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the part of the domain name that comes after the dot, such as .com, .net, or .org. In the case of “.orange”, it is a Brand TLD, which is a type of Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD). Brand TLDs are used by individual companies to manage their brand and online presence (ICANN, 2011).
A .ORANGE TLD provides an online identity for Orange S.A., a multinational telecommunications corporation. It was introduced under ICANN’s New gTLD Program, which aimed to increase competition and choice in the domain name space by introducing new gTLDs. The program saw the creation of hundreds of new TLDs, including several brand TLDs (ICANN, 2012).
Being a brand TLD, only Orange S.A. and its affiliates can register and use .ORANGE domains. This is in contrast to country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs), such as .us or .uk, or generic TLDs, like .com or .net, which are open to the public for registration.
Technically, the .ORANGE TLD operates like other TLDs. The infrastructure behind it enables internet users worldwide to access websites under this TLD, as long as any given web server is properly configured to recognize it.
The registry operator of .ORANGE is Orange Brand Services Limited, which is tasked with the technical and administrative operation of the TLD. The administrative operations include domain registration, compliance monitoring, and dispute resolution, while the technical operations encompass running the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure for the TLD, allocation of IP addresses, and maintaining the WHOIS database (ICANN, 2013).
In conclusion, the .ORANGE TLD provides Orange S.A. with a unique presence online, allows the company to have complete control over its domain name portfolio, and enhances its brand protection efforts.
Sources:
ICANN (2011). gTLD Applicant Guidebook Version 2011-06.
ICANN (2012). New Generic Top-Level Domains Program.
ICANN (2013). Registry Agreement.
