The top-level domain (TLD) “.shell” currently exists in the Domain Name System of the Internet, however its use is not open to the public. This TLD is referred to as a brand TLD or a dot-brand TLD.
Brand TLDs represent a brand, organization, or company, and carry the name of that brand. In this case, “.shell” refers to Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the multinational oil and gas company. This dot-brand TLD usage is specified by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization responsible for the coordination of the Internet’s Domain Name System.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc applied and paid for the “.shell” TLD in order to protect its brand and enhance its digital presence. The registration of the “.shell” TLD is based on the new Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) program launched by ICANN in 2012. This process allowed corporations to apply for their own names or brands as gTLDs.
According to the ICANN’s “.brand TLD” Provisions Specification 13, Shell Information Technology International Inc, the entity under which the TLD is registered, is the authoritative registry for the “.shell” TLD. ICANN has also listed this TLD under its “Delegated Strings” which indicates that it is operational, however, it may not be accessible via conventional DNS lookup.
As of now, the “.shell” domain is categorically not available for public registration. The named TLD is reserved for the use by the specific brand that applied for it. The purpose of this is to prevent cybersquatting, the act of registering or using an internet domain name with the intention of profiting from the goodwill of the trademark belonging to someone else.
To clarify, these dot-brand TLDs fall into a new type of gTLDs, while the most common gTLDs are “.com”, “.org”, “.net”, “.gov”, “.mil”, “.edu” etc. New gTLDs allowed entities to create a TLD of their own which would provide a number of branding and marketing benefits.
In conclusion, the “.shell” TLD refers to the Royal Dutch Shell Plc and will presumably be used to host websites pertaining to the oil and gas company’s operations. These websites are not currently accessible or visible to the public and the use of “.shell” is restricted to its respective trademark holder.
Sources used:
1. ICANN’s Delegated Strings list (https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings)
2. ICANN’s “.brand TLD” Provisions Specification 13 document (https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-contracting/specification-13-applications).
3. ICANN’s New gTLD Program (https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program).
4. WHOIS directory (https://lookup.icann.org/lookup) under the query “.shell” domain.
