The top-level domain (TLD) .VIRGIN is a brand-specific domain owned by Virgin Enterprises Limited, belonging to the Virgin Group.
Top-level domains offer the highest point in the Domain Name System (DNS) structure. It is also commonly referred to as domain suffixes or domain extensions. The collection of letters after the final dot in a web address, like .com, .net, .org, etc., are examples of generic top-level domains (gTLDs). There are also country-specific extensions like .ca for Canada or .au for Australia, which are known as country-code TLDs (ccTLDs).
However, the reformation of the TLD space offered opportunities for businesses and organizations to register their brand or name as a TLD, known as branded top-level domains. The Virgin Group, owned by Sir Richard Branson, opted to own .VIRGIN for their digital branding. It’s like owning a piece of the internet real estate under your brand name.
Let’s take the example of Virgin Atlantic. It might decide to use www.FlightDeals.Virgin instead of the usual www.VirginAtlantic.com. This enhances not only brand recognition but also user trust and security as it is harder for third parties to lift or misuse the domain name.
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, supervises the domain name system. It put forward the new gTLD (generic top-level domain) Program, whose application window was open from January to May 2012, to allow for new extensions and specificity in the domain space. According to ICANN data, the .VIRGIN gTLD was delegated in March 2017 to Virgin Enterprises Limited, and it is designed to benefit internet users by ensuring increased trust, convenience and utility.
However, the information about specific use of the .VIRGIN gTLD is not widely available, reflecting the nature of these brand TLDs. Typically, the use of branded TLDs is restricted and limited to the brand itself and its official stakeholders.
References:
- Zook, M., & Grubesic, T. H. (2016). The Internet of Things: The geography of the new DNS. In The Geography of the Internet (pp. 252-276). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- ICANN Generic Domains Division (2017). .VIRGIN Delegation Record. ICANN.org. Retrieved from: https://www.icann.org/resources/agreement/virgin-2017-03-01-en
- Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) (2012). New gTLD Program. ICANN.org. Retrieved from: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings
- Patel, S. (2017). Why Brands Like HBO and WWE Are Flocking to Streaming Subscription Services. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/293235
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