New gTLDs Registrations Cause Eye-Brow Raising Results!

Since the onset of the new gTLDs being offered, it is being reported that the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) program may be causing a negative effect on the registrations of domains.  A report released by ICANN on February 2, 2015 has reported that of the new 297 TLDs initiated in the Claims period, that there were 25,221,479 Claim Notices generated for the 4.2 million domains registered, which resulted in only 96,471 completed domain registrations.  That is a 6:1 ratio, a significant change from the 4:3 previously reported registration ratio.  These numbers also show that there has been more than a 90% decreased in completed registrations since the start of the TMCH program.  Those in the industry are stating that the TMCH program is having a very negative ‘chilling effect’ towards those that try to register a domain under one of the new gTLDs.