Brand owners will soon have a rare opportunity to own their brand name as a domain extension. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is preparing to accept applications for “dotBrand” generic top-level domains (gTLDs) as part of its next New gTLD application round. This will be the first opportunity since 2012 to apply for new gTLDs. Unlike the 2012 round, which largely favored professional registry operators, the 2026 round accommodates brand owners seeking closed, brand-only namespaces.
The opportunity is infrequent—but it comes at a steep price. The ICANN application fee alone is $227,000 USD, plus a $500 USD dotBrand evaluation fee, with additional costs for registry back-end services and application-related service providers.
Given the cost, who should consider a dotBrand application? For global, consumer‑facing brands, a dotBrand gTLD presents a significant opportunity to enhance brand trust and strengthen security. Because the brand owner retains exclusive control over all domain names within the gTLD, third parties cannot register domains ending in the brand’s name. This structure can materially reduce phishing and impersonation risk, eliminate the need for extensive defensive registrations across open gTLDs, and lessen the ongoing burden of policing cybersquatters and typosquatters. In practical terms, brand owners can communicate a simple rule to consumers: if it doesn’t end in “.ourbrand,” it’s not us.
There are also operational and marketing benefits. Because the gTLD is controlled in-house, brand owners can register desired domain names on demand without concerns that names have already been taken, enabling faster deployment of campaigns or internal initiatives.
The application process, however, is resource‑intensive, highly regulated, and subject to potential objections. Among other requirements, a dotBrand gTLD must be used solely in connection with the applicant’s validated trademark rights and supported by a Signed Mark Data (SMD) file issued through the Trademark Clearinghouse. As a result, many large brands are already evaluating their eligibility, trademark coverage, and registry service arrangements in advance of the filing window.
The application window is expected to open in late April 2026 and remain open for approximately 12 to 15 weeks. Brand owners considering a dotBrand strategy should begin planning well in advance of the filing deadline.
For more information on this topic, please contact Fitch Even partner Danielle K. Muñoz, author of this alert.
Fitch Even IP Alert®
Danielle K. Muñoz
Dani Muñoz has a rare advantage in her field: she previously worked as a Trademark Examining Attorney at the USPTO, which gives her an insider's knowledge of how the USPTO examines and evaluates trademark applications. She leverages this insight to efficiently overcome obstacles and objections that arise for her clients during trademark prosecution.