{"id":481,"date":"2026-07-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/brand-tld-application-cost-benefit\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T09:00:00","slug":"brand-tld-application-cost-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/blog\/brand-tld-application-cost-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"Should your brand apply for its own .brand TLD? A cost-benefit analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A .brand TLD application makes sense for a minority of companies: those with a concrete use for their own namespace and the budget to run a registry for at least ten years. In ICANN&#8217;s 2026 round, the evaluation fee alone is USD 227,000 per application, ICANN&#8217;s annual fees follow once the extension goes live, and the application window closes at 23:59 UTC on 12 August 2026. For most groups operating in several jurisdictions, watching the round and objecting where needed will be the better use of budget.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Update (October 2026):<\/strong> ICANN announced on 22 September 2026 that it received 1,663 applications, of which 1,616 have paid the evaluation fee and will proceed. Applied-for strings will be published on Reveal Day, expected no later than 14 October 2026, before the objection period opens. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/icann-confirms-number-of-applications-proceeding-in-the-2026-round-22-09-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 22 September 2026<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>evaluation fee is USD 227,000<\/strong> per application; the .Brand eligibility check adds USD 500.<\/li>\n<li>To qualify, the string must exactly match the textual elements of a registered trade mark owned by the applicant, proved through the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH).<\/li>\n<li>Once delegated, the registry pays ICANN a fixed fee of USD 6,437.50 per quarter (2025 amount) and must use an evaluated registry service provider.<\/li>\n<li>.Brand status brings real contractual advantages, but no registry is a defensive tool on its own.<\/li>\n<li>Companies that do not apply can still object to harmful strings through WIPO once the applications are published.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What does a .brand TLD application cost?<\/h2>\n<p>The figures below come from Module 3 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/7-module-3-application-submission.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2026 Applicant Guidebook<\/a> and Article 6 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/itp.cdn.icann.org\/en\/files\/registry-agreements\/base-registry-agreement-12-03-2026-en.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Base Registry Agreement approved on 12 March 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Amount<\/th>\n<th>When it applies<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>gTLD evaluation fee<\/td>\n<td>USD 227,000<\/td>\n<td>Every application; payment due by 19 August 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>.Brand TLD eligibility evaluation<\/td>\n<td>USD 500<\/td>\n<td>Applications seeking .Brand status<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Name collision high-risk mitigation plan<\/td>\n<td>USD 100,000 to 150,000 (estimate)<\/td>\n<td>Only if the string is identified as high risk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ICANN registry-level fixed fee<\/td>\n<td>USD 6,437.50 per quarter (as of 1 January 2025)<\/td>\n<td>From delegation, for the life of the agreement<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ICANN per-transaction fee<\/td>\n<td>USD 0.2575 per registration-year (2025)<\/td>\n<td>Only above 50,000 transactions in a quarter or four consecutive quarters<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Registry service provider and internal team<\/td>\n<td>Not set by ICANN<\/td>\n<td>Throughout operation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>At the 2025 amount, the fixed fee alone adds up to about USD 257,500 over the ten-year term of the agreement, and ICANN can update it. If you withdraw, refunds fall with time: 65% of the evaluation fee up to ten days after String Confirmation Day, 35% until evaluation starts and 20% until the registry agreement is signed.<\/p>\n<h2>Who qualifies for a .brand TLD?<\/h2>\n<p>Section 7.3 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/11-module-7-string-and-application-evaluation-procedures.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guidebook<\/a> sets the .Brand eligibility test. The applicant must submit one or more Signed Mark Data (SMD) files from the TMCH, the string must exactly match the textual elements of the registered mark, and the applicant must own that mark. Specification 13 of the Base Registry Agreement adds that only the registry operator, its affiliates and trade mark licensees may hold names in the TLD, and that the string must not be a generic word.<\/p>\n<p>If the eligibility evaluation fails, the applicant can continue without .Brand status, but then operates an ordinary registry with all its obligations. In practice, the trade mark work comes first: which group company owns the mark, in which countries it is registered, and whether the exact string is recorded in the TMCH.<\/p>\n<h2>What does .Brand status give you?<\/h2>\n<p>Specification 13 changes the standard registry contract in ways that matter to a brand owner:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Exemption from the Registry Operator Code of Conduct in Specification 9.<\/li>\n<li>No obligation to run TMCH sunrise or claims services while the TLD remains a .Brand.<\/li>\n<li>Up to three ICANN-accredited registrars may be designated as exclusive registrars.<\/li>\n<li>If the agreement ends, ICANN may not delegate the string to a successor operator for two years without the brand owner&#8217;s consent, save in limited cases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The agreement runs for ten years and renews for further ten-year periods (sections 4.1 and 4.2), and the operator must complete delegation testing within twelve months of signing (section 2.19). Under Module 5 of the Guidebook, if another applicant seeks the same string, a .Brand applicant can file a .Brand String Change Request within 30 days to add words from its trade mark and leave contention; private auctions are prohibited and ICANN runs an auction of last resort.<\/p>\n<p>The business case sits outside the contract: a namespace where every address is yours can support customer trust, short country or product sites and a clearer line against look-alike domains. Those benefits depend on actually using the extension.<\/p>\n<h2>Cost-benefit: should your brand apply for a .brand TLD?<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Factor<\/th>\n<th>Points towards applying<\/th>\n<th>Points against<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Use<\/td>\n<td>Concrete plan for portals, country sites or secure communications<\/td>\n<td>Only &#8220;to have it&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Budget<\/td>\n<td>Evaluation fee plus ten years of ICANN fees and operation approved<\/td>\n<td>One-off budget only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Trade mark<\/td>\n<td>Registered mark matching the string exactly, owned by the applicant<\/td>\n<td>Variations, generic word or ownership spread across the group<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Contention risk<\/td>\n<td>Distinctive, invented mark<\/td>\n<td>Common word other companies may also apply for<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Governance<\/td>\n<td>Named owner across legal, IT and marketing<\/td>\n<td>No one responsible after launch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Our recommendation is to decide on the first two rows. If there is no use and no multi-year budget, the remaining factors do not change the answer.<\/p>\n<h2>Not applying? How to protect your brand in the 2026 round<\/h2>\n<p>A company can defend its mark without running a registry. Once ICANN publishes the applications, any trade mark owner can review them and, where a string infringes its rights, file a Legal Rights Objection (LRO) with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. The Guidebook&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/5-module-1-the-applicant-journey.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">applicant journey<\/a> sets the objection period at 104 days from String Confirmation Day. WIPO&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/amc\/domain-name-disputes\/lro\/fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LRO fee schedule<\/a> sets a non-refundable filing fee of USD 2,000 and a panel fee of USD 8,000 for a single-member panel.<\/p>\n<p>Recording your key marks in the TMCH is useful either way: it is required to apply as a .Brand and it is the reference for the rights protection services that ordinary new registries must offer.<\/p>\n<h2>What this means for your business<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Decide before the end of July, with legal, finance and IT in the same meeting, and record the decision.<\/li>\n<li>If you apply: confirm the owner of the mark, obtain the TMCH SMD file, choose an evaluated registry service provider and test payment in ICANN&#8217;s application system well before 12 August.<\/li>\n<li>If you do not apply: list the strings that would harm you, budget for objections and set a watch for Reveal Day.<\/li>\n<li>Either way, review your trade mark portfolio in Europe, Latin America and Africa, since every objection and every .Brand test rests on it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Our team for <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/domain-names\/\">.brand TLD applications, objections and domain strategy<\/a> can run that review with you, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/ip-strategy-cross-border\/\">cross-border IP strategy team<\/a> can align it with the rest of the portfolio.<\/p>\n<h2>Where companies get the .brand decision wrong<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A string that does not match the registered mark.<\/strong> A stylised logo, a slogan or a different spelling does not meet the exact-match test.<\/li>\n<li>The wrong applicant. The applicant must own the mark; in groups, the mark often sits with a holding or a regional subsidiary.<\/li>\n<li>Treating the fee as the whole cost. Registry operation, ICANN fees and compliance run for at least a decade.<\/li>\n<li>Missing the payment step. Applications close on 12 August, but the fee must reach ICANN by 19 August or the application is cancelled.<\/li>\n<li>Ignoring other applicants. Not applying is reasonable; not watching the round is not.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How much does a .brand TLD cost in ICANN&#8217;s 2026 round?<\/h3>\n<p>The evaluation fee is USD 227,000 per application, plus USD 500 for the .Brand eligibility evaluation. After delegation, the registry pays ICANN a fixed fee, USD 6,437.50 per quarter at the 2025 amount, and bears the cost of an evaluated registry service provider and internal management. Some applications face extra conditional fees, such as a name collision mitigation plan.<\/p>\n<h3>Who can apply for a .brand TLD?<\/h3>\n<p>An applicant that owns a registered trade mark whose textual elements exactly match the applied-for string, proved through Signed Mark Data files from the Trademark Clearinghouse. Only the applicant, its affiliates and trade mark licensees may then hold names in the TLD, and the string cannot be a generic word.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I protect my brand in the 2026 round without applying?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. After ICANN publishes the applied-for strings, a trade mark owner can file a Legal Rights Objection with WIPO against a string that infringes its rights, within the 104-day objection period. WIPO&#8217;s fees for a single-member panel are USD 2,000 to file plus USD 8,000 for the panel. Monitoring the published list is the essential first step.<\/p>\n<h3>Can IP Global Guard help with a .brand application or an objection?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. We assess whether a .brand is justified, align the trade mark side (ownership, exact string and TMCH recording) and coordinate with the registry service provider you appoint. If you do not apply, we watch the published applications and prepare and coordinate objections before WIPO, directly when our professionals are qualified and otherwise through qualified representatives.<\/p>\n<h2>Make the .brand decision with IP Global Guard<\/h2>\n<p>Whether you apply or not, the 2026 round turns on your trade mark position. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, handles domain strategy, trade marks and objections with one strategy and one billing relationship across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa; see our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/coverage\/\">coverage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tell us the brand you are considering, how you would use the extension and which group company owns the mark. We will give you a clear view on applying or not and, if not, a plan to watch and object. <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/contact\/\">Book a review with our domain team<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects ICANN&#8217;s rules on the date of publication.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/reminder-icann-2026-round-new-gtld-application-window-closes-12-august-13-07-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, Reminder: 2026 Round application window closes 12 August (13 July 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/5-module-1-the-applicant-journey.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 2026 Applicant Guidebook, Module 1: the applicant journey<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/7-module-3-application-submission.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 2026 Applicant Guidebook, Module 3: fees and payments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/9-module-5-contention-set-resolution.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 2026 Applicant Guidebook, Module 5: contention set resolution<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/11-module-7-string-and-application-evaluation-procedures.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 2026 Applicant Guidebook, Module 7: .Brand TLD eligibility evaluation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.cdn.icann.org\/en\/files\/registry-agreements\/base-registry-agreement-12-03-2026-en.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, Base Registry Agreement (approved 12 March 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/amc\/domain-name-disputes\/lro\/fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO Center, Legal Rights Objection fee schedule<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/icann-confirms-number-of-applications-proceeding-in-the-2026-round-22-09-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, Number of applications proceeding in the 2026 Round (22 September 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cost-benefit analysis of a .brand TLD application in ICANN&#8217;s 2026 round: fees, eligibility, Specification 13 advantages and how to protect your brand without applying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1109,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[60,58],"class_list":["post-481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-domain-names","tag-icann","tag-wipo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}