{"id":495,"date":"2026-08-13T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/2026-new-gtld-round-applications\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T09:00:00","slug":"2026-new-gtld-round-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/blog\/2026-new-gtld-round-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 gTLD round closes with 1,600+ applications: what brand owners do next"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2026 new gTLD round applications are in: ICANN closed the submission window on 12 August 2026 and announced the next day that it had received more than 1,600 primary applications, plus more than 1,100 applications with replacement strings. Nobody outside ICANN yet knows which strings were applied for or by whom. For brand owners in Europe, Latin America and Africa, the useful work now is preparing to read the list on Reveal Day and to act within the objection window that follows.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Update (October 2026):<\/strong> on 22 September ICANN confirmed 1,663 applications submitted, of which 1,616 will proceed after payment. On 29 September it set Reveal Day for 7 October 2026 at 18:00 UTC, the replacement period from 8 to 21 October, String Confirmation Day on 17 November and the community input and objections period from 17 November 2026 to 16 March 2027. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/icann-announces-date-for-reveal-day-and-other-2026-round-milestones-29-09-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 29 September 2026<\/a>; <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>ICANN received more than 1,600 primary applications and more than 1,100 with replacement strings when the window closed at 23:59 UTC on 12 August 2026.<\/li>\n<li>Strings and applicants stay confidential until <strong>Reveal Day<\/strong>, expected within nine weeks of the close.<\/li>\n<li>After Reveal Day comes a 14-day replacement period and then String Confirmation Day, which opens a <strong>104-day window<\/strong> for comments and objections.<\/li>\n<li>A brand owner&#8217;s main tool is the Legal Rights Objection, administered by WIPO: USD 2,000 to file plus USD 8,000 for a single-expert panel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What did ICANN announce on 13 August?<\/h2>\n<p>ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the domain name system) confirmed in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/icann-2026-round-closes-with-more-than-1600-new-gtld-applications-13-08-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announcement of 13 August 2026<\/a> that the window had closed with more than 1,600 primary applications and more than 1,100 applications with replacement strings. Applicants must pay the full evaluation fee by 23:59 UTC on 19 August 2026 or seven days after their invoice, whichever is later; unpaid applications drop out. ICANN said it would announce the Reveal Day date and later milestones in mid-September.<\/p>\n<p>For scale, the 2012 round received 1,930 applications, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/newgtlds.icann.org\/en\/program-status\/statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN&#8217;s programme statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What is a replacement string and why does it matter?<\/h2>\n<p>Under section 1.2.1.5 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/5-module-1-the-applicant-journey.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2026 Applicant Guidebook<\/a>, an applicant could name alternative strings to reduce the chance of ending up in contention with other applicants for the same or a confusingly similar string. During the 14 days after Reveal Day, it may switch its primary string to one of those pre-selected alternatives. Reveal Day will publish primary strings, variants, replacement strings, the public parts of each application and the contention sets. A watch list limited to primary strings can miss the string finally confirmed.<\/p>\n<h2>The 2026 new gTLD round applications timeline from here<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Stage<\/th>\n<th>What happens<\/th>\n<th>Timing<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Payment<\/td>\n<td>Full evaluation fee due; unpaid applications do not proceed<\/td>\n<td>19 August 2026 or 7 days after invoice, whichever is later (ICANN, 13 August)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Administrative Check<\/td>\n<td>ICANN verifies payments and groups applications into contention sets<\/td>\n<td>About 8 weeks after the close (Guidebook 1.2.2.1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Reveal Day<\/td>\n<td>List of applications that passed the check is published<\/td>\n<td>No later than 9 weeks after the close (1.2.2.2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Replacement Period<\/td>\n<td>Applicants may switch to a pre-selected replacement string<\/td>\n<td>14 days after Reveal Day (1.2.2.3)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>String Confirmation Day<\/td>\n<td>Final strings and contention sets published<\/td>\n<td>After the replacement period (1.2.2.4)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Comments and objections<\/td>\n<td>Public comments, objections and GAC Early Warnings<\/td>\n<td>104 days from String Confirmation Day (1.2.3)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>String Evaluation<\/td>\n<td>Similarity, geographic names and other checks<\/td>\n<td>About 180 days, in parallel (1.2.4)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Which objections can a brand owner file?<\/h2>\n<p>Module 4 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/8-module-4-community-input-objections-and-appeals.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Applicant Guidebook<\/a> sets four grounds:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Legal Rights Objection: the string infringes existing legal rights. Rights holders have standing, and WIPO administers it.<\/li>\n<li>String Confusion Objection: reserved for existing gTLD and ccTLD operators and other applicants in this round, also before WIPO. A brand owner without its own TLD cannot file one.<\/li>\n<li>Limited Public Interest Objection: open to anyone, before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).<\/li>\n<li>Community Objection: for established institutions linked to a clearly delineated community, also before the ICC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The losing party may appeal within 15 days of the panel determination. Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/amc\/domain-name-disputes\/lro\/fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO&#8217;s fee schedule<\/a>, a Legal Rights Objection costs a non-refundable USD 2,000 filing fee and a USD 8,000 panel fee for one expert (USD 3,000 and USD 20,000 for three), and the applicant pays the same filing fee to respond.<\/p>\n<h2>What this means for your business<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Build the watch list now: house marks, key product names, and their Spanish, Portuguese and French equivalents where you trade in Latin America and Africa.<\/li>\n<li>Check that your marks are recorded in the Trademark Clearinghouse, which you will need for sunrise and claims notices once new TLDs launch.<\/li>\n<li>Agree who approves an objection and its budget, and gather evidence of registration and use for each mark before Reveal Day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you want one team to screen the list against your portfolio, our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/domain-names\/\">domain name protection and new gTLD monitoring service<\/a> can set up the watch and recommend which strings merit action.<\/p>\n<h2>Where brand owners get the post-application phase wrong<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Waiting for launch. The objection window, not the sunrise months later, is the cheapest point to stop an infringing TLD.<\/li>\n<li>Watching exact matches only. Replacement strings, variants and near matches belong on the list.<\/li>\n<li>Relying on the wrong objection. Only operators and applicants can bring string confusion objections; brand owners need a well-founded Legal Rights Objection.<\/li>\n<li>Thin rights in the target market. A mark that is used but unregistered in a Latin American or African market makes the case harder. Reviewing your <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/trademarks\/\">trademark portfolio across Europe, Latin America and Africa<\/a> early helps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>When will the 2026 round applications be made public?<\/h3>\n<p>On Reveal Day. ICANN said on 13 August 2026 that it expects to publish the list of applications that passed the Administrative Check no later than nine weeks after the window closed on 12 August, and that it would announce the exact date in mid-September. It will show applicants, primary and replacement strings and contention sets.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I object to a new gTLD that matches my trademark?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, through a Legal Rights Objection filed with WIPO during the 104-day window that opens on String Confirmation Day. You must show that the applied-for string infringes your existing legal rights. String confusion objections are reserved for TLD operators and other applicants, so they are not available to most brand owners.<\/p>\n<h3>Can IP Global Guard monitor the 2026 round for my brands?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. We screen the Reveal Day list and confirmed strings against your marks, assess whether a Legal Rights Objection is justified and prepare it with WIPO, acting directly where our professionals are entitled to and through qualified representatives otherwise, from a single point of contact.<\/p>\n<h2>How IP Global Guard can help before Reveal Day<\/h2>\n<p>IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, manages domain names and trademarks with one strategy and one billing relationship across more than 25 jurisdictions; see our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/coverage\/\">coverage in Europe, Latin America and Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Send us the marks and product names you want watched and the markets that matter to you. We will set up the monitoring ahead of Reveal Day and tell you quickly if any string calls for an objection. <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/contact\/\">Contact our domain name team<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the position on its publication date.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/icann-2026-round-closes-with-more-than-1600-new-gtld-applications-13-08-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, ICANN 2026 Round closes with more than 1,600 new gTLD applications (13 August 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 Round Applicant Guidebook, Module 1: The Applicant Journey<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org\/en\/8-module-4-community-input-objections-and-appeals.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook, Module 4: Community Input, Objections and Appeals<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/amc\/domain-name-disputes\/lro\/fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, Legal Rights Objection schedule of fees<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newgtlds.icann.org\/en\/program-status\/statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, New gTLD Program statistics, 2012 Round<\/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, ICANN confirms number of applications proceeding in the 2026 Round (22 September 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icann.org\/en\/announcements\/details\/icann-announces-date-for-reveal-day-and-other-2026-round-milestones-29-09-2026-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICANN, ICANN announces date for Reveal Day and other 2026 Round milestones (29 September 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ICANN received over 1,600 applications in the 2026 new gTLD round. What happens before Reveal Day and how brand owners should prepare for the objection window.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[60,62,58],"class_list":["post-495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-domain-names","tag-icann","tag-new-gtlds","tag-wipo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495","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=495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}