New gTLDs available / how to protect the PostgreSQL brand - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

Hi everyone,

The ICANN has launched a few month ago a new program to release 100
generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as ".kitchen", ".sexy",
".tatoo", etc. Personally I think this expansion has a flawed
justification and that it will only do harm to brand owners and create
overall confusion. Anyway whether we like it or not, these new gTLDs are
out there in the wild and I think the PostgreSQL community needs to
organize itself to protect its brand.

For example, the domain "postgresql.guru" is already reserved and we
don't have any control on it.

Looking at this situation, DALIBO decided to take action quickly and
during the last few days we acquired the following domains :

postgresql.academy
postgresql.training
postgresql.support
postgresql.solutions
postgresql.company

All these domains are now redirected to postgresql.org. DALIBO will
never use them to promote its own activities. We are willing to transfer
these domains ASAP to a community-driven non-profit legal entity who
would have a mission of protecting the strategic PostgreSQL gTLDs
against cyber-squatting and other bad behaviors. This entity could be
SPI, PostgreSQL Europe or PGCAC (if it's still alive)

We do not consider that every new gTLDs should be protected. Things like
postgresql.plumbing, postgresql.restaurant or postgresql.aero won't
create any confusion for the PostgreSQL user base. However domains like
the ones we acquired today are critical. We hope that every one will
agree that if a company runs a www.postgresql.support website, some
users may think that it is an official initiative from the PostgreSQL
community to provide support.

Now some may ask : why did DALIBO acquired these domains before
launching this thread ? Why not discuss the matter here first and then
register the domains we want to protect. The answer is that some of the
new gTLDS are already taken (postgresql.guru) and we have the feeling
that this thread will be long, leaving the opportunity to anyone to grab
the domains before we even start to find an agreement.

By acquiring these domains, we also want to highlight the fact that our
community has an history of badly handling its own domains. We're not
pointing the finger at anyone in particular. Protecting a brand is a
difficult thing for a decentralized community like us. However we think
the PostgreSQL community can do better. We believe there are lots of
PostgreSQL companies that are willing to pay an independent entity to
hold and protect the strategic PostgreSQL top-level domains.

Regards,

--
Damien CLOCHARD
Directeur des Opérations / COO
Cel : +33 (0)6 74 15 56 78
http://dalibo.com - http://dalibo.org