Company takes over struggling top level domain name.
Top level domain name registry Uniregistry has taken over ownership and management of the .HIV top level domain name.
.HIV launched as a “social cause” TLD about a year ago. It came with a high registration price of about $200, but the registry promised to donate money to HIV/AIDS charities with each visit to a .hiv site.
The idea didn’t take off, with only about 500 registrations in the zone file to date.
So earlier this year the .hiv backers put the domain name up for sale. There were no takers at an auction.
That’s not surprising given that the contract with ICANN for .hiv doesn’t allow the TLD owner to make a profit on it.
Uniregistry might be taking over the domain name for publicity, or it plans to find a way to amend the contract.
Of course, it could also just really want to help in the fight against HIV.
JZ says
it was a bad idea as there is little to no demand for such domains. they’d be better off just shutting it down.
Gene K. says
From a profit and loss perspective, perhaps. For those who are suffering or who are involved in advocacy, it’s a form of representation. Remember, part of the NTLD effort was to bring in innovation to the space and transform it, for that constituency, it’s not about P&L. Your point from a profit perspective however is understood.
Andrew Allemann says
I agree that this was one of the more innovative approaches to a TLD. The innovation didn’t work as well as hoped, but I give kudos for trying.
JZ says
it just didn’t make sense to me that the idea around the tld is donating money to the cause yet the only people who are going to register such domains are organizations who are already involved in the same cause.
Gene K. says
JZ, I can see your point — but there are medical/social/pharma/sports/professional organizations involved in HIV that are for profit that could purchase that TLD. Your point is well taken, and we have all benefited from a LOT of hindsight on new TLD uptake in that past 5 years.
Gene K. says
Candidly, it just doesn’t matter what the intent was for the takeover. At then end of the day, by keeping the .HIV TLD relevant even for a small community, he and Uniregistry did the right thing. This is one instance where integrity trumps volumes and we in the industry are better off for it.
Adam says
Frank should have let this one go. It’s just a stupid extension.