The opening of ICANN’s 2026 new gTLD application round marks an important moment for trademark owners and brand holders. For the first time since 2012, eligible organizations have the opportunity to apply for their own top-level domain, including a dotBrand TLD.
A dotBrand can offer rights holders a dedicated and controlled digital space, helping to strengthen brand trust, improve online security, and reduce exposure to domain name abuse. Rather than registering names under third-party extensions, brand owners can operate within a namespace that is directly connected to their own brand identity.
To support rights holders in understanding this opportunity, Com Laude (MarkMonitor Group) and the Trademark Clearinghouse have co-authored a new white paper: “From Trademark to TLD: How rights holders can turn trademarks into trusted digital spaces.”
The white paper explains the strategic value of dotBrand TLDs, outlines the operational considerations involved, and highlights what organizations should prepare when considering an application in the current ICANN round.
Read the full white paper to learn how trademark owners can use dotBrand TLDs to create trusted, secure, and brand-controlled digital spaces.