Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC
Overview
- .book is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) created under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
- The string is intended for the books and publishing sector and related uses.
- Amazon became the successful applicant and the .book string was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 05 December 2015.
History
- Reveal and applications: .book was included among applied-for strings announced during the New gTLD application process (reveal day June 2012).
- Multiple applicants initially contested the string, including:
- Amazon (applied via its Luxembourg office with assistance from Valideus)
- Donuts (Double Bloom, LLC)
- R.R. Bowker LLC
- Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd. (TLDH)
- Famous Four Media (Bronze Registry Limited)
- DotBook, LLC
- Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.)
- Global Domain Registry Pty Ltd (application later withdrawn)
- STRAAT Investments (application withdrawn)
- Objections and filings: Rakuten filed a community objection against Amazon's application; several applicants submitted Public Interest Commitments (PICs).
- Auction and outcome: A private auction in November 2014 left Amazon as the sole applicant for .book.
- Delegation: The .book string was delegated to the Root Zone on 05 December 2015.
- Funding note: Top Level Domain Holdings announced a $15 million funding agreement to back auction participation in contention cases (noting TLDH's broader auction-related activity).
Usage and Audience
- Primary audience: businesses and organizations in the books and publishing ecosystem, including publishers, booksellers, authors, and book-related services.
- Potential uses: brand sites, author portfolios, online bookstores, publishing imprints, metadata or discovery services tied to books and reading.
SEO and Brand Impact
- Competition and exclusivity concerns arose during evaluation:
- Amazon's application received a GAC Early Warning (from Australia/GAC Chair Heather Dryden) noting the risk of granting exclusive access to a common generic string that relates to a broad market sector.
- Amazon's broader strategy of applying for so-called "closed generics" (generic terms intended for use in a closed system) drew scrutiny for potential negative impacts on competition and market access.
- Industry response: booksellers, including Barnes & Noble and others, submitted protests and letters to ICANN expressing concern about Amazon's new gTLD applications and the potential competitive effects.
Notable Cases or Examples
- Amazon became the sole applicant for .book after a private auction in November 2014 and its application succeeded.
- The application process included a GAC Early Warning regarding exclusivity and competition concerns.
- Rakuten filed a community objection against Amazon's application; several other applicants either withdrew or were defeated during contention resolution.
- Delegation to the DNS root occurred on 05 December 2015, marking .book's entry into the global DNS.
Operator
Amazon Registry Services, Inc.
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server % for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org % This query returned 1 object domain: BOOK organisation: Amazon Registry Services, Inc. address: 410 Terry Avenue North address: Seattle WA 98109 address: United States of America (the) contact: administrative name: Program Manager, Registry organisation: Amazon Registry Services, Inc. address: 410 Terry Avenue North address: Seattle WA 98109 address: United States of America (the) phone: +1 206 646 5990 fax-no: +1 206 946 7702 e-mail: arsi-rzm@amazon.com contact: technical name: TLD Registry Services Technical organisation: Nominet address: Minerva House address: Edmund Halley Road address: Oxford Science Park address: Oxford OX4 4DQ address: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the) phone: +44.1865332211 e-mail: registrytechnical@nominet.uk nserver: DNS1.NIC.BOOK 213.248.218.61 2a01:618:402:0:0:0:0:61 nserver: DNS2.NIC.BOOK 103.49.82.61 2401:fd80:402:0:0:0:0:61 nserver: DNS3.NIC.BOOK 213.248.222.61 2a01:618:406:0:0:0:0:61 nserver: DNS4.NIC.BOOK 2401:fd80:406:0:0:0:0:61 43.230.50.61 nserver: DNSA.NIC.BOOK 156.154.100.3 2001:502:ad09:0:0:0:0:3 nserver: DNSB.NIC.BOOK 156.154.101.3 2001:502:2eda:0:0:0:0:3 nserver: DNSC.NIC.BOOK 156.154.102.3 2610:a1:1009:0:0:0:0:3 nserver: DNSD.NIC.BOOK 156.154.103.3 2610:a1:1010:0:0:0:0:3 ds-rdata: 44297 8 2 66bf547095380bd991dead7d74cefd93b8cfb8a8eabb9f43881b6842de837237 whois: status: ACTIVE remarks: Registration information: http://www.nic.book created: 2015-11-12 changed: 2025-02-14 source: IANA