Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC
Overview
.gap is a proposed brand generic top-level domain (gTLD) applied for by The Gap, Inc. in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The string represents the Gap retail brand and is intended as a trusted, hierarchical namespace managed by Gap Inc., its subsidiaries, partners and affiliates to serve Gap customers and support the company's online presence.
History
- Applicant: The Gap, Inc.
- Program: Applied under ICANN's New gTLD Program (Reveal Day referenced 13 June 2012).
- Status in source material: Proposed (tld_status = Proposed). Priority number listed as 1435.
- The application was submitted as part of Gap Inc.'s strategy to file multiple brand gTLDs for its family of brands.
Usage and Audience
- Primary intended registrants and users:
- Gap Inc., its subsidiaries, affiliates and qualified partners.
- Gap brand customers and consumers interacting with Gap's online services.
- Typical industries and segments described in the application:
- Retail stores (Gap, GapKids, BabyGap, GapBody)
- Outlet stores
- E-commerce (Gap.com and country-specific sites)
- Existing online presence referenced in the application includes Gap.com and regional sites such as GapCanada.ca, Gap.eu and Gap.cn.
Registration Rules
- Intended initial registration policy: registrations and use within .GAP were to be limited initially to Gap Inc., its subsidiaries, qualified affiliates and strategic partners to allow Gap Inc. to establish registry operations and achieve sustainability.
- Future expansion: after year three the applicant planned to evaluate whether to expand registrations (potentially to fee-based registrations to parties beyond Gap Inc., subsidiaries, affiliates and partners) depending on sustainability and business strategy.
SEO and Brand Impact
- The application emphasizes protection and preservation of the Gap brand online as a primary goal.
- Intended benefits cited include:
- Protecting Gap Inc.'s online presence and identity
- Expanding marketing and promotion efforts
- Providing a secure channel for online products and services
- Consolidating intellectual property activities related to the brand
- The applicant positioned .GAP as a .BRAND gTLD intended to strengthen trustworthiness and brand control in the DNS namespace.
Notable Cases or Examples
- Gap Inc. indicated it would submit multiple related brand gTLD applications as a family: .GAP, .BANANAREPUBLIC, .OLDNAVY, .ATHLETA, and .PIPERLIME.
- The application notes Gap's global retail footprint and brand valuation context (Interbrand ranking referenced in the application material).
Operator
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server % for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org % This query returned 1 object domain: GAP organisation: The Gap, Inc. address: 2 Folsom Street address: San Francisco CA 94105 address: United States of America (the) contact: administrative name: Director, Consulting & Strategy organisation: FairWinds Partners, LLC address: 1000 Potomac Street NW #350 address: Washington DC 20007 address: United States of America (the) phone: +1 202 223 9252 fax-no: +1 202 223 9256 e-mail: gapregistries@fairwindspartners.com contact: technical name: IANA Contact organisation: GoDaddy Registry address: 100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600 address: Tempe AZ 85281 address: United States of America (the) phone: +1 480 505 8800 fax-no: +1 480 624 2546 e-mail: iana@registry.godaddy nserver: A.NIC.GAP 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:9 37.209.192.9 nserver: B.NIC.GAP 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:9 37.209.194.9 nserver: C.NIC.GAP 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:9 37.209.196.9 nserver: NS1.DNS.NIC.GAP 156.154.144.66 2610:a1:1071:0:0:0:0:42 nserver: NS2.DNS.NIC.GAP 156.154.145.66 2610:a1:1072:0:0:0:0:42 nserver: NS3.DNS.NIC.GAP 156.154.159.66 2610:a1:1073:0:0:0:0:42 ds-rdata: 34711 8 2 e6b688299e2dfc3b96259647e8a564475401d4504729bf8b523a08b4359b4c9f whois: status: ACTIVE remarks: Registration information: http://www.gap.com created: 2016-07-14 changed: 2024-05-11 source: IANA