Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC
Overview
.KIA is a brand generic top-level domain (gTLD) applied for and operated by Kia Motors Corporation. It provides a dedicated Internet namespace for Kia's corporate branding, communications, websites, email and related services. Registry services for .kia are provided by ARI Registry Services.
History
- Applied for as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program; Reveal Day for applied strings: 13 June 2012.
- The application by Kia Motors Corporation succeeded and the .kia string was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on September 26, 2015.
- TLD type: brand gTLD. Manager: Kia Motors Corporation. Registry operator: ARI Registry Services.
Usage and Audience
- Intended primary users:
- Kia customers
- Kia employees
- Kia affiliates and subsidiaries
- Intended uses:
- Corporate branding and promotional sites
- Navigational domains to guide users to Kia resources and services
- Distribution and exchange of information via websites, email, and social networks
- Context: Kia described the TLD as a platform to support its branding, technology and business services across its global operations (company operates in over 130 countries and maintains a large domain portfolio).
Registration Rules
- Initial policy intent: Kia Motors Corporation stated it would initially reserve all names within the .kia TLD for itself.
- Licensing: Kia anticipated the possibility that affiliates could later be licensed to use domains within the TLD; such licensing would be by contract and would limit permitted uses.
- Enforcement and control:
- Licenses and registrations would be subject to contractual terms enforced by Kia.
- Kia reserves the ability to monitor use and to revoke licenses or registrations if terms are violated; revocation could occur at Kia's discretion.
- Ancillary services: the registry may offer related services tied to domain registration, such as website hosting, SEO, marketing and consulting.
SEO and Brand Impact
- Purpose: .kia was positioned by the applicant as a supporting branding, technology and services platform to strengthen Kia's online presence.
- Brand control: because Kia controls registrations and intends to limit use via contracts, .kia is intended to function as a closely managed corporate namespace for consistent branding and customer navigation.
- Corporate footprint: Kia noted its extensive trademark registrations and large existing domain portfolio as justification for a dedicated brand TLD to interact with customers and stakeholders online.
Operator
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server % for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org % This query returned 1 object domain: KIA organisation: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION address: 231 Yangjae-dong address: Seocho-gu address: Seoul 137-938 address: Korea (the Republic of) contact: administrative name: Chief Operating Officer organisation: GMO BRAND SECURITY Inc. address: Cerulean Tower 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho address: Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8512 address: Japan phone: +81.357841069 fax-no: +81.334625040 e-mail: registry@brightsconsulting.com contact: technical name: Director organisation: GMO Registry, Inc. address: Cerulean Tower address: 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho address: Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8512 address: Japan phone: +81.354561601 fax-no: +81.337805239 e-mail: newgtld@gmoregistry.com nserver: A.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.192.4 nserver: B.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.194.4 nserver: K.GMOREGISTRY.NET 37.209.196.4 nserver: L.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:4:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.198.4 ds-rdata: 2195 8 2 f0e9a6aaf2b84cdd23a98ec5926f0d9f921351207278b1d02ef8067895466377 whois: whois.nic.kia status: ACTIVE remarks: Registration information: http://www.kia.com created: 2015-09-17 changed: 2023-06-20 source: IANA