.spa

Overview

• .spa is a proposed generic top-level domain (gTLD) submitted under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string targets the spa and wellness sector and was put forward as a community-focused domain by the Asia Spa and Wellness Promotion Council Limited (ASWPC).

History

• Initially multiple applicants filed for .spa, including Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd. (TLDH), Donuts (Foggy Sunset, LLC), and Asia Spa and Wellness Promotion Council Limited (ASWPC).
• TLDH withdrew its .spa application in April 2013.
• Donuts withdrew its application in November 2018, leaving ASWPC as the sole active applicant.
• In May 2014 ICANN allowed the .spa applications to proceed despite an objection from the Belgian government (related to the city of Spa).
• ASWPC underwent Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) and won in 2015 with a score of 14 out of 16.

Usage and Audience

• ASWPC framed .spa as a community TLD intended for the global spa and wellness community.
• Intended registrants include:
  • Spa operators and owners
  • Spa professionals and practitioners
  • Spa associations and their members
  • Manufacturers, distributors, and service providers for spa products
• Although ASWPC is focused on Asia, it stated the intention to operate .spa as an open, international community space.

Registration Rules

• ASWPC indicated it would establish an International Registry board to oversee registration policies for .spa.
• The application framed the TLD as a community-run space for spa industry stakeholders; specific technical restrictions, eligibility criteria, registration periods, and character rules were not detailed in the source material.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Objection from Belgium: The Belgian government raised concerns through the GAC because the city of Spa (Belgium) is the origin of the word "spa." ASWPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the city of Spa to reserve certain second-level domains and allocate part of revenues for the city's benefit.
• Competitive contention and withdrawals: Donuts contested ASWPC's CPE via ICANN processes before ultimately withdrawing its application in 2018. TLDH withdrew earlier in 2013.
• Legal disputes: DotPH (DotPH Domains Inc.) and related entities filed legal actions alleging disputes over ownership stakes and rights related to the .spa application and associated companies. A suit by DotPH and NSPH Limited against ASWPC and others was filed on October 19, 2020, in the High Court of Hong Kong; additional claims involving DotAsia and Namesphere were also referenced in draft filings.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       SPA

organisation: Asia Spa and Wellness Promotion Council Limited
address:      The Campus, Level 6, Menara Kelana Parkview, Jalan SS6/2
address:      Petaling Jaya Selangor 47301
address:      Malaysia

contact:      administrative
name:         Vice President, Engineering
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1.425.298.2200
fax-no:       +1.425.671.0020
e-mail:       tldadmin@identity.digital

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1.425.298.2200
fax-no:       +1.425.671.0020
e-mail:       tldtech@identity.digital

nserver:      A0.NIC.SPA 2a01:8840:2e:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.48.17
nserver:      A2.NIC.SPA 2a01:8840:31:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.51.17
nserver:      B0.NIC.SPA 2a01:8840:2f:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.49.17
nserver:      C0.NIC.SPA 2a01:8840:30:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.50.17
ds-rdata:     11881 8 2 5f494f6958801e119d309bf6cd627c42d1fd04055703aeaac2c2d1b98db00b97

whois:        whois.nic.spa

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://nic.spa

created:      2020-09-25
changed:      2023-09-01
source:       IANA