Early Warning Note hits 365 string requests as fresh TLD application deadline nears

The platform has logged interest in 313 unique strings, counting 41 with competing applicants.

Early Warning Note, a platform to help top level domain applicants avoid contention sets, has gained significant momentum over the past couple of weeks.

As of July 11, firms had purchased 365 String Interest Notes (SIR), with a spike in the past week. An SIR is a firm registering its interest in a single top level domain name.

Those SIRs cover 313 unique top level domain strings, and there are 41 overlapping strings. Ninety-three entities submitted those 41 strings.

The overlapping strings are what the platform is designed to help most with: it allows potential applicants to work out deals ahead of time to prevent contention.

ICANN’s applicant guidebook forbids parties from talking to each other and working out deals following the organization reveals what everyone has applied for in October. Early Warning Note was created to enable parties to understand what other applicants are applying for, so they can discuss options ahead of the reveal date.

With the top level domain application closing in regarding a month, applicants can also submit Contention Avoidance Notes. This is when an entity has put their money where their mouth is and fully applied for the string rather than just shown interest.