Reglikedomain industry desk

Brakes on top level domain — Volkswagen slams

Brakes on top level domain — Volkswagen slams

The firm is terminating its contracdt for .volkswagen.

Picture of a Volkswagen car in the garage

Volkswagen Group of America Inc. is cancelling its top level domain name, .volkswagen.

The automaker informed ICANN that it hasn’t put the domain name to use and does not need it. It came to this conclusion seven years following the string was delegated.

Volkswagen’s Chinese subsidiary also got a dot-brand top level domain name, but it canceled the contract for that domain in 2021.

The carmaker joins a growing list of firms that have recently canceled dot-brand top level domain names, counting CBS, Ferrero, Tiffany, and Northwestern Mutual.

Consultants claim that many brand owners are interested in applying in the next round of top level domains, which will open for applications in 2026 or later. But given the lackluster track record of firms that obtained these domains a decade ago, I have my doubts.

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