The .hiv new gTLD is to be put up for auction with a reserve price of $200,000. The decision, made reluctantly, has ultimately come about due to the gTLD not gaining the registrations anticipated at launch. Registrations since though have been doing a better job at meeting projections.
The .hiv registry operator is hoping that another registry operator, probably one that operates multiple strings, will be able to take over its operations and run them on a more cost effective basis.
It's not all doom and gloom. Registrations earn the registry $179 each, which is generally four to ten times that of other gTLDs. The gTLD also has a high rate of use with only 33 percent of .hiv domains parked, compared to around an average of 60 percent for other new gTLDs.
This is what was announced:
"We have always run our organisation with one vision in mind: we want the .hiv TLD to spark a global movement for the end of AIDS", says Carolin Silbernagl, Co-Founder and CEO of the dotHIV Registry in a statement on the Innovative Auctions site. "In the eight months since our launch we have gained a lot of insight about what it needs to reach this. The reason why we are offering .hiv for sale is because we see how successful it can be. However, we realised that dotHIV is not the right vehicle for the next phase - the TLD needs a bigger and more international home to truly spread its wings."
The .hiv registry operator is hoping that another registry operator, probably one that operates multiple strings, will be able to take over its operations and run them on a more cost effective basis.
It's not all doom and gloom. Registrations earn the registry $179 each, which is generally four to ten times that of other gTLDs. The gTLD also has a high rate of use with only 33 percent of .hiv domains parked, compared to around an average of 60 percent for other new gTLDs.
This is what was announced:
"We have always run our organisation with one vision in mind: we want the .hiv TLD to spark a global movement for the end of AIDS", says Carolin Silbernagl, Co-Founder and CEO of the dotHIV Registry in a statement on the Innovative Auctions site. "In the eight months since our launch we have gained a lot of insight about what it needs to reach this. The reason why we are offering .hiv for sale is because we see how successful it can be. However, we realised that dotHIV is not the right vehicle for the next phase - the TLD needs a bigger and more international home to truly spread its wings."
