London gTLD opens to the public

The .london generic top-level domain (gTLD) has gone on sale to the public today (Tuesday), allowing anyone to register a second-level address on a first-come, first-served basis.

It follows the closing of a three-month priority period, during which trademark owners and other groups were able to register their names.

Companies including Metro Bank and West Ham United Football Club have already signed up for a .london domain.

Stuart Fuller, director of commercial operations at brand protection company NetNames, said the general availability of .london will help to maintain the city’s position at the forefront of the global digital economy.

“A .london web address gives businesses the opportunity to take advantage of the capital’s powerful ‘brand’, something that many luxury and beauty labels, such as Rimmel London, have been doing for years.

“Businesses looking to capitalise on London’s international brand power and strengthen their internet presence will therefore need to act quickly in order to secure the domain names of their choice,” he said.

Among the other applied-for city gTLDs are .berlin—currently the second most popular new gTLD—and .nyc, which has yet to go on general sale.