.nike

Status:	Delegated
Registry Provider:	Nike
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	528 - NIKE, Inc.
More information:

.nike is a Brand TLD delegated to the Root Zone in ICANN's New gTLD Program on 9 July 2016. The registry operator is NIKE, Inc.

Application Details

The following is an excerpt from the applicant's response to question # 18:

"The principal business activity of NIKE, Inc. (“Nike”) is the design, development, and worldwide marketing and selling of high quality footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products. Nike is the world’s largest seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel. Nike sells its products to retail accounts; through Nike-owned retail stores and Internet sales, referred to as “Direct to Consumer” operations; and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees, in over 170 countries. Nike’s online content is viewable in .COM, .MOBI, .ORG, and .NET, and various ccTLDs.

Nike’s athletic footwear products are designed primarily for specific athletic use, though many products are worn for casual or leisure purposes. Nike places great emphasis on high quality construction and innovation in products designed for men, women, and children. Running, training, basketball, soccer, sport-inspired casual shoes, and kids’ shoes are currently Nike’s top-selling footwear categories and Nike expects them to continue to lead product sales in the near future. Nike also markets footwear designed for baseball, cheerleading, football, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, skateboarding, tennis, volleyball, walking, wrestling, and other athletic and recreational uses.

Nike sells sports apparel and accessories covering most of the above categories, sports-inspired lifestyle apparel, athletic bags, and accessory items. Nike apparel and accessories feature the same trademarks and are sold through the same marketing and distribution channels. Nike often markets footwear, apparel, and accessories in “collections” of similar design or for specific purposes. Nike also markets apparel with licensed college and professional team and league logos. Nike sells a line of performance equipment under the NIKE Brand name, including bags, socks, sport balls, eyewear, timepieces, electronic devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, golf clubs, and other equipment designed for sports activities.

Nike has entered into license agreements that permit unaffiliated parties to manufacture and sell certain apparel, electronic devices, and other equipment designed for sports activities. Nike’s brands include Nike, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley, Jordan, NIKE Golf, and Umbro.

Nike has invested millions of dollars in advertising and promoting the NIKE Mark and has sold billions of dollars in merchandising under the Mark. In addition to its inherent distinctiveness and as a result of Nike’s extensive marketing efforts, substantial sales, and the resulting success of its merchandise, the NIKE Mark has also become famous and represents extraordinarily valuable goodwill associated with and owned by Nike. The fame and reputation symbolized by the NIKE Mark has been developed, in part, through Nike’s extensive efforts to rigorously protect its NIKE Mark. The NIKE Mark is exceedingly well known and famous, and recognized worldwide as an indication of merchandise emanating from Nike.

Nike intends to analyze general market adoption to determine short- and long-term potential best use options to most effectively serve and enhance its online strategy.

The intended future mission and purpose of .NIKE is to serve as a trusted and intuitive namespace for Nike, its affiliate brands, and its consumers. However, to date there has not been enough time, or market information available, to fully analyze and evaluate all potential use options.

Although ICANN has not specifically recognized a .BRAND gTLD specification in the Applicant Guidebook, brand owners widely anticipate that this will become a specialty subset of gTLDs. .NIKE is planned as a .BRAND gTLD, with the goal of protecting Nike’s online presence and identity.

Nike intends to initially limit registration and use of domain names within .NIKE to Nike and qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. This initial limited use will allow Nike to establish operations and achieve full sustainability. This limited distribution, plus other requirements set forth in Specification 9 of the template Registry Agreement, is intended to exempt Nike from its annual Code of Conduct Compliance requirements."