.kiwi
| Status: | Proposed |
| country: | New Zealand Community |
| Manager: | Dot Kiwi Ltd |
| Registry Provider: | Minds + Machines |
| Type: | gTLD |
| Category: | Culture |
| PIC Submitted: | Download Here |
| Priority #: | 331 - Dot Kiwi |
.kiwi is a proposed gTLD within ICANN's new gTLD program. The TLD plays off a self-identifying title used by New Zealanders, and is intended for use by New Zealand identifying companies and individuals. A company founded by expatriate New Zealand businessman living in Canada, Dot Kiwi Ltd, has applied for the gTLD . Dot Kiwi has teamed up with Minds + Machines to apply for the domain and manage the possible registry. Minds + Machines famously brought on New Zelander, and former ICANN Chairman, Peter Dengate Thrush after his tenure as an ICANN director ended following the approval of the new gTLD program at ICANN 41.
The TLD is setting itself up to directly compete with New Zealand's ccTLD, .nz, to act as the top level national identifier. .nz's manager, the non-profit InternetNZ, had not ruled out that the organization would also apply for the .kiwi TLD. However, instead of submitting its own application for .kiwi, InternetNZ approved the creation of the second level domain .kiwi.nz, for those who want to register personal domain names. Registrations for .kiwi.nz opened on September 11, 2012, but the company's policy states that the 2LD will not go live until 500 registrations are made.[1]
.kiwi will not have restrictions on citizenship or relation to New Zealand, which is one major differentiation between the ccTLD, .nz. It will be open to any registrant that wants to associate themselves with the kiwi identity.[2]
Dot Kiwi Ltd has already said it will give a percentage of revenue to help victims of the Christchurch earthquake through its potential revenue.[3]