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Three new domain extensions are joining the party this year and are posed to make a big splash. Welcome .FREE, .HOT, and .SPOT, the latest gTLDs on the block to bring both opportunities and risks for businesses worldwide.
These domains have no restrictions and will be open for public registration on May 19th, so if you have not secured your key trade marks as domains by then, someone else could. By reading this article, you will learn the launch schedule, understand risks / use cases and equip yourself with the knowledge required to take swift action.
Practical Use Cases
.FREE – Ideal for Promotions & Lead Generation
The .FREE domain extension is perfect for businesses offering free trials, promotions or giveaways. It is short, memorable and directly signals no-cost offerings to potential users.
Popular Generic Terms Likely to Be Taken in EAP: vpn.free, antivirus.free, training.free, samples.free, streaming.free, music.free, flights.free, demo.free & compare.free.
.HOT – Great for Trends, Deals & Premium Content
The .HOT extension suits businesses emphasising the latest trends, limited-time deals, or must-have products.
Popular Generic Terms Likely to Be Taken in EAP: fashion.hot, golfs.hot, pizza.hot, coffee.hot, stocks.hot, crypto.hot, beaches.hot, holidays.hot & cameras.hot.
.SPOT – Perfect for Locations & Personalised Branding
The .SPOT gTLD works well for physical locations, community spaces, or unique branding strategies.
Popular Generic Terms Likely to Be Taken in EAP: meeting.spot, music.spot, gaming.spot, networking.spot, coworking.spot, coffee.spot, brunch.spot & sneaker.spot.
The Risks of .FREE, .HOT & .SPOT
The open nature of these domain extensions creates significant risks for brand owners, as there are no pre-requisites for someone to register. Without proactive registration mirroring current key domains, businesses may face:
Brand
Misuse
Competitors, resellers, or cybercriminals could register your brand name and steal legitimate traffic.
Phishing
& Fraud
Bad actors can create fake websites like YourBrand.free or YourProduct.hot to deceive your customers.
Damaged
Reputation
Customers deceived by fraudulent sites imitating your brand loose trust and loyalty.
Expensive
Recovery Costs
Legal action or domain disputes (UDRP, URS) can cost thousands, far exceeding the low registration cost during Sunrise.
We are marking .FREE as a high-risk extension due to its association with giveaways and promotions, making it particularly attractive for scammers. Research by multiple universities back this, citing 'free', being often used by scammers to appeal to individuals who are in financial difficulty and willing to take more risks.
Imagine seeing:
• Apple.free promoting fake iPhone giveaways.
• Nike.free offering counterfeit shoes.
• Netflixsubscription.free stealing customer data.
• YourBrand.free being misused for phishing.
Once these domains are taken, reclaiming them can be costly and time-consuming, proactively registering domains that match your key trade marks is critical.
Newly Launching TLDs
Why Trade Mark Owners
Should Act Now
The Sunrise Period launches April 2nd and offers trademark owners a low-cost, first-priority registration opportunity. By placing desired domains onto our waiting list you avoid:
Missing out on due to the first come, first served nature | Paying inflated prices in EAP | Losing your brand name to third parties | Engaging in costly legal battles to reclaim your domains.
Even if you do not plan to actively use the domains, we advise to defensively register to ensure your name remains under your control.
Launch Schedule
Sunrise Phase | April 2, 13:00 UTC – May 2, 12:59 UTC
- Reserved for trade mark owners who have been verified through the TMCH
- Standard and premium registrations available.
- This is the best time to secure your key trade marks as domains at the lowest possible cost before public access.
- Annual Cost: .FREE: £60.00, .HOT: £72.00 & .SPOT: £45.00
Contact us before sunrise phase launches to get your desired domains on a waiting list, for immediate application.
Early Access Period (EAP) | May 12, 13:00 UTC – May 17, 12:59 UTC
- Domains become available to everyone (no trade mark required) at an additional one-time fee that decreases each day:
- Day 1: £7,155
- Day 2: £3,690
- Day 3: £1,530
- Day 4 £810
- Day 5: £225
General Availability | May 19, 13:00 UTC onwards
- Domains are available to everyone at standard pricing.
- No restrictions, anyone can register any available domain
Why Register With Lexsynergy?
As one of the world’s most directly accredited registrars, with access to 1,300+ extensions, we cut out the middlemen, offering one affordable place to protect and manage your digital assets.
Founded by trade mark lawyers, we understand the pivotal role that domains play in a modern Intellectual Property portfolio and provide tailored strategy for businesses looking to protect themselves online.
The launch of .FREE, .HOT, and .SPOT presents both opportunities and risks. Businesses that act early will secure their brand’s online presence in these sought after extensions, while those who delay, may find themselves fighting to recover their brand from resellers, competitors, or fraudsters.
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