# Canon Launches Renewed Global Website Using New .canon Top-Level Domain Name



## Canon Rumors Guy (May 16, 2016)

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<strong>TOKYO, May 16, 2016</strong>—Canon Inc. announced that the Company has gone live today with a renewed global website employing a web address that departs from the traditional location-specific “www.canon.com” to the new “global.canon” proprietary domain name. The launch marks Canon’s first use of the “.canon” top-level domain<sup>1</sup> (TLD) since acquiring it in February 2015.</p>
<p>Because “.canon” can only be used by Canon Group companies and services, visitors to sites that use the new TLD can easily confirm their authenticity and be assured that the information they contain is reliable. Additionally, by leveraging the simplicity of the TLD, which is easy to remember and easy to understand, Canon aims to enhance the Company’s global brand value.</p>
<p><strong>Canon begins using new “.canon” top-level domain

</strong>The TLD “.canon,” which makes use of Canon’s company name in the right-most side of the web address, is based on the new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) Program.<sup>2</sup> With the launch today of the “global.canon” website,<sup>3</sup> Canon is providing information to a global audience with a new online presence.</p>
<p><strong>Canon renews global website

</strong>Canon conducts business activities around the world, providing information and services over the Internet to not only the Company’s customers, business partners and shareholders, but to all stakeholders in countries and regions across the globe. In addition to the English-language version of the “global.canon” website launched today, Canon will introduce other languages to the site in the future to share brand messages and other information globally.</p>
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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 17, 2016)

I knw they sold those for a $10,000 each to valid companies. I have not noticed any yet. No .Amazon, No .NBC, no .canonrumors . 

I expect we will see them or some may redirect you to the new domains.

Canon seems to have more than the expected number of issues with their web sites, and keep changing them around, leaving us unable to find our favorite pages. Here we go again.


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## expatinasia (May 17, 2016)

This makes a lot of sense to me, and I can see how it would be good for massive global brand names like Canon, Sony, HSBC, Toshiba, Samsung and the like.

I think those with less than a household name should stick with .com for now.


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## LDS (May 17, 2016)

It would be useful if they used cameras.canon, eflenses.canon, printers.canon, video.canon. museum.canon, support.cameras.canon, and so on. global.canon is worse than canon.com.

But because marketing would like you to land on a page with all their product together and force you to navigate among several pages to find what you need, that will never happen.

It looks that most companies bought the top level domain just to protect their brand, without real plans to use it. Just, if not used it will be revoked.


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## unfocused (May 17, 2016)

With today's search engines, I question how much this really matters. I agree that major brands probably need to buy these in order to protect themselves, but I don't think it will change how people find products or brands. Most will just type a string into Google or another search engine and be sent to the site they are looking for.

A cynic might suggest this is just a revenue generator for ICANN.


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## LDS (May 17, 2016)

unfocused said:


> With today's search engines, I question how much this really matters.



It may help on some materials. For example you can have "more info at 1dx2.photo.canon" displayed on a page or even a billboard, instead of www.canon.com/photo/cameras/1dx2 (or a QR code alone)

Some users can also remember and type some addresses - and it helps to avoid to click on the wrong link, even from a web search


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 17, 2016)

LDS said:


> It would be useful if they used cameras.canon, eflenses.canon, printers.canon, video.canon. museum.canon, support.cameras.canon, and so on. global.canon is worse than canon.com.
> 
> But because marketing would like you to land on a page with all their product together and force you to navigate among several pages to find what you need, that will never happen.
> 
> It looks that most companies bought the top level domain just to protect their brand, without real plans to use it. Just, if not used it will be revoked.



Companies did not buy the Domain to protect it. One of the rules was that a buyer had to prove that they had a legitimate claim to the name.

I expect that we will see plenty of variations in the Domain like calculators.canon, et , they will roll out those changes every time we figure out the previous one.


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## LSXPhotog (May 17, 2016)

Great. Not it's even harder to find the information you wanted about Canon products. The Canon site redesign is a total disaster, IMO.


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## LDS (May 17, 2016)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Companies did not buy the Domain to protect it. One of the rules was that a buyer had to prove that they had a legitimate claim to the name.



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/29/icann_dot_word_brands/

It was know that many registered their domain without clear plans about how to use it really - and owning one of them implies some obligations as a domain registrar. But they did "just in case".

It's also no surprise many registration came from specific sectors like fashion/automotive/electronics. Legitimate claims doesn't mean exclusive ones. Names like Intel or Nike are not so specific like Sony or Coca-Cola.

It's interesting that nor Nikon nor Leitz/Leica, for example, decided to register their names. Canon and Sony did.


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## Maiaibing (May 20, 2016)

So maybe I can now finally find the free Canon photo-hosting web site that we all get with our camera? :


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