.merck

}}

Status:	Proposed
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	461 - Merck Registry Holdings, Inc. 1673 - Merck KGaA

.merck is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program, it is possibly one of the only brand applications being sought by two different brands.

Current Applicants

1. Merck KGaA. Community Application. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.
2. Merck Registry Holdings, Inc. This applicant has filed two applications for the TLD, one with community status and one without. The other applicant filed a community objection against the application.

Community Application

The American healthcare company, Merck & Co. Inc., applied twice, once through a community application and once as a general applicant. This was clearly done as a way to edge out any competition that may have also applied for a Merck community application, or keep a stake in the .merck TLD should its own community status be denied. The competitive community applicant is the German-based Merck KGaA pharmaceutical company, which employes over 40,000 people in 70 countries.

"Merck & Co. Inc., parent of Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA (collectively “Merck”), is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest healthcare companies in the world. Merck has operated under the Merck name and trademark in the United States and Canada since as early as 1920." It defines its community as its own healthcare and pharmaceutical business but also its philanthropic and corporate responsibility programs, and its publications and websites. Registration will be restricted to the company, its subsidiaries, and authorized partners.

"Merck KGaA is a global pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company with approximately 40,000 employees in over 70 countries. In 2010 Merck realized total revenues of EUR 9.3 Billion." Registration is to be restricted to its subsidiaries and affiliates.