The operator of the .name registry is offering a “free trial” on its domains, and appears to be encouraging registrars to mass-register .name URLs for existing customers. The Global Name Registry, which oversees .name, is limiting the freebie to a 60-day trial period, after which the registrant must pay for the name or return it to the registry. The promotion refines an Afilias’ promotion from last year offering introductory free pricing on .info domains, but places a shorter time frame (60 days versus one year) before the domain fees must be paid. “All Free Trial Names are registered in bulk, i.e. an ISP/Registrar can allocate a free trial name to each of its customers at no charge,” the offer notes. eNom affiliate Sipence used the Afilias offer last year as an opportunity to bulk register 1 million .info domains for customers who owned the same name in .com or .net.

The .name promotion was the major pricing news in a month in which prices for a one-year .com name held steady across our list of domain sellers.