Trying to register via google domain says "Google Domains does not support the .APP ending". Is that on purpose (Google domain is listed on get.app as compatible) ? A cache issue ?
What I can say is that we are currently in the Early Access Period, and that General Availability begins on May 8 at 16:00:00.000 Z. That's when you'd expect to see any remaining registrars not yet selling them start to sell them.
The full list of registrars onboarded for .app, including annotations for those supporting EAP, is here: https://www.registry.google/about/register.html
It's just another fucking cash grab.
Outrage is great, but it's a good idea to read before firing off like this.
(You can use your TMCH SMD file to register your trademark.app for ~$20, but that’s not really what we’re taking about here.)
If you have a TMCH registered mark you can get your .app for ~$20, though.
1) The announcement is made by Google, yet Google is not accepting EAP registrations. Very confusing.
2) The registrars accepting EAP are not as widely known as you would expect for something like this, meaning that I am going to have to pay to registrar now and then a transfer fee to transfer to my primary register down the road.
3) GoDaddy is listed as an EAP registrar, however, they are only accepting pre-registrations at this time. On top of that, they found a way to be even more shady by charging a $173.99 for "Priority Pre-Registration".
Whether registrars support EAP, and how they implement it, is entirely up to each registrar. If you have complaints about any specific registrar practices, or about registrars not supporting it full stop, then those should be directed at the registrar in question.
They're just auctioning off all the good names - same as every other domain squatting rent seeker...