Will current domain name owners be given special registration preference?
Most likely, the answer is no, but it depends on the rules put in place by the TLD Registry. Some may impose a period of time for trademark holders to register first. Other rules may require compliance with the particular TLD. An example - only aerospace companies can register .aero. Otherwise these new TLDs will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis to anyone that wants to register them. Even if the domain name you want is already registered by someone else in a com/net/org, you still have the opportunity to register it in one of the new TLDs. However, if you successfully register a domain name in one of the new TLDs that is currently trademarked by an individual or company with an existing com/net/org, your domain name registrations could be challenged by that individual or company. Second level domains in the new gTLDs that embody existing trademark rights may be held only by the owner of the trademark rights. If you register a domain name in any of the new gTLDs that embodies trademark rights owned by another person, the registration will be subject to cancellation if the trademark owner brings a challenge under the dispute settlement regime.