The managing body for the internet's domain name system will massively increase the 'real estate' of the internet, letting brands and generic words become top-level domains. A legal expert said that the plans will make brand protection a nightmare.
The board of ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, backed the move at a meeting in Paris yesterday. Presently, users have a limited range of 21 top-level domains (TLDs) to choose from, like .com, .org, .info.
Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN's president and CEO, said in a statement: "The Board today accepted a recommendation from its global stakeholders that it is possible to implement many new names to the Internet, paving the way for an expansion of domain name choice and opportunity."
"The potential here is huge," he said. "It represents a whole new way for people to express themselves on the Net. It's a massive increase in the 'real estate' of the Internet."
ICANN authorises the launch of every new TLD, though the launch itself is conducted by an ICANN-approved registry and the domain names are sold by registrars. Under the new proposal, applicants for new TLDs can self-select their domain name and operate as a registry. They can either use the names exclusively for their own purposes or open them for sale to third parties through registrars.
In a statement ICANN said: "It is expected that applicants will apply for targeted community strings such as (the existing) .travel for the travel industry and .cat for the Catalan community (as well as generic strings like .brandname or .yournamehere). There are already interested consortiums wanting to establish city-based top level domain, like .nyc (for New York City), .berlin and .paris."
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