Potential Expansion of Domain Name Extensions

ICANN has approved a program to provide a broad expansion of domain name extensions. The draft policy documents were open for public comment through December 2008.

Presently, twenty one generic top level domain extensions (gTLDs) exist. The most commonly used extensions (.com, .edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .net, and .org) were created in the 1980s and are now managed by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). In the years, following the creation of the original gTLD extensions, a number of others have followed (including .biz, .info, .name, .pro, .aero, .coop, .museum, asia, .cat, .jobs, .mobi, .tel and .travel).

As a general rule, most gTLD extensions are primarily comprised of three or more letters. Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) are comprised of two letters and exist for more than 240 different countries and territories. For example, <.us> is the country code for the United States. The current list of all Top Level Domains is maintained by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) and can be found at http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/

ICANN has now proposed a plan to allow a potentially unlimited expansion of domain name extensions. Under the plan, entities can apply to operate a registry for a gTLD extension consisting of almost any string of letters for any product, brand or even geographic location. Think .pizza, .tropicana, .boston. ICANN has even gone so far as to advertise its plan in The Economist, as was recently mentioned in Domain Name Newswire.

So what’s not to like with regard to such a massive domain naming system? Well, not everyone appears to be on board with the plan to expand Top Level Domains. Some big companies such as Microsoft and Time Warner among others, have objected because of trademark concerns. (If you are interested, all comments made with regard to the draft proposal can be found here.) Others have argued that allowing such an expansion will decrease the portfolio value of domainers. Even the Commerce Department, which provides oversight to ICANN, has expressed reservations about the plan, requesting that further economic studies be completed before consideration of implementation.

No doubt, if the expansion program is implemented during the second half of 2009 as planned, it will present new challenges and opportunities for trademark holders and domainers alike.