28 Jun 2008
The recent decision to open up the domain naming system will create the largest boom on the internet since its creation, according to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann).
The organisation approved a measure on Thursday which will remove the restrictions on domain suffixes, allowing companies to register any word as a URL suffix.
Users were previously limited to 21 suffixes, such as .com and .net, but will now be able to use domains such as .news or .bank.
Icann expects the new rules to come into effect some by the second quarter of 2009.
"The potential here is huge. It represents a whole new way for people to express themselves on the net," said Icann president and chief executive Dr Paul Twomey. "It is a massive increase in the 'real estate' of the internet."
Icann plans to allow non-Latin characters as well, opening the door for domains with Chinese and Arabic characters for the first time.
The organisation also provided further guidance on how the new domains will be distributed and managed.
In the case of a trademark or cyber-squatting spat, Icann plans to allow trademark holders to file appeals. The appeals will then be reviewed by Icann and a decision made.
A similar system will be put in place for dealing with attempts to register potentially offensive sites.
Users will be able to file an objection which will then be passed on to an independent international review board which will base a decision on international treaties.
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Don't break out the champagne just yet...
In the moments before the ICANN voted to create potentially thousands of new Internet domains, ICANN President Paul Twomey said "if ever there were a case where the devil was in the details, this would be it." I agree, which makes all the celebration surrounding the decision more than a little troubling. As I mentioned on the NetChoice blog, last week's decision was the easy part. Now ICANN faces incredibly difficult questions; like who gets to decide on the morality of domains like ".xxx" or ".sex." Or what do they say when a totalitarian government objects to the creation of ".freedom," or ".democracy." Also how do we prevent the creation of names like ".con" or ".orq" that might confuse users looking for existing domains. That's to say nothing of the challenges of settling the pitched intellectual property battles that could be fought over words like ".apple." Finding the answers to these questions is essential. It will mean the difference between success and failure. So before we go patting ourselves on the back, let's make sure we get this right.
Posted by: Steve DelBianco 02 Jul 2008