Google bigs up branded domain potential

With the final list of generic top-level domain (gTLD) applications set to be posted in less than two weeks, Google is shedding light on its investment strategy.

The company said that its gTLD applications covered both its own products as well as possible domains in which it could sell addresses to third parties.

While the company did not disclose just how many domains it had applied for, Google chief internet evangelist Vint Cerf said in a company blog post that the company had chosen a number of domains based on their connections to existing Google products.

Among the domains listed by Cerf were .google and .docs, connections to the company's brand name and the Google Docs service, as well as references to its other companies, including .youtube.

Additionally, Cerf said that the company would look to register domains which hold "interesting and creative potential" such as the .lol domain.

While applying for control of a gTLD. Icann charges applications a $185,000 fee to file for control of a domain. The application process closed on 30 May after being extended due to a prolonged outage.

Google said that those domains which it is awarded control of will be administered by the company with support for all Icann-accredited registrars. Additionally, the company promised to offer security and rights protection measures for administrators who run sites within its domains.

"We’re just beginning to explore this potential source of innovation on the web, and we are curious to see how these proposed new TLDs will fare in the existing TLD environment," Cerf wrote.

"By opening up more choices for internet domain names, we hope people will find options for more diverse -and perhaps shorter signposts- in cyberspace."

Icann is due to announce the full list of domains and applicants for the gTLDs on 13 June. The company said that it has received more than 1,900 applications in total.