I just read in The Vancouver Sun this morning that one of the most radical shakeups of domain names in 40 years was approved for implementation yesterday at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers AGM in Paris (June 26th, 2008).
According to the Vancouver Sun, Internet regulators voted to allow the creation of thousands of new Web domain names, from .paris to .Pepsi. The overhaul is expected to radically change the way users navigate the Internet and has implications for business and consumers. (I’d say so!)
ICANN is working towards accepting the first applications for new domain suffix’s in the second quarter of 2009. The web’s 1.9 billion users would be able to buy an unlimited number of generic addresses based on common words, brands or company names, cities or proper names. ICANN is not “selling” new top level domain names. There will be a limited application period where any established entity from anywhere in the world can submit an application that will go through an evaluation process. Trademarks will not be automatically reserved. But there will be an objection-based mechanism for trademark owners where their arguments for protection will be considered.
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