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The Beginnings of a TLD Free-For-All?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the bad-ideas dept.

Mordok-DestroyerOfWo writes "According to the BBC, ICANN is considering opening up the wholesale creation of TLDs by private industry. While I'm sure this is done for the convenience of the companies and has nothing to do with the several thousand dollars they will be charging for each registration, I was curious what the tech community at large thought about this idea. It seems to me that this will simply open the doors for a never-ending stream of TLD squatters."

4 of 489 comments (clear)

  1. ICANN showing their irrelevance by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As if their total lack of real control over domain registration wasn't bad enough already, now they want to sell TLDs? Come on, we're close enough to arbitrary mish-mash as it is.

    The only good that could potentially come from this would be if the spammers found it worthwhile to start placing all their spamvertised domains under TLDs like .viagra and .pirate, so it would be easier to screen them.

    But we all know how likely that is..

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  2. Re:ICANN should make domains more expensive by metamatic · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You missed

    3) Prohibit exchange of domain names. Don't want one? Let it expire and it goes back into the pool. No, you can't sell it, any more than you can sell your telephone number.

    But again, this wouldn't benefit the registrars, so it won't happen.

    --
    GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
  3. Re:Bad Idea....Bad Bad Bad by Scorchio · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Never mind the levels of confusion it would be creating.

    Especially when I start registering common file extensions, like .exe, .bat, .jpg, .txt...

  4. Re:Worst idea ever by MaWeiTao · · Score: 4, Interesting

    For example, disney.usedcars. Unless Disney gets into the automotive business, there would be no trademark issue.

    Generally it is true that it wouldn't be an issue if two companies with the same name are in different industries. However, in this case it would be a problem, because of Disney's widespread brand recognition.

    The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2000 sued the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and successfully forced them to change their name. They had an agreement in which the wrestling federation could use the initials, but it was determined there was some violation of that agreement.

    And the last time I checked the World Wildlife Fund hasn't gotten into professional wrestling.