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ICANN Board Approves Wide Expansion of TLDs

Posted by timothy on from the dibs-on-dot-tim dept.

penciling_in writes "The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved the relaxation of the rules for the introduction of new Top-Level Domains — a move that could drastically change the Internet. 'We are opening up a new world and I think this cannot be underestimated,' said Roberto Gaetano, an ICANN board member. The future outcome of this decision was discussed on Slashdot a few days ago. It also seems, based on this post on CircleID from last month, that ICANN was already in preparation mode of mass TLD introductions. The new decision will allow companies to register their brands as generic top-level domain names (TLDs). For instance, Microsoft could apply to have a TLD such as '.msn', Apple apply for '.mac', and Google for '.goog'... The decision was taken unanimously on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at the 32nd ICANN Meeting in Paris."

4 of 490 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Interesting reversal by jandrese · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, it was just the creation of a .xxx domain, there was never any realistic talk about forcing all pornographic material on there (defining what is pornographic for the entire world would be impossible anyway). It was going to be completely self selected. The reason they didn't want to make it is because they didn't want to create a "red light" district on the internet, an idea I still find baffling given the current nature of the internet.

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    I read the internet for the articles.
  2. Re:So wait.... by gclef · · Score: 5, Informative

    Close. They will become the registRY. The registRAR must be one of the ICANN-approved ones (you can't require a non-ICANN registrar). It isn't clear from what I've read whether you can refuse to work with any registrar and make it a closed TLD. I would assume you can, though.

  3. Re:more cyber-squatting? by digitally404 · · Score: 5, Informative

    For now it shant be a problem especially if the new names are expected to cost over $100,000.

  4. Re:There will be some good from this. by Gewalt · · Score: 5, Informative

    100K$ - 500K$... Not to mention you have to provide a "business model" and um... show technical capacity to run a TLD. Which makes this more of a money grab before the rest of the world wrests control of the net from ICANN.

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    Modding Trolls +1 inciteful since 1999