ICANN, the body responsible for authorising new domain name
extensions on the internet, has publicly criticised businesses that
sell unofficial domain names such as .shop and .kids. ICANN
recently authorised seven new domain names, including .biz, .name
and .info, the first new so-called generic top level domain (gTLD)
names to be authorised in over a decade since the .com, .org and
.net gTLDs became available.
The demand for new domain name extensions led a number of
businesses to sell unofficial names. These names are not
immediately accessible to all internet users, unlike .com names.
Instead, users normally have to download a plug-in, a piece of
software that redirects the user’s internet browser when an
extension such as .shop is entered. Several businesses compete in
this market, the most dominant being New.net, which secured deals
with major ISPs meaning that customers of these ISPs do not need to
download the plug-in to access sites with its 20 new extensions,
including .travel, .xxx and .law.
At its quarterly meeting in Stockholm which began today, the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (better known
as ICANN) is reviewing its own newly authorised domain names.
ICANN’s president, M Stuart Lynn called for members of the global
community to forego the ”illusory short-term advantages” of the
unofficial domain name services in favour of long term stability.
New.net has itself issued a paper addressing competition in the
domain name industry and criticising the current ICANN system as
being detrimental to internet users.
There are three main risks for business like New.net. First,
that the names never catch on. Second, that a competing unofficial
body offers the same extensions and wins more users of its plug-in.
Finally, that ICANN authorises any of the extensions, which will
give everyone access to the names and possibly make useless the
unofficial names, many of which will be duplicated.
