IT and Society: ICANN approves generic Top-Level Domains

At ICANN conference (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, international non-profit corporation set up to oversee issues related to domain names, IP-addresses and other Internet-related tasks) in Singapore the corporation made a decision to launch generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD). Now companies willing to acquire their own TLDs — for example, .microsoft, .eco or any other — will be able to submit an application for such a domain in early January 2012 following the approved procedure.

It took ICANN six years to give final approval to generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD). The corporation has worked out “The Applicant Guidebook”, an important document which covers the whole process of new domain’s launch — domain price, procedure of submitting an application. At the conference was approved the final version of “The Applicant Guidebook” dated May 2011. It in particular reads that the new generic Top-Level Domain will cost $185,000. ICANN is providing safeguards to ward off mass cybersquatting. It means that organizations looking forward to submitting an application for their own TLDs, will undergo a security check. The evaluation procedures provide for background screening of pre-applicants that look for history of cybersquatting. The company which was notorious for malware activities or cybersquatting will be given a refusal.

ICANN will be accepting applications for new top-level domains between January 12 and April 12, 2012. Fifteen days after that all applications will be published. In November 2012 ICANN is intending to make public all results of initial check of new TLDs; contractual obligations, domain testing and delegation will follow.

Many players of domain market were waiting passionately for ICANN’s decision. In fact, long before “The Applicant Guidebook” approval the market of new TLDs had been set up and was actively developing: on the horizon appeared companies which were ready to offer technical support to future registries of new domains. Moreover, lots of companies mentioned about their plans to launch their own TLDs — for instance, authorities of Berlin (.berlin), World Ecological Community (.eco), innovation center Skolkovo (.skolkovo).

The taken decision is the result of work, which involved hundreds of people from different countries, and is undoubtedly the most important milestone in Internet development.