First batch of new generic top-level domains born, Amazon looking unlikely to snag .amazon

First batch of new generic toplevel domains born, Amazon looking unlikely to snag amazon

After spending over a year thumbing through applications, ICANN has inked agreements for establishing the first new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Those that made the cut this round were the Arabic word for web or network (.شبكة), game in Chinese (.戏), and the Russian for online (.онлайн), as well as website (.сайт) -- as ICANN notes, these gTLDs will be the first to use non-Latin characters. Also coming out of the ICANN47 meeting for internet overlords is a bit of bad news for Amazon. A committee recommended that the retailer should not be given control of the .amazon domain, likely due to confusion the suffix could create with the Amazon region in South America. ICANN may see fit to go against the recommendation, but if Amazon's history with objectionable applications is anything to go by, it's looking like yet another $185,000 down the drain.

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Via: The Verge

Source: ICANN, Wall Street Journal

ICANN shows the full generic TLD application list, Google’s bidding splurge

Crazy with domain names

ICANN told us that June 13th was the golden day that we'd get to see all of the initial applications for generic top-level domains (gTLDs), and the full list has surfaced on cue. The early roster shows a lot of competition for certain domains -- we're seeing a baker's dozen in companies trying for .app alone. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and other companies are understandably trying to protect their brand names, but we're just now seeing the full extent of Google's gTLD madness: we're counting 101 instances in which the search firm has tentatively pulled the $185,000 trigger. ICANN still has to settle on which bidders get the domains they want, though, and there's no certainty that Google will fulfill its dreams. When even the cherished .lol domain has a challenger, you know the competition is getting fierce.

ICANN shows the full generic TLD application list, Google's bidding splurge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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