The Internet is about to undergo one of the most radical changes in its operation if a proposal to release the name of higher-level domains is approved next Thursday, June 26, according to BBC News.
Currently, these types of domains are very limited and their use is strictly controlled by Icann, the regulatory body that ultimately decides what endings the web addresses have. The so-called highest level are those of the different countries (.es, .fr or .uk), the widely used .com, the institutional .org or .net.
The intention of this proposal is for this system to be more flexible and to expand the names of domains whose scarcity causes many problems, especially for companies that see how their trademarks can be used by others, if they were previously registered. In fact, this proposal wants to allow company brands to be used as domain names, as well as proper names and any word or letter. The new domains could start working next year.
Asian and Arabic characters
One of the great advances would be for Arabic and Asian languages since addresses with their own characters could be used internationally. It must be remembered that the ñ has been used in an Internet address since November 5, 2007, not even a year.
But liberalizing domain names is not as simple a task as it may seem at first. Icann has been working on making its rules more flexible for at least three years, and assures that it has invested more than 10 million dollars in developing a more open system.
Therefore creating a new domain name will be more expensive than current domain registrations under a generic address, and will run into several thousand dollars. The process will include a neutral arbitration system in case of conflict.
Individuals will be able to create a domain with their name or even with letters, but as long as it is demonstrated that they have a business plan and that they have the necessary technical support. For their part, companies may register any name that is part of their intellectual property.
If the release of domain names becomes a reality, it is expected that the appearance of new addresses on the Internet will skyrocket after its launch in 2009.