ICANN, an independent body responsible for organising the Internet, plans to press ahead with plans to expand the number of possible website addresses despite criticism from industry and concerns from some law enforcement groups. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which decides who gets to manage .com, .net and other domains to the right of the period in a URL, plans to begin accepting applications this week for a hugely expanded number of Web domain options.
This has infuriated and worried corporations, which already troll the web looking for trademark violations and sometimes buy web addresses they don't plan to use to prevent them from falling into the hands of cybersquatters.
In a letter on January 3, Lawrence Strickling, administrator of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, urged ICANN to take steps to minimise the need for these defensive registrations.
ICANN said on January 4 that it would review Strickling's recommendations. "We appreciate Assistant Secretary Strickling's comments and suggestions," said Steve Crocker, chair of ICANN's board in an emailed statement.
Each top level domain would cost dollars 185,000. Applications will be accepted beginning on January 12, although it is not known when the first new registries will be up and running.
That said ICANN has no plans to delay rollout of the top level domain expansion, a goal that is to allow more innovation in website addresses and to open the space to the non-Latin alphabets. It has pledged a quick take-down for trademark violators under the new system.
Strickling also urged ICANN to do a better job of identifying who controls particular websites, with the goal of being able to aid law enforcement if the sites are used for criminal activity.
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