Dotcom loses top billing in web shake-up
THE .com web address suffix that has become synonymous with online activity could lose its prominence after regulators waved through proposals to allow companies to use their own branding instead.
The looser regulation will allow firms to use addresses such as www.news.cityam or www.ipad.apple.
The changes have been brought in as it becomes increasingly difficult for new companies to find web addresses, with so-called cyber squatters often buying up thousands at a time and charging sky high prices for them.
The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) says the new proposals will take the number of generic top-level domain names from 22 – including .net, .org and .edu – to hundreds. A recent addition to the roster was the inclusion of the .xxx suffix for pornographic websites. There are also around 250 country-level domain names such as co.uk and .ca.
Companies including Apple and Google are thought to be amongst the first to apply for the new domains. Experts say the shake-up is the biggest since .com was introduced 26 years ago.
However, the process is likely to only affect global brands, with the application process costing an eye-watering $185,000 (£114,000), regardless of success. The window will be open for a limited time starting 12 January next year. Firms will have to prove they have a legitimate claim to the domains they want to buy.